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Fatwa CenterAccepting repentance is one of the Attributes of Allaah
Question
Assalamu Alaykum, Is repentance an attribute of Allah? In other words can we describe Allah with repentance for something that he already knows the consequence? Is it similar to describing God with surprise (ta'ajob) where Allah is all knowing unlike his creation who get surprised for something because of lack of knowledge ? Thanks
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His Slave and Messenger.
Your question is somewhat unclear. One of the Names of Allaah is At-Tawwaab, which means that He accepts repentance; Allaah says (what means): {And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.} [Quran 49:12] Repentance is one of His Attributes in the sense that He guides whom He wills of His servants to repent, and in the sense that He accepts their repentance. It is for this reason that Allaah says (what means): {Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.} [Quran 9:118]
Ibn Al-Qayyim 
said while interpreting the above verse: “Allaah informed us that the fact that He turns to them so they could repent precedes their repentance and that this is what causes them to repent, so it is both a means and an inevitable cause of their repentance. That indicates that they do not repent until Allaah has turned to them so they can repent.”
Allaah does not enable someone to repent unless He knows that the person is sincere about it. It is for this reason that Allaah said after the above verse on repentance (what means): {O you who have believed, fear Allaah and be with those who are true.} [Quran 9:119]
However, if you mean by your question whether Allaah turns to someone so he can repent while knowing that he will not repent, then the answer is no.
It should be mentioned here that astonishment (or surprise as you mentioned) is an established Attribute of Allaah, the Most High. It is caused by something out of the ordinary, even though Allaah has knowledge of it. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen mentioned this meaning. In brief, the astonishment of Allaah does not contradict His knowledge of what He is astonished about.
Allaah Knows best.
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