The Four Foundations of Divine Forgiveness
“And indeed, I am surely Most Forgiving to whoever repents, believes, does righteous deeds, then remains rightly guided.” — Qur'an (20:82) All the causes of forgiveness are confined to these matters: repentance wipes away what came before it; faith and submission erase what preceded them; and righteous deeds—being good actions—remove sins. And following the path of guidance in all its forms—such as seeking knowledge, reflecting on a verse or hadith until one understands a meaning by which he is guided, calling to the true religion, refuting innovation, disbelief, or misguidance, striving, migrating, and other aspects of guidance—all of these expiate sins and bring about the attainment of the ultimate goal. — Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di, Tafsīr al-Saʿdī (p. 511)