Allah said,
[وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ
لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ
يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ]
(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish
them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.)
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Pagans used to go around the
House in Tawaf and proclaim, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah, there is no
partner with You,' and the Prophet would tell them,
«قَدٍ، قَد»
(Enough, enough.) But they would go on, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah,
there is no partner with You except a partner who is with You, You own Him but
he does not own! They also used to say, `O Allah, Your forgiveness, Your
forgiveness.' Allah revealed this verse;
[وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ
لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ]
(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them...)'''
Ibn `Abbas commented, "They had two safety shelters: the Prophet , and their
seeking forgiveness (from Allah). The Prophet went away, and only seeking
forgiveness remained.'' At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Musa said that the
Messenger of Allah said,
«أَنْزَلَ اللهُ
عَلَيَّ أَمَانَيْنِ لِأُمَّتِي»
("Allah sent down to me two safe shelters for the benefit of my Ummah)
[وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ
لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ
يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ]
(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish
them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.)
«فَإِذَا مَضَيْتُ
تَرَكْتُ فِيهِمُ الْاسْتِغْفَارَ إِلَى يَومِ الْقِيَامَة»
(When I die, I will leave the seeking of forgiveness with them, until the Day
of Resurrection.)
What testifies to this Hadith, is the Hadith that Ahmad recorded in his
Musnad and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, that Abu Sa`id narrated that the Messenger
of Allah said,
«إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ
قَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ يَا رَبِّ لَا أَبْرَحُ أَغْوِي عِبَادَكَ مَا دَامَتْ
أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِي أَجْسَادِهِمْ. فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ: وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي لَا
أَزَالُ أَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَغْفَرُونِي»
(Shaytan said, `By Your might, O Lord! I will go on luring Your servants as
long as their souls are still in their bodies.' The Lord said, `By My might and
majesty! I will keep forgiving them, as long as they keep invoking Me for
forgiveness.')
Al-Hakim, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it.''
[وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلاَّ
يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا
كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ - وَمَا كَانَ صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ
مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ]
(34. And why should not Allah punish them while they hinder (men) from
Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and they are not its guardians None can be its guardians
except those who have Taqwa, but most of them know not.) (35. Their Salah at the
House was nothing but Muka' and Tasdiyah. Therefore taste the punishment because
you used to disbelieve.)