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Request for Repentance

Repentance does not always mean returning from sin; the request for repentance is not necessarily preceded by or associated with committing a sin. Rather, in many cases, the term repentance (tawba) refers to seeking divine grace and favor and requesting awareness. As God Almighty describes the encompassing of divine grace upon the believers with the expression “turned in mercy” (tāba): “God has turned in mercy to the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of difficulty, after the hearts of a group of them had almost swerved”(87). The request for repentance by the two infallible prophets, Abraham and Ishmael: “Accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful” also refers to this meaning of repentance, because repentance from sin is inconceivable for the infallibles who do not commit disobedience or forgetfulness. Rather, it is a request for initial repentance or elevation of status and bestowal of additional favor. The point is that the repentance of the created being is a return from deficiency to perfection, or from negligence to completion, or from weakness to strength, and the like, which sometimes indicates disobedience, sometimes forgetfulness, and sometimes mere inherent poverty. The repentance of the Creator is the return of grace, the bestowal of favor, and the like, which is sometimes initial and not preceded by the repentance of the created being, and sometimes rewarding and preceded by their repentance.

Note: Calling upon the Lord by the name “the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful” (al-Tawwāb al-Raḥīm) means requesting the continuation of the outpouring of mercy or greater kindness to themselves and their children. Since Tawwāb is mentioned with the attribute Raḥ__īm, it implies two things: First, that He will certainly accept, because the source of mercy will never show unkindness. Second, that the acceptance of repentance is based on mercy and grace, not on justice and definitive ruling; meaning that God will certainly accept the repentance that meets the conditions, not that He must certainly accept it.

The attribute “Accepting of repentance” (Tawwāb) in this part of the verse includes both types of God’s repentance (before the servant’s repentance and after it).