مَتى تُقبَلُ التَّوبَةُ ؟ When Is Repentance Accepted?

11ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن تابَ‏قَبْلَ أنْ‏ يُعايِنَ قَبِلَ‏اللّه‏ُ تَوبَتَهُ.

11- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A man who repents before he sees [the angel of death], Allah will accept his repentance.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 440, no. 2 al-Kafi]
 

12ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا بَلَغتِ النّفسُ هذهِ‏ـ وأهْوى بيَدِهِ إلى حَلْقِهِ ـ لَم يَكُن للعالِمِ تَوبَةٌ، وكانتْ للجاهلِ تَوبَةٌ.

12- Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘When the soul reaches this – and pointed at the back of his throat – there will not remain a chance to repent for the knowledgeable man, but there will remain a chance for the ignorant one.’[Ibid. no. 3]
 

13ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقد سُئلَ عن عِلّةِ إغْراقِ ‏اللّه‏ِ فِرْعَونَ وقـد آمَنَ بهِ وأقَرَّ بتَوحيـدِهِ ـ: لأنَّهُ آمنَ عندَ رُؤيـةِ البَأْسِ، والإيمانُ عندَ رُؤيَةِ البَأْسِ غيرُ مَقبولٍ.

13- Imam al-Rida (AS), when he was asked about the reason for Allah’s drowning the Pharaoh after he believed in Him and attested to His oneness, replied, ‘Because he believed after he saw the wrath [of Allah], and belief at such a time is not accepted.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 6, p. 23, no. 25]