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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al-mizan an Exegesis of the Qur'an (volume Eight) Traditions The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said, inter alia, in his last sermon: "Whoever repents one year before his death, Allah will turn (mercifully) to him." Then he said: "Surely, a year is too long; whoever repents one month before his death, Allah will turn (mercifully) to him." Then he said: "Surely a month is too long; whoever repents one day before his death, Allah will turn (mercifully) to him." Then he said: "Surely a day is too long; whoever repents one hour before his death, Allah will turn (mercifully) to him.

Then he said: "Surely an hour is too long; whoever repents while his soul has reached here" - and he pointed with his hand to his throat - "Allah will turn (mercifully) to him." (Man la yah-duruhu 'l-faqih) as-Sadiq (a.s.) said when he was asked about the word of Allah, And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: "Surely now I repent": "That is, when he looks at the affairs of the next world." The author says: al-Kulayni has narrated the first tradition in al-Kafi through his chain from as-Sadiq (a.s.); it is also narrated through the Sunni chains, and there are other traditions too of the same import.

The second tradition gives the explanation of the verse; also it explains those traditions which say that repentance in presence of death is not accepted. Accordingly "in presence of death" means 'when man knows that the process of death has begun, and sees the signs of the hereafter'; it is at that point that the door of repentance is closed against him. But if a man is unaware of his impending death, then there is no snag in acceptance of his repentance.

Some of the following traditions have similar meaning. Zurarah has narrated from Abu Ja'far (a.s.) that he said: "When the soul reaches here", pointing to his larynx, "then there is no repentance for the knower; but there is repentance for the ignorant." (at-Tafsir, al-Ayyashi) It is reported in ad-Durru 'l-manthur that Ahmad, al-Bukhari (in his at-Tafsir), al-Hakim and Ibn Marduwayh have narrated from Abu Dharr, that he said: "Surely the Messenger of Allah (s.a.