“They mentioned repentance to Ibn ʿAbbās, so he recited this verse: ‘Whoever kills a believer intentionally …’ He said: ‘This verse has neither been abrogated nor altered; how, then, can he repent?’”
It was recorded by al-Tirmidhī (2/171) and al-Nasāʾī (2/164). Al-Tirmidhī said: “A good, singular hadith.” I say: Its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
- Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās a similar report, but without the words: “How, then, can he repent?” It was recorded by al-Nasāʾī, Aḥmad (1/240, 294, and 364), al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr (3/168/2), and al-Aṣbahānī in al-Targhīb (241/2), through several routes from him. Its chain of transmission is likewise authentic. It also has a supporting report from Ibn Masʿūd, which follows.
I say: Ibn ʿAbbās’s statement, “How, then, can he repent?” is well-known from him through various routes. The majority hold a contrary view, and it is authentically reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that he retracted this position and adopted the view of the majority. I have explained this under the following hadith, no. 2799, p. 711.
- “A man will come holding another man by the hand and say: ‘My Lord, this man killed me.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Why did you kill him?’ He will reply: ‘So that all might belongs to You.’ He will say: ‘Indeed, it belongs to Me.’ Then a man will come holding another man by the hand and say: ‘This man killed me.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Why did you kill him?’ He will reply: ‘So that all might belongs to so-and-so!’ He will say: ‘It does not belong to so-and-so,’ and he will bear the burden of his sin.”
It was recorded by al-Nasāʾī (2/164) and al-Bayhaqī in al-Shuʿab (2/114/1), from