وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً{And those who, when they commit an immorality}: Immorality is the great sin and it was mentioned in the Qur’an when talking about adultery; because it leads to mixture of lineages and a violation of honor, but Islam wants perfection, honor and morals.

أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ {or wrong themselves [by transgression]}: They wronged themselves by committing minor sins, this is how the scholars explained it, and the Prophet (saws) said:

“There is no great sin with seeking forgiveness, nor minor with persistence”[1]

If a person insists to commit a minor one, it becomes a great, and there is no great sin with seeking forgiveness; because Allah (swt) forgives all sins, so He said:

ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ{remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah?}: This does not mean that a person commits all the sins and then says: Glory be to Allah. What is meant is that when these people commit an indecency and sins while they are heedless, but then they remember Allah (swt)’s commands and remember His power and His torment. Remembrance by the tongue stirs the conscience, meaning that all the organs are energized, the first of them is the heart. The Prophet (saws) said:

“In the body there is a piece of flesh, and the whole body is sound if it is sound, but the whole body is corrupt if it is corrupt. It is the heart.”[2]

When you remember Allah (swt), you remember His commands and prevents from all his prohibitions. This is the meaning of remembrance of Allah (swt), so the main condition for the validity of any seeking of forgiveness, is not to persist in the sin.

Habib bin Al-Harith came to the Messenger of Allah (saws), and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I am a man who repeats the sin”. The Prophet (saws) said:

“So repent to Allah, O Habib”

He said: “O Messenger of Allah, I repent and then return.” He said:

“Whenever you sin, you must repent.”

He said: “O Messenger of Allah, then my sins will multiply.” He said:

“Allah’s forgiveness is greater than Your sins, O Habib bin Al-Harith”[3]

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ  أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

{Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”} (Az-Zumar: 53)

Allah (swt) is the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, and all people rely on His mercy, but what is important is that they resolve not to persist in committing sins.

[1] Kanz al-Ummal: Juz’ 4, Page 218, Hadith No. 10238.

[2] Sahih Al-Bukahri, Bookf of Faith, Hadith No.52.

[3] Majma’ Az-Zawaid and the Source of benefits, Juz’ 10, Hadith No. 17531.