Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Shunning a
Muslim is not permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his
brother for more than three days, each of them turning away from the other
when they meet. The better of them is the first to greet the other with
salaam.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(5727) and Muslim (2560).
An exception is made
allowing shunning, as the scholars said, if it serves an interest, such as
shunning the one who commits sin if it is known that shunning him is in his
interests or in the interests of someone else, such as if he will give up
his sin or others will not be tempted because of his example.
Shunning is ended if the
greeting is given, so if one person greets another with salaam, then he is
no longer shunning him, because of the hadeeth quoted above: “The better of
them is the first to greet the other with salaam.”
See also question no.
93888.
Secondly:
If a person repents from
his sin, Allaah accepts his repentance, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And He it is Who
accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you
do”
[al-Shoora 42:25]
“Know they not that
Allaah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqaat (alms,
charity), and that Allaah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts
repentance, Most Merciful?”
[al-Tawbah 9:104]
Repentance is valid at all
times, except when the death rattle reaches the throat and when the sun
rises from its place of setting, because of the report narrated by
al-Tirmidhi (3537) and Ibn Majaah (4253) from Ibn ‘Umar, that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah accepts the
repentance of His slave so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his
throat.”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: The scholars (may Allaah be
pleased with them) are unanimously agreed that repentance is accepted so
long as the death rattle has not yet reached the throat, as it says in the
hadeeth. There are three pillars or essential parts of repentance: giving up
the sin, regretting what one has done and resolving not to go back to it. If
he repents from a sin then goes back to it, his repentance is not
invalidated. If he repents from one sin when he is committing another, his
repentance is still valid. This is the view of the people of truth, whereas
the Mu’tazilah differed concerning these two issues.
End quote.
Muslim (2703) narrated that
Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever repents before the sun rises from its
place of setting, Allaah will accept his repentance.”
With regard to what it says
in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The gates of Paradise are opened on
Mondays and Thursdays, and every slave who does not associate anything with
Allaah is forgiven, except a man between whom and his brother is some
grudge. It is said: Wait for these two until they reconcile, wait for these
two until they reconcile, wait for these two until they reconcile”, it seems
that this is speaking of Allaah’s forgiveness that He bestows on His slaves
by His grace, without any repentance on their part.
It does not mean that the
repentance of disputing parties from other sins is not accepted. If a person
has a dispute with his brother, but he repents to Allaah from some other
sin, such as lying for example, then Allaah will accept his repentance, as
is indicated by the texts.
From the words of al-Nawawi
(may Allaah have mercy on him) quoted above, it is clear that if a person
repents from one sin when committing another, his repentance is valid
according to Ahl al-Sunnah.
And Allaah knows best.