10 CAUSES THAT REMOVE PUNISHMENT FOR A SIN
Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him,
said:
The punishment for a sin committed by a believer is removed in
ten ways:
1. "He repents to Allaah (taubah), so Allaah accepts his
repentance, for the one who repents from sin is like the one who
has no sin."
2. "He seeks forgiveness from Allaah (istighfar), so Allaah forgives
him."
3. "He does good deeds that erase his sin for good deeds erase
bad ones."
4. "His believing brethren pray for him or seek forgiveness for his
sins during his life or death."
5. "Or they [ask Allaah] to bestow on him as gift from the reward
for their deeds, with which Allaah benefits him."
6. "His Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam,
intercedes for him."
7. "Allaah tests him with trials in this world which expiate his sin."
8. "Allaah tests him in al-Barzakh (the intermediate life in the
grave, between the death and the Day of Judgment) which
expiates his sin."
9. "Allaah tests him in the various stages of the Day of Judgment
which expiates his sins."
10. "Or the Most Merciful of those who have mercy has mercy on
him."
Whoever, then, is missed by these ten cannot blame anyone but
himself.
[Imam Ibn Taymiyyah Majmoo` al-Fatawa 1:45, 7:487]