The Messenger of Allah has desired very much that those who believe in him should always
seek Allah's forgiveness. He once said, "By Allah! I seek forgiveness of Allah, and I repent to
Him, every day more than seventy times." Allah has forgiven all the faults of our master
Muhammed, yet he seeks His forgiveness and repents to Him more than seventy times a day,
nay, even a hundred times a day! So, what can we say about how often should Muslims repent
to Him and seek His forgiveness?
Anas ibn Malik has said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah quoting his Lord saying,
"O son of Adam! So long as you invoke Me and place all your hope on Me, I shall forgive
you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam! Even if your sins were to pile up and reach the skies,
then you seek My forgiveness, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me after
having committed as many sins as would fill the earth, believing in Me, associating no
partners with Me, I shall grant you their equal in forgiveness."
- "Al-Muntaqim"
Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, has said, "Therefore do not think Allah (to be One) failing in His
promise to His prophets; surely Allah is Mighty, Lord of retribution" (Qura'n, 14:47).
Al-Muntaqim, the Avenger, splits the spines of those who deviate from His path, Who
increases the penalty of those who oppress in the land, after alerting them and repeatedly
warning them, and after enabling them to amend, giving them a respite. It implies a much
more severe penalty than merely an immediate one.
The word "al-Muntaqim" is derived from the noun intiqam, avenging or seeking revenge
against someone. A penalty is not called as such unless the following conditions are met:
- Clemency reaches the limit of extreme outrage. Allah has said, "On the Day when We seize
them with the most violent of seizing; surely We will (then) inflict retribution" (Qura'n,
44:16). - A punishment is affected after a period of respite. The Glorified and Exalted One has said,
"... and whoever returns to (committing) it, Allah will inflict retribution on him, and Allah is
the Mighty, the Lord of Retribution" (Qura'n, 5:95). - Such a punishment must require a sort of feeling of spiteful gratification upon seeing one
being hurt, something which never happens in the case of the Creator, but it does happen in
the case of vicious and spiteful humans. The intiqam, revenge, of a servant of Allah is held
commendable only if it is inflicted on His foes (those who deny or disbelieve in Him). The
worst of all foes of mankind are their own insinuating selves, the nafs, which is within each
and every one of us. There is no doubt that he has to seek revenge against such nafs.