Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a man accepts Islam sincerely God removes from him every sin he has previously committed. After that there will be requital, a good deed getting ten to seven hundred times as much and many times more, and an evil deed getting a punishment equivalent to it, unless God overlooks it.”Bukhari transmitted it.
The Excellence of Sincere Conversion to Islam
This noble hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, as recorded in Mishkat al-Masabih 2373, reveals profound divine mercy. When a person embraces Islam with complete sincerity (khalis), Allah Almighty erases all previous sins—major and minor—as if they never occurred. This demonstrates the infinite scope of divine forgiveness.
The Divine Economy of Deeds
The post-conversion spiritual economy operates on divine generosity. Good deeds are multiplied between ten to seven hundredfold, and even beyond Allah's specified measure. This multiplication reflects divine magnanimity beyond human calculation.
Evil deeds, however, receive equivalent recompense—except when Allah, in His infinite mercy, chooses to pardon them. This establishes the principle that while punishment is deserved, forgiveness remains possible through divine grace.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars explain that sincere Islam requires pure intention free from worldly motives. The wiping clean of previous sins applies to rights owed to Allah, while rights owed to other humans still require resolution.
The variable reward multiplication demonstrates that spiritual stations differ. The most sincere believers receive the highest multipliers. The exception clause regarding evil deeds emphasizes that divine mercy can supersede divine justice.