Pleading for Forgiveness

2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr and Abu Ali al-Ash’ari from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from abu Ayyub from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “If one commits a sin he is given seven hours respite during the day. If he says, ‘I ask forgiveness from Allah, besides Whom no one deserves to be worshipped. Who is living and controls all things, - three times - no sin will be written against him.’”

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Abu Ali al-Ash’ari and Muhammad ibn Yahya all from al-Husayn ibn Ishaq from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Abd al-Samad ibn Bashir from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “When a believing servant (of Allah) commits a sin Allah gives him seven hours respite. If he pleads for forgiveness from Allah within such time nothing will be written against him. If the hours pass and he did not plead for forgiveness one sin will be written against him. A believer remembers his sin even after twenty years so that he may plead to his Lord for forgiveness and He forgives him. An unbeliever forgets his sin within the same hour.”’

4. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from more than one narrator from Aban from Zayd al-Shahham from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah would plead before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, seventy times every day.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Would he say, ‘I ask Allah to forgive me and I turn to Him in repentance?’ The Imam said, ‘He, however, would say, ‘I return to Allah.’ I then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah would yatub (repent) and would not repeat, we repent and repeat.’ The Imam said, ‘Allah is the source of help.’”

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu Ayyub from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “If one commits a sin he is given seven hours time during the day. If he says, ‘I plead before Allah, besides whom no one deserves to be worshipped, the living, the controlling power (over creation) and turn to Him in repentance - three times - nothing will be written against him.’”

6. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn ‘Uqbah Bayya’ al-Aksiyah from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “A believer commits a sin and remembers it after twenty years, then he pleads before Allah for forgiveness, He still forgives him. He is made to remember so He may forgive him. An unbeliever commits a sin and forgets it within the same hour.’”

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from those whom has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “If a believer commits forty major sins within one day and night and then regretfully says, ‘I plead before Allah, besides Whom no one deserves to be worshipped, the living, the controlling power (over creation) the inventor of the heavens and earth, possessor of glory, and honor. I ask Him to grant favors upon Muhammad and his family and to forgive me and accept my repentance. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will forgive all of them, however, there is no good in one who commits more than forty major sins in a day.’”

8. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from a number of our people in a marfu’ manner from him عليه السلام who has said the following: “For everything there is a medicine and the medicine for sins is pleading (before Allah) for forgiveness.”

9. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari and Muhammad ibn Yahya all has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Ishaq and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from Ali ibn Mahziyar from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Hafs who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام saying, ‘If any believer commits a sin Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gives him seven hours of a day’s respite; if he repents, nothing will be written against him but if he did not repent Allah will write only one sin against him.’ Thereafter ‘Abbad al-Basri came to him (abu ‘Abd Allah) and said, ‘We have heard that you have said, ‘If a servant (of Allah) commits a sin, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gives him seven hours of a day’s respite.’ The Imam said, ‘I have not said as such. What I have said is ‘If any believer . . .’ and the rest of my words.’”

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Ammar ibn Marwan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام has said, ‘If one says, “I plead for forgiveness before Allah” one hundred times every day, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will forgive his seven hundred sins, but there is nothing good in a servant (of Allah) who commits seven hundred sins a day.’”