Repentance to Allah
‘Tawbah’ refers to asking repentance
from Allah for the sins that we commit. Making
sincere repentance or Tawbah raises a Muslim’s stature with Allah because the
process of making Tawbah involves the following three steps:
1. Recognizing
ones mistakes and sins,
2. Feeling
ashamed of violating Allah’s trust of complete submission to His commands, and
3. Making
a promise never to repeat such behavior.
According to many
scholars, if one of these three is missing, then the repentance is
not sincere. If the sin has to do with the rights of another person, then the
fourth condition is added, which is to restore the rights of that person. For
example, if violating of rights involves money or property, etc, it must be
returned to him; if it had to do with slandering him etc, then his forgiveness
must be asked, and so on.
We know both from Quran
and Hadith that Allah gets very pleased when we leave all that is undesirable
to Allah, and revert to the straight path. The prophet (s) said in a Hadith:
“Every son of Adam sins, and the best
of those who sin are those who repent.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2499;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
This article reviews some of the
merits and blessings of Tawbah.
‘Tawbah’ paves the
way for success
By choosing to stay the course
prohibited by Allah, we consciously forego Allah’s mercy and the associated
benefits and rewards, His protection and help. However, the moment we sincerely
repent, we can be assured of Allah’s help in our lives that in turn is a
precursor to success in this life and the hereafter. Allah tells us in
the Quran:
“…And beg Allah to forgive you all, O
believers, that you may be successful. “
Quran (Surah An-Noor, Verse 31)
Repentance, therefore, paves the way
for Allah’s Grace in this life and the hereafter. Within this world, Allah
promises us of wealth, children, and increased blessings. Consider the
following verses from the Quran:
“Seek the forgiveness of your Lord,
and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for
a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of
grace. But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day
(i.e. the Day of Resurrection).”
Quran (Surah Hood, Verse 3)
Allah also tells us in the Quran that
Prophet Hood told his people:
“And O my people! Ask forgiveness of
your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant
rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimoon
(criminals, evil doers, etc)”
Quran (Surah Hood, Verse 52)
Tawbah keeps us
away from hardships and trials
We know that our sins can haunt us in
this life and the hereafter. The more sins we commit, the more we could be deprived
of Allah’s blessings and the more trials and challenges we could be put
through. Repentance, therefore, can provide us a way out of our miseries and
troubles of this life. Allah tells us in the Quran:
“See they not that they are put in
trial once or twice every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease,
famine)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from
it).”
Quran (Surah At-Taubah, Verse 126)
Tawbah helps clear
our conscience
We know that sins are always
associated with an accompanying sense of guilt that gets lodged into our
hearts. While we can always turn a blind eye to those guilty feelings, we know
from experience that such guilt is responsible to slowly chip away at our
happiness. Tawbah, on the other hand, by its very nature, removes that guilt
and fills our hearts with happiness.
Tawbah pleases
Allah
Let’s remind ourselves that turning
to Allah in repentance greatly pleases Him because it is one of the most
beloved acts of worship to Him. By joining the rank of those who repent,
we also earn Allah’s love. Allah says in the Quran:
“…Truly, Allah loves those who turn
unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves”
Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 222)
In narrating one of the popular
hadith, Ibn Masud stated that Allaah’s Messenger (sal allaahu alaiyhi wa
sallam) said:
Allah is more pleased with the
repentance of his slave than a man who encamps at a place where his life is
jeopardized. But he has his riding animal carrying his food and water. He then
rests his head and sleeps for a short while and wakes up to find his riding
animal missing. He starts looking for it and suffers from severe heat and
thirst or what Allah wished him to suffer from. He then says: ‘I will go back
to my place.’ He returns and sleeps again. Then when he wakes up, he raises his
head to find his riding animal standing besides him. So one can imagine the
happiness that this brings to him. (The prophet continued by stating that)
Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than the situation of
happiness that this person experiences after he was saved from death.’
The scholars have also observed that
those who make a sincere Taubah (repentance) also experience such happiness,
and it has a profound influence on one and the person’s heart.
Tawbah is a life
transformational process
Tawbah, by its very nature requires
one not just to abandon the old ways of sinful behavior but instead requires us
to replace those with righteous deeds. Turning to Allah in repentance,
therefore, is a truly transformational process. Allah says in the Quran:
“Except those who repent and do
righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed).
These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who accepts repentance,
the Most Merciful.”
Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 160)
Tawbah makes our
Duas more ‘worthy’ of a response
We know from many of the prophet’s
Hadith that Allah is more responsive to the Duas and calls of those who are oppressed,
travelers, the ones who ask Allah in a state of prostration, the ones who are
fasting, and so on. This is because such states bring out humility and
humbleness in a person’s heart and Allah thus responds more to people in such
states. Many scholars have thus noted that as repentance and Tawbah also bring
forth humility and humbleness in a person’s heart, our Duas are more likely to
be heard in such a state.
Sincere Tawbah
(repentance) leads to forgiveness of ones sins
Both Quran and Hadith are clear that
those who repent sincerely to Allah, acknowledging their sins, and commit not
to return again to those sins will have their sins forgiven. The Prophet (s)
said: “If the servant acknowledges his sin and repents, then Allah accepts
his repentance.” (Reported by Muslim, End; Trans. vol. 4, no. 6673)
Parting remarks
Finally, let’s remember that Allah
has reminded us repeatedly in the Quran about repentance and that His doors for
accepting repentance are always open. All that’s needed from us is to let go of
our stubbornness and use the opportunity to turn to Him in repentance. Allah
says in the Quran repeatedly:
“Verily, He is the One Who forgives
(accepts repentance), the Most Merciful.”
Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 37)
He also tells us in the Quran:
Say: “O Ibadee (My slaves) who have
transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair
not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Quran (Surah Az-Zumar,
Verse 53)
The question we ought to ask
ourselves is that if we know we are engaged in certain sinful behavior, why
wouldn’t we then stop and ask Allah’s forgiveness? As Allah says in the Quran:
Will they not repent to Allah and ask
His Forgiveness? For Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Quran (Surah Al-Maeda,
Verse 74)
