Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … This was the view of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, but later scholars did not agree with him and said that the sin of a murderer can be erased through repentance (tawbah). The reason for this is that through repentance, even crimes such as disbelief (kufr) and associating partners with Allah (shirk) are forgiven, so why would sins of a lesser degree not be forgiven? The Ahl al-Sunnah have explained the meaning of this verse from Surah al-Nisa as follows: If a person kills a believer intentionally and then dies without repenting, even then his forgiveness is still possible, because Allah Almighty has said: {اَنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَغْفِرُ اَنْ یُّشْرَکَ بِہٖوَیَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذَالِکَ لِمَنْ یَّشَائُ} (al-Nisa: 48) “Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives whatever is less than that for whom He wills.”