Accepting Penitence

There are two types of traditions narrated from the members of the prophet’s household and his progeny (peace be upon them, all being chaste, pure and immaculate), about the subject of “penitence” in the period of Advent (Imam Mahdi’s Arrival).Some of the traditions have introduced the Time of Absence as the time of opportunities and the Advent as the time of those opportunities to be ended. This means that with the coming of Imam Mahdi (PBuH), the respite for penitence and return will be taken away from the ill-doers.Some other traditions hold that the period after the Advent is the time for development and reformation. It is the time for: compensation of weaknesses of humanity. Therefore, the doors are open to penitence and the grounds are provided for improvement of defects.Now, in order to put the two types together, we can conclude that the second ones are looking to the first days of the Advent during which the Imam starts to guide and direct people and the first types are related to the time when the Imam draws his sword out to improve and purify the society of humans. As for the first type, we may think of those exposed to the Imam’s policy as the people who have gone astray and deny the realities knowingly. And for the second traditions we can think of those who have become misled because of their ignorance only.If the combination of two types of traditions is not accepted, the prefer ability should be given to the second type of traditions since the people of this kind are more harmonious with the general rule of accepting repentance mentioned in the Quran and they are much more in number than the first type of traditions; moreover, there are more traditions narrated about them in comparison with the traditions regarding the first group.