Yes, this is a profound truth in Islam: Allah’s mercy is infinitely greater than our sins, as long as we turn to Him with sincere repentance.
One of the most comforting verses in the Quran addresses this directly:
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'”
(Quran 39:53)
This verse was revealed as a message of hope, reminding us that no matter how far we may have strayed or how heavy our sins feel, Allah’s forgiveness encompasses everything—except associating partners with Him (shirk), and even that can be forgiven if one repents sincerely before death.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us the same through many authentic hadiths:
- A famous sacred hadith (Hadith Qudsi) states:
“When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book which is with Him above the Throne: ‘Verily, My mercy prevails over My wrath.'”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 3194; Sahih Muslim 2751) - In another narration:
“O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done, and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you asked forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and then you met Me without associating anything with Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”
(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi) - The Prophet ﷺ also said that Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child.
These teachings emphasize that Allah’s mercy is vast, active, and always ready to envelop us. He loves to forgive, and He runs to the servant who takes even a small step toward Him.
The key is sincere tawbah (repentance): feeling regret, stopping the sin, and resolving not to return to it. Never let despair or Shaytan convince you that your sins are “too big”—Allah’s mercy is bigger.
May Allah shower His endless mercy upon us all and guide us to sincere repentance. Ameen.
