“Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.’”
Qudsi Hadith Commentary
This sacred narration from Jami' at-Tirmidhi (3540) in the "Chapters on Supplication" represents a divine communication (Hadith Qudsi) where Allah speaks through the Prophet's tongue, emphasizing His boundless mercy and readiness to forgive.
Divine Mercy and Repentance
The triple address "O son of Adam!" signifies Allah's intimate call to all humanity. The repetition emphasizes the comprehensiveness of divine forgiveness regardless of sin's magnitude, provided the servant maintains hope and turns to Allah.
"As long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me" indicates that continuous supplication (du'a) and positive expectation (raja') are the means to attain forgiveness, demonstrating that despair of Allah's mercy is among the greatest sins.
Metaphors of Sin's Magnitude
"Reach the clouds of the sky" and "nearly as great as the earth" employ tangible imagery to convey the vastness of sins Allah is willing to forgive. These metaphors assure believers that no sin is too great for divine mercy when accompanied by sincere repentance.
Essential Condition: Tawhid
"You met Me not associating anything with Me" establishes the fundamental condition - preservation of pure monotheism. While Allah forgives all sins for repentant believers, shirk (associating partners with Allah) requires specific repentance before death.
Scholarly Insights
Classical commentators note that "I did not mind" reflects Allah's magnanimity - He is not diminished by forgiving sins, nor does He begrudge granting mercy. The hadith encourages persistent supplication and eliminates despair, while reminding that forgiveness is contingent upon maintaining correct belief and avoiding shirk.