Does Qur'anic verse 4:18 imply that repentance may not be accepted from a person who is on the verge of death? If so, how can this be reconciled with the idea that God does not prevent the repentance of a person while his spirit remains within him?
Does Qur'anic verse 4:18 imply that repentance may not be accepted from a person who is on the verge of death? If so, how can this be reconciled with the idea that God does not prevent the repentance of a person while his spirit remains within him?
Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 6 years ago
According to hadith, if a person is sincere, their repentance can be accepted until the time they see the Angel of Death; or, if they were committing wrong out of ignorance, until the soul leaves the throat. (These times are given in different narrations; perhaps they are reflecting a similar time for the person about to pass on.) However, if they were intentionally doing wrong and expecting to be able to repent for it at the last minute, this option will not be there for them (nor would their repentance be sincere).
This is the idea being Qur'an 4:18 - that people cannot persist in wrongdoing and then expect to get out of it at the last minute. Rather, once they realize they are doing wrong, they should try to make a change.