And even if he expresses repentance there is no guarantee of...

And even if he expresses repentance there is no guarantee of acceptance by Allah (S.w.T.). Give attention to your own hearts! Whether there are thoughts of good or of evil in your heart, you will always have doubts about these thoughts! When Satan upbraids you to commit a sinful act, the angels guide you against it. If Satan tries to prevent you from doing a good turn, the angels encourage you to go ahead with it. At the Cross-roads Man is therefore at the cross-roads!

Either he loses himself in the valley of greed and vanity or is guided by the angels to the path of virtue and salvation. Allah (S.w.T.) has created man with the faculty of making his own decisions for his actions.

Allah (S.w.T.) has categorically said in the Holy Qur’an, فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنبِهِ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ...and it did not beseem Allah that He should be unjust to them, but they were unjust to their own souls.

(Sura al‑´Ankabut, 29:40) The door for repentance is always open Allah (S.w.T.) has further said, ‘If We had imposed Iblīs over your progeny and has given him respite till the Day of Reckoning, we have kept the doors of repentance open for you progeny too’. If men are caught in the web of the accursed Satan, they can express repentance like their ancestor, Adam (a.s.) and seek forgiveness from Allah (S.w.T.).

Remember that Adam (a.s.) after doing repentance reached the august status of Prophet-hood and was one of the choicest of Allah (S.w.T.). Allah (S.w.T.) says: إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations (Sura Aal-´Imran, 3:33) Repentant men too can achieve the status of tawwabeen (penitents) and become the dear ones of Allah (S.w.T.).

Allah (S.w.T.), as such says: إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ …surely Allah loves the penitent. (Sura al-Baqara, 2:222) Allah (S.w.T.)’s blessing is for men till the end All the people of the previous epochs had the doors of repentance open for them. But the conditions for acceptance of their penitence were very severe.

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