Abu Musa reported God’s messenger as saying, "God stretches out His hand at night that those who have done evil during the day may repent and stretches out His hand in the day-time that those who have done evil during the night may repent, until [the time when] the sun rises in the west." Muslim transmitted it.
Divine Mercy and Repentance
This noble hadith from Sahih Muslim, recorded in Mishkat al-Masabih 2329, reveals the boundless mercy of Allah Almighty. The "stretching out of the hand" is a metaphorical expression (majaz) indicating Allah's readiness to accept repentance and His eagerness to forgive His servants.
Continuous Opportunity for Tawbah
The alternation between night and day signifies that Allah's mercy is perpetually available. Those who commit sins by day can seek forgiveness at night, and those who err at night can repent by day. This cyclical pattern demonstrates that the door to repentance is never closed to the believer.
The Ultimate Limit
The exception "until the sun rises from the west" refers to one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment. When this cosmic phenomenon occurs, repentance will no longer be accepted. This serves as a grave warning against delaying tawbah and taking divine mercy for granted.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam Nawawi explains that this hadith encourages immediate repentance without procrastination. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali notes that the continuous "stretching of the hand" reflects Allah's attribute of generosity and His desire to forgive rather than punish. The scholars emphasize that this divine invitation requires the sinner to manifest genuine remorse, abandon the sin, and resolve not to return to it.