Monday, 11 May 2026 (24 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1447 AH)
Question: The hadith: “Whoever relieves a remorseful one, Allah will relieve his slip on the Day of Resurrection.” If the “slip” is major, nothing expiates it except repentance—as is known in the principles of the Imams (Peace be Upon Them). And if the slip is minor, then minor sins are expiated by acts of obedience—so what is the intended meaning?
Answer (and Allah is the One who grants success): What appears to me—and Allah knows best—is that the meaning is that Allah (Most High) grants the doer of “relieving/canceling” (iqālah) an increase of divine gentleness and enabling success in this world, which then calls him to repent and regret what he committed of slips and stumbles. Then, when the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah relieves (removes) his slip—one which he had sought to be relieved from in this world—by Allah’s enabling success and gentle aid He supplied him with in this world, as a recompense for his kindness in relieving the remorseful one by performing iqālah. And similarly, comparable hadiths can be interpreted like this—Allah knows best. And praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source: Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.3