Condemned, Yet Not Forgotten; Even the Worst Deserve Tawbah by Adebisi Olaide Idris

The tides of public condemnation have been relentless upon Abdulrahman, the young man whose hands were stained with the gruesome murder of Hafsah in Ilorin. For weeks, he has been the subject of scorn, abandoned by those who once stood beside him, rejected by his own circle, and cursed by voices that once resonated with his own beliefs. His crime is vile, despicable, and demands justice. No sane person would excuse it. But as this sacred month of Ramadan approached, the month of mercy, the month of Rahmah, I began to ponder, that we must ask ourselves: what is the intent of Allah in exposing a criminal? Is it for utter destruction? Is it for permanent rejection? Is there no pathway back to redemption?

Yes, the wheels of justice must turn. Yes, Abdulrahman may be condemned to execution in line with the law of Qisas. But before that inevitable fate, should we not offer him the one thing that Islam extends even to the gravest of sinners, the door of Tawbah?

We have all seen the remorse etched on his face. Whether it is the shame of his exposure or the genuine weight of his actions pressing upon him, we do not know. But what we do know is that he has now been isolated, abandoned even by those who shared his Islamic worldview. It is easy to denounce him, to disown him, to pretend he was never among them. But he was. He stood in the same gatherings, chanted the same Statements, and partook in the same religious rituals as many who now refuse to acknowledge him. Are they so untouched by his crime? Are they truly innocent of ever walking alongside him in faith?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:  

لله أفرح بتوبة عبده من رجل نزل بأرض فلاة فمعه راحلته ففرت منه وعليها طعامه وشرابه فأيس منها فأتى شجرة فاضطجع في ظلها قد أيئس من راحلته فبينا هو كذلك إذ هي قائمة عنده فأخذ بخطامها ثم قال من شدة الفرح: اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربك أخطأ من شدة الفرح

"Allah is happier with the repentance of His servant than a man who, traveling in a desert, loses his camel carrying all his provisions, despairs of life, and then suddenly finds it again. Overcome with joy, he mistakenly cries out, 'O Allah! You are my servant, and I am Your Lord!' due to the intensity of his happiness."

Abdulrahman’s life in this world is practically over. His shame is unending, and justice may soon claim his body. But must his soul be doomed to the same fate? Should we not, as conscious Muslims, reach out to him and call him towards sincere repentance before his execution or life imprisonment? This is the Sunnah of Islam. This is the way of our Prophet, The way of the pious predecessors. This is the duty upon those who truly believe in Allah’s mercy.

Allah says:

ورحمتي وسعت كل شيء

"And My mercy encompasses all things." (Quran 7:156)

If Allah’s mercy is greater than the sum of all sins, who are we to shut the door of repentance on a soul that still breathes? If his fate is to die, let him die as one who has sought forgiveness. If his fate is to live, let him spend his days seeking Allah’s pleasure. His repentance does not erase Hafsah’s suffering, nor does it absolve him of punishment, but it grants him the only thing that remains—a chance at divine mercy.

To the scholars, the imams, the people of knowledge and wisdom, this is a call to action. Let someone reach out. Let someone preach to him the oneness of Allah. Let someone remind him that his Lord awaits his return. If there is hope even for the vilest sinner, then surely, there is hope for Abdulrahman too.

May Allah guide us all to the path of mercy and justice.