TAUBAH - REPENTANCE

It is worth emphasising the existence of three categories of creatures, namely:

1. The Angel (The Farishta), free from all sin 
2. Satan (Shaitan), evil by essence, 
3. Man (Insaan), a mixture of the two previously mentioned in regards to character, along with good and evil.

By his nature, Man is relatively weak. Verse 28 of Surah 4 tells us about this character: "Allah wishes to unburden you. Man has been created weak". Because of this weakness, he often deviates from the right path and commits sins, which are obviously not in accordance with the law of Allah. If a garment is dirty, a detergent is found to clean it, or if a garment is torn, an appropriate way will be found to mend it. How about the mistakes committed by Man? What are the means to repair them? The Creator has the answer to this, which is found in His Mercy and Forgiveness. Allah always feels sorry for man. He leaves a door open so that sinful man can find a detergent to wash away his sins, for the purification of his soul and for a return to his Creator and Benefactor. Facilities are made available to man. It is enough for him to repent in a sincere and honest way, without any hypocrisy so that Allah accepts his repentance (Taubah). It would be good to remember that people had repented in very specific cases and even ransom themselves with their lives. And this, in the distant past.

The Prophet Hadhrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) implored Allah, the Creator, in very humble words: "... And do not disgrace me on the day when people will be resurrected, the day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any benefit except for him who comes to Allah with a sound heart!" (26:87-89)

The purification of the soul is found in the one who comes to his Master with sincerity, with a heart of his own. Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu anhu) said: "A believer when he commits a sin, a black spot is formed in his heart. If he repents and seeks Allah's forgiveness, his heart becomes clean. However, if he continues, the spot will increase until his heart is covered. This is the rust that Allah mentions. "No! Their hearts have been covered with rust due to what they have committed." (Ahmad, Tirmizi, Ibn Maajah)

Man's salvation rests, without a doubt, on his repentance to his Creator. Without this, his heart will remain forever in a state of impurity.

Taubah (repentance) is a return from sins to the benefits of the Creator. To achieve them, three important conditions are necessary:

1. A total abstention from this sin.
2. A regret for what happened to him.
3. A determination in oneself not to go back.

In addition to repentance of all sin between the servant and the Creator, two other conditions are necessary in cases where a person feels that his rights have been violated (by theft) or he was hurt in his feelings (by insults or others), then it becomes imperative that the sinner goes to the victim to restore his property or apologise.

Taubah is obligatory: "O you who have Imaan! Sincerely repent to Allah." (66:8)

Allah, in all His wisdom, and his mercy, recommends to us the Taubah-E-Nasuha, which has two meanings:

1. Nasuh means pure, without any hypocrisy, and therefore sincere.
2. Nasuha also means 'mending of a garment', and in the Holy Qur'an, Allah considers Taqwa (Piety/Fear of Allah) to be a garment.

Sin is interpreted as a tear / rip in man's piety (Taqwa), which will of course require outright repair.

Hadhrat Hasan Basri (Rahmatullah alayh) defines Taubah-E-Nasuha in the following terms:

1. A person who regrets his previous bad deeds.
2. He resolves not to do it again.

Another scholar of Islam, in the person of Kalbi, has mentioned on the same subject: 

1. Make Taubah with the tongue.
2. Have regret in the heart.
3. Keep oneself away from all sin (body and soul).

In answer to a question from a Sahaabah about the meaning of Taubah, Hadhrat Ali (Radiyallahu anhu) replied that Taubah has six important elements, namely: 

1. Regret over all his previous bad deeds.
2. Replacing the Faraaiz and Waajibaat which have been neglected.
3. Returning the wealth of others taken through injustice.
4. Apologising to the one whom one hurt through his tongue.
5. A determination not to return back to one's sins.
6. Submitting the organs which were involved in the disobedience of Allah to the obedience of Allah.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPENTANCE

Hadhrat Ali (Radiyallahu anhu) narrates that Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radiyallahu anhu) said that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) say the following: 

"Let every person who has committed a sin, stand up after he has done ablution and then read the Salah and beg forgiveness from his Creator." (Tirmizi & Ibn Maajah)

And in the verse 53 of Surah 39, Allah asks us not to be discouraged and to always keep hope in Him despite the sins we may have committed: "Say, O My bondsmen (servants) who have wronged their souls! Verily, Allah forgives all sins. Undoubtedly, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."

We must tackle the evidence of the confusion that Shaitan sows in people's minds so that they avoid repenting. This causes a lot of people not to repent out of fear of plunging back into the same sin. They allow themselves to be influenced by Shaitan and forget or never think that if a brother has committed any sin and repented from that sin, Allah forgives him even if he commits it 70 times. Allah will always remain the Forgiver.

Moreover, there is no shortage of other examples. Who does not remember this man who, despite having committed 99 very serious crimes; and was forgiven when he turned to Allah to ask for forgiveness.

All sins, without exception, are forgiven if there is sincere repentance. Allah, who is not in need of us, has commanded us not to despair because He will always be there to forgive us. Thus Taubah is the hope.

In a Hadith, Nabi e Kareem (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) assures to us that, "Allah extends His mercy and forgiveness every night so that the sinners of the day can repent and seek His forgiveness and the sinners of the night can repent during the day and seek forgiveness and it will last until the sun rises in the west (a sign of the approach of the day of judgment)." (Muslim)

Taubah is an Ibaadah that Allah Ta'ala is very pleased with. In addition, to show the dimension of his pleasure, he evokes the image of this person who loses his camel on which his provisions are kept. Imagine the disheartening situation of this person in the desert. He is about to retire under a palm tree when suddenly his camel and his provisions appear in front of him. Amazed and ecstatic, he loses control of himself as he exclaims "O Allah You are my servant and I am your Rabb".

We must understand the great satisfaction and pleasure that Allah Ta'ala feels when a man returns to him with sincerity.

In a Hadith Qudsi we learn of the great mercy of Allah: "Allah, the Most High, has said: 'O son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and put your hope in Me, I will forgive you the sins of which you will be loaded without worrying about their large number. O son of Adam, if your sins reach the full visible expanse of the sky and then you implore My forgiveness, I will forgive you. O son of Adam, if you come to Me, having filled the earth with your sins, and then you meet Me, without associating anyone else with Me, I will give you the means to fill it with so much forgiveness.

IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF TAUBAH

The Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) is the perfect model, the one who committed no sin and the one whom Allah has guaranteed Paradise. He never ceased to seek Allah's forgiveness. He made Istighfar 70 to 100 times a day. He wanted to show us the importance and benefits that flow from Taubah.

It is by adopting the principles of Taubah and Istighfar that man (Insaan) will be able to benefit from the prosperity of this world and the hereafter. Hadhrat Abdullah bin 'Abbaas (Radiyallahu anhuma) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said that whoever indulges in Istighfar, Allah will always open a way out for him when he finds himself in difficulty; he will be relieved of his sorrows and worries; he will always be filled with provisions without really expecting it. Abu Daawud, Ibn Majah.

[English version of "Taubah - Le Repentir" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 1]