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Repentance The Ulama have stated: “It is necessary to repent from every sin. If the offense involves the Rights of Allah, not a human, then there are three conditions to be met in order that the repentance be accepted by Allah: 1. To desist from committing it. 2. To feel sorry for committing it. 3. To make firm intention not to recommit the sin Any repentance failing to meet any of these three conditions would not be sincere. However, if the sin involves a human's right, it requires a fourth condition, i.e., to absolve oneself from such right. If it is a property, it should be returned it to its rightful owner. If it is slandering or backbiting, one should ask the pardon of the offended.” Allah, the, Exalted says: § “And beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful.” (24:31) § “Seek the forgiveness of your Rabb, and turn to Him in repentance.” (11:3) § “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!” (66:8) Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has stated: “Turn in repentance to Allah and beg pardon of Him. I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times a day!” (Muslim) Compiled from: Riyaadus-Saaliheen (Source: Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) newsletter)

Erasing the Bad with Good Allah Ta’ala states in the noble Quran: “Indeed good actions eradicate bad actions. This is a reminder for people who pay heed.” (Surah 11, Verse 114) Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has mentioned: ”Be conscious of Allah wherever you are. Follow the bad deed with a good one to erase it, and engage others with beautiful character.” (Tirmizi) “Follow the bad deed with a good one to erase it” This part of the Hadith is proactive, an aspect that many Muslims fail at. Our understanding of sin should be mobilizing, not debilitating. Too often, we respond to a sin by putting ourselves in a figurative corner and abusing ourselves psychologically until we get over that sin. This is not what Allah wants from us. Yes, we should feel guilty and have a level of regret, but it should not stop us from moving forward in good deeds. People use their sins as an excuse to stay behind. Do not allow sin to stop yourself from all the other good that you could be involved in. The response to a sin should not be to wait, but rather to race to do something good so the sin can be erased. Our attitude should be proactive and positive. We should always have hope that Allah can, and will, have mercy on us as long as we keep struggling and pushing forward. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

The Benefits Of Sincere Repentance Imaam Ibn Qayyim rahmatullahi alaihe mentions certain benefits: 1. Repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. He loves those who repent and it is because of His love for His creation that He tests them with sins so that He may shower His blessings and favours upon them after they repent. 2. Repentance has a status that no other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the desert. This pleasure (of Allah) has a great impact on the heart of the one repenting. Hence, the repenting person reaches the status of being amongst the beloved through his repentance. 3. Repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of helplessness that is not easily acquired through other forms of worship. 4. Allah’s statement, "Except those who repent, have faith and good deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is most forgiving and merciful." (Qur'aan 25:70) This is a greatest glad tiding for those who repent and combine their repentance with faith and good deeds. Repentance breeds good deeds, whilst sinning (without repentance) can cause deprivation of obedience altogether. It has been said that committing sins regularly will darken and harden the heart. It may even lead a person to reject Allah completely (Allah forbid) or lead him to commit a bigger sin. There is no recourse for a sinner except to ask Allah for forgiveness and to feel great regret for his actions. Repentance is to repent from the heart, to train the heart into obedience and to make a firm resolution never to commit the sin again. The repenting person should remember three facts: 1. The grave consequence of sins. 2. The painful punishment for sins and 3. The helplessness of the servant with regards to these two things. What Should I Do After I Have Sinned? Someone may ask, "How do I go about repenting from a sin?" Do I just say, "I repent." and that’s it, or is there anything to be done after that? Two things should immediately be done. The first is an act of the heart, to sincerely regret the sins of the past. The second is an act of the body, to bring up some good deeds, starting two cycles of prayer of repentance. The following is a hadith in support: Hazrat Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, says, "I heard the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam say, ‘There isn’t a man who, when he commits a sin, rises, makes ablution, and offers two rak’ats of prayers, but Allah forgives his sins.’ Then the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam recited the verse, ‘Those (are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they know (that Allah is forgiving)." (Qur'aan 3:135) There are other reports that describe more in detail how these two cycles of prayers of repentance must be offered. For instance: 1. There isn’t a man who makes ablution (and does it well, but sins fall off the limbs of the body with the last drop of water. And doing the ablution well includes saying the Bismillah in the beginning, and some other prayer words after it such as: "I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah , the one, and I also bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and messenger." "O’ Allah! make me of the repenting, and make me of the purified." "O’ Allah! with praises to you I bear witness that there is no deity but you. I seek your forgiveness and turn to you in repentance." 2. Offer two rak’ats of prayer. Performs them in full presence of mind and heart. Commits no mistake within the prayers. Does not speak to himself within them. Recites the prayer-words in them well and in humility. Then seeks Allah’s forgiveness. The Result 1. His past sins are forgiven. 2. He is assured paradise. Then, as these things have been achieved he should now increase his good deeds to the extent possible. Don’t you see what Umar radiyallahu anhu did when he had committed the mistake of arguing with the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, at Hudaibiyya. He used to offer special acts of worship, (like fasting, almsgiving, etc.), to atone for that sin. The following hadith should also be considered. "He who commits some evil deeds, and then turns to doing good deeds is like the man who had on him a tight-fitting coat of mail made of steel, so tight, it would almost choke him. Then he did a good deed and it opened up a little more until it became so loose as to fall off to the ground." So you see how good deeds release a man from the clutches of past sins and liberate him from the tension that they cause. Let me at this point offer you the abridged version of an incident, which is laden with lessons. Ibn Mas’ood radiyallahu anhu says a man came to the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam and said, "O Apostle of Allah. I found a woman in a garden and did everything to her except having intercourse: I kissed her and hugged her and so on, but I didn’t go beyond this. So judge me as you wish." The Prophet of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam said nothing in reply and the man went away. Upon this Umar radiyallahu anhu remarked, "Allah would have kept it a secret if he had kept it a secret." The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam in the direction the man had gone and said, "Call him back." When they called him back, he recited to him the following verse, "Establish Prayers at the two ends of the day and early part of the night. Indeed good deeds wipe out evil ones. And this (Qur’aan) is a reminder unto the mindful." (Qur'aan 11:114) Upon hearing this, Mu’adh radiyallahu anhu (and according to another report Umar radiyallahu anhu) said, "O’ Apostle of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam, is this for him alone or is it (this ruling) common?" he replied: "No, it is common." More on inter-islam

It was said to Hasan Al-Basri: "Shouldn't one of us feel too shy to ask his Lord to forgive his sin, then do it again, then ask for forgiveness, then do it again?" He said: "The Shaytaan wishes that you would have this attitude, so do not tire of asking for forgiveness". ["Jaami al-Ulum wal-Hukam", 1/165].

Repentance and seeking forgiveness by Shaykh Ahmed Abdul Mujeeb Qasmi Nadvi (translated by Muhammad Owais Jafrey) Istighfaar [seeking forgiveness] is in fact a form of supplication [du’aa]. It is a humble submission of a mercy plea to Allah (SWT) for forgiveness of sins. Tauba [repentance] is an intense feeling of shame for the wrong done and an earnest promise not to repeat that same mistake. It is to avoid Allah (SWT)’s displeasure and to win His favor. Both repentance and seeking forgiveness are inter-related. A simple example can perhaps illustrate the inter-relationship between Ishtighfaar and Tauba. A person in a rage of anger or a fit of depression takes poison to commit suicide. After having taken poison he realizes the mistake and in the agony of pain seeing imminent death, he repents his mistake. Wanting to live, he promises that if saved, he wouldn’t commit the same mistake again. A faithful person fails to be on guard at times and is victimized by temptations, but as soon as he realizes that he has violated Allah (SWT)’s command, and reminds himself of the consequences of Allah’s displeasure, he immediately repents and seeks forgiveness. This is called Istighfaar. Du’aa [supplication] is an act which displays bondsman-ship and servitude before Allah, the Almighty. According to the tradition of Prophet (SAW), du’aa is the essence of servitude and worship. The deep feeling of remorse and self-reproach intensifies the spirit of repentance and puts the sinner very close to Allah (SWT), a state which is unique. Allah (SWT) not only accepts sincere repentance, but rewards the repentant with His special favors of mercy and kindness. Man is but a very weak creation full of flaws and shortcomings. He is always surrounded by temptations. Vices disguised as virtues lay a snare and set up a trap for him. He needs to remain sensitive to distinguish between right and wrong, and between vice and virtue. Allah (SWT) has given him the supreme shield to defend himself from temptations and vices and that shield is Tauba and Istighfaar. Any person who lives in the formidable fort of Tauba and Istighfaar will always be safe against the attack of the forces of sins. When in all sincerity and earnestness, a sinner repents, bows down, prostrate and raises his hands in supplication, Allah’s mercy comes to his rescue and he is forgiven and his status is raised. Aayah 110 of Surah An-Nisa says: “Yet anyone who does evil or wrongs his own soul and then asks Allah for forgiveness will find Him most forgiving and merciful.” The real and true Tauba washes out the sins how great they may be. Aayah 38 of Surah Anfal says: “[Ya Rasul Allah], tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before.” Allah keeps His door of forgiveness open all times. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (RA) reported that Prophet (SAW) said, “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west. [Muslim]. Umar Farooque (RA) reported that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Allah accepts a slave’s repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bad (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat).” [At-Tirmidhi] Allah (SWT)’s Grace and Mercy is beyond limit. He can forgive any sin subject to His will. He (SWT) commands to make repentance and seek forgiveness instead of giving up hope as mentioned in Aayah 53 of Surah Al-Zumar: “Say, [Allah says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of Allah’s Mercy. Allah forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” Remember that it will be self-deception to think that one can be free to commit sins and then repent and seek forgiveness. This is a great sin and Allah (SWT) has condemned such an attitude. It is also wrong to think the repentance and seeking forgiveness is limited to the sinners only. The truth is that the Prophets and Messengers who were all innocent were more conscious of Tauba and Istighfaar. They thought that did not do enough to thank Allah (SWT) and could not do justice with their status of servitude. Prophet (SAW) used to say Istighfaar three times after prayers. For sinners, Tauba and Istighfaar are to earn forgiveness and for those who are puritans, it is a means to get still closer to Allah (SWT) and have their status further raised. May Allah (SWT) enable us to avoid sins, and enable us to make sincere repentance and seek His forgiveness! Aamin! Source