Can a person who has slandered the Prophet not repent?

- If I lie about the Prophet and then repent to Allah, will I be forgiven and not go to Hell?
- The Prophet said: Lying about me is not like lying about someone else. Whoever knowingly lies about me should take his place in Hell.
- If I lie about the Prophet and then regret and repent, will I go to Hell?

Dear Brother / Sister,

First of all, we should say that the door of repentance is open to everyone until he dies, and this applies to everyone. Therefore, those who slander the Prophet (pbuh) can and should repent.

The hadith regarding the issue is as follows:

“Whoever deliberately tells a lie from my mouth should prepare for his place in Hell.” (1)

- A person who knowingly slanders the Prophet (pbuh) and lies about him is regarded to have slandered Allah and the religion of Islam. Therefore, lying and slandering about the Prophet knowingly is very different from slandering other people. That is the reason for this harsh expression in a sound hadith at the level of tawatur.

- The hadith expression, “should prepare for his place in Hell” can be interpreted in different ways:

1. It can be a curse; it can mean “May Allah put him in hell!” 2. It may be an informative sentence; it can mean “He who deliberately slanders me will go to Hell”.

3. It may be a compelling order. It can mean “Let the one who knowingly slander me prepare for his place in Hell.”

4. This expression of the hadith means a severe warning. That is, it is wrong to understand from this hadith that “anyone who knowingly slanders the Prophet will definitely go to Hell”. After entering the grave with belief, there is always the possibility that for every sin, no matter how big, one will be punished or that he will be forgiven.

5. Since this possibility of forgiveness is valid for a believer who dies without repentance, the probability of a repentant believer being forgiven is much greater. The majority of Ahl as-Sunnah scholars hold this view. (2)

6. The greatest proof that an atheist who denies Allah, even a polytheist who associates partners with Allah, will be forgiven after he repents is the fact that some atheists and polytheists became sincere believers in the age of bliss and afterwards.

After entering the grave with belief, this possibility of forgiveness is available for every sinner.

As a matter of fact, one of the verses stating that everyone who dies as a believer is within the scope of amnesty is as follows:

“Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right).” (3)

References:

1) Darimi, Muqaddima, 25, 46; Bukhari, Ilm, 38, Janaiz, 33, Anbiya, 50, Adab, 109; Muslim, Zuhd, 72; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 4; Abu Dawud, Ilm, 4; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 70, Ilm, 8, 13, Tafsir, 1, Manaqib, 19.
2) Cf. Nawawi, Sharhu Muslim, 1/68; Fathul-Bari, 1/202-203.
3) an-Nisa, 4/116.

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