His saying, the Exalted: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance"

4996 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Harithi narrated to us, Uthman ibn al-Aswad narrated to us, who said: I heard Mujahid saying regarding His saying: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance," he said: Whoever commits a sin, whether an old man or a young man, it is out of ignorance.

4997 - Muhammad ibn Ammar narrated to us, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah al-Dashtaki narrated to us, Abu Ja'far—meaning the Razi—narrated to us, from al-Rabi' regarding His saying: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance," he said: They are the people of faith.

His saying, the Exalted: "In ignorance"

[The first interpretation]

4998 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Khalid al-Ahmar narrated to us, from Uthman ibn al-Aswad, from Mujahid and Juwaybir, from al-Dahhak regarding His saying: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance," they both said: It is not that his ignorance implies he does not know lawful from unlawful, but rather his ignorance is at the time he enters into the act.

4999 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, regarding His saying: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance," he said: Whoever disobeys his Lord is ignorant until he desists from his disobedience.

5000 - Al-Ashajj narrated to us, Waki' narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Jabir, from Mujahid, regarding "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance," he said: The ignorance is [intentional] persistence. It was also narrated from 'Ata the same.

And the second interpretation:

5001 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Juhayr ibn Yazid, who said: I asked al-Hasan about His saying: "The acceptance of repentance by Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance." I said: Why is this ignorance? He said: So that they may exit from it, for it is indeed ignorance.

5002 - My father narrated to us, Mansur ibn Abi Muzahim narrated to us, Abu Sa'id—meaning Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Abi al-Waddah—narrated to us, from Khusayf, from Mujahid, regarding: "For those who do evil in ignorance," he said: Whoever commits evil, whether by mistake, sin, or intentionally, he is ignorant until he desists from it. It was similarly narrated from Qatadah, 'Amr ibn Murrah, and al-Thawri: intentionally or by mistake.