Tawbah (Repentance) & Istighfar
(asking for Allah’s Forgiveness)
Allah says in Surat Ar-Rūm: “No indeed, (but) the ones who do injustice closely follow their (own) prejudices without knowledge. So who will guide the ones whom Allah has led into error? And in no way will they have any vindicators. So set your face upright to the religion, unswervingly upright; (this religion is) the original disposition from Allah upon which He originated (Literally: constituted) mankind. There is no exchange for the creation of Allah. That is the most upright religion, but most of mankind do not know. (Be) turning penitent to Him; and be pious towards Him, and keep up the prayer, and do not be of the associators, (Those who associate others with Allah). Of the ones who have caused disunity in their religion and become sects, each party exulting with what they have close to them.” (Sūrat Ar-Rūm “The Romans” (30), Verse 29-32).
Ayah 29 describes those who do not follow His divine constitution and guidance by committing acts of injustice as they are led astray.
The term ‘injustice’ here is absolute and applies to the most hideous and atrocious injustice, that is, committing acts of injustice against one’s own self. It is illogic to be unjust to your own self because each person likes himself. Any person might commit acts of injustice against others but it is far-fetched that he/she commit acts of injustice against his/her own self. If we ask any irreligious person: would you dignify or humiliate yourself? Of course, you love yourself and would have all good. So, would you work hard to seek the best fate and doom for your own self? What will be his answer if we inform him that there is a test or a trial that will be carried out in the life of this world, and eventually this test o trial will be terminated either in paradise or hellfire? What will he choose? Of course, he will choose the best fate, that is, paradise. Nevertheless, his path to paradise is not paved nor easy.
Though he should opt for paradise, he commits acts of injustice against himself and eventually he will enter hellfire.
An–Nafs (the self), encompasses both ar-Ruh (soul) and the body in one entity.
When ar-Ruh (soul) leaves the body just one sentence will be heard. Ar-Ruh (soul) will say to the bodyL “May Allah endow you with all good for me (i.e. for the rightweous deeds!)” or “May Allah endow you with all evil for me (i.e. for the evil deeds)!”
Each one will know his/her doom the moment the soul leaves the body. There will be either white angels (that is, with whitened faces) or black (sable) ones (that is, with blackened faces). Either the soul thanks and praises the body or rebukes it.
Allah says: “The Day when (some) faces are whitened, and (some) faces blackened.” (Sūrat Al-`Imran “The Family of `Imran” (3), Verse 106). Moreover, He says: “Then, as for him whose scales weigh heavy, (i.e., with good deeds)” (Sūrat Al-Qariaah “The Smitter” (101), Verse 6), and He says: “And, as for him whose scales weigh light, (i.e., with deeds).” (Sūrat Al-Qariaah “The Smitter” (101), Verse 8).
Then Noble Qur’an states that on Doomsday “And the weight upon that Day is the true (one);” (Sūrat Al A`raf “The Battlements” (7), Verse 8).
The weight that is untrue in the life of this world will be true in the hereafter. The scales will weigh heavy with righteous deeds or they will weigh light (being void of good deeds). Accordingly, you will be either dignified and elevated or humiliated. The wrongdoers mentioned in the ayat committed acts of injustice. The acts of injustice mentioned in the ayah are unspecified.
They followed their lusts and desires. Allah showers His creations with His mercy, that is why each person is born originally disposed to Allah’s guidance. Allah says: “The All-Merciful, He taught the Qur’an. He created man.He has taught him distinct (Literally: evident (demonstration) (speech).” (Sūrat Ar-Rahman “The All-Merciful” (55), Verses 1-4).
Allah mentions the teaching of the Noble Qur’an first. The Noble Qur’an symbolizes Allah’s guidance, the Divine teachings that are recited and read, and sought to be recited and read. Whoso follows Allah’s guidance fears Him and keeps up the prayers. Here lies the core of the whole issue. Many people do not realize how perilous it is to abandon the prayers. All the corruption and straying from the right path that prevail in the world result from the Muslims’ negligence of prayers and non-observance of praying.
By ‘non-observance of the prayer’ we do not mean abandoning the performance of prayers. This is just one meaning. Yet it has a more significant meaning, that is, when the person prays yet commits obscenity and malfeasance. This means that it is as if he does not pray
“Surely prayer forbids obscenity and malfeasance; and indeed the Remembrance of Allah is greater,” (Sūrat Al-`Ankabūt “The Spider” (29), Verse 45). If the believer performs and keeps up the prayers and remembers Allah, then his prayers and remembrance of Allah will be greater than committing any sin even if it is minor. Actually, prayers (and keeping up them) should forbid the believer to commit obscenity and malfeasance. Prayers and keeping up prayers are considered part and parcel of the divine constitution and guidance. That’s why in all ages, some people have been following Allah’s divine constitution and guidance and some others have been refusing them. For instance, the People of Israel gave the prophets the lie and killed them as they did not want to follow Allah’s divine guidance.
The ayah of Sūrat Ar–Rum shows that all creations were sent Allah’s divine constitution and guidance. That’s why Allah says: “and in no way are We tormenting (anyone) until We have sent forth a Messenger.” (Sūrat Al-Isra’ “The Night Journey” (17, Verse 15). Even angels (i.e. the keepers of hellfire) will ask them on their way to hellfire “ “Has no Warner come up to you?”” (Sūrat Al-Mulk, “The Kingdom” (67), Verse 8)
Allah says: “And (by) the self and That (i.e., The Command) which molded it, so He inspired it to its impiety and piety!” (Sūrat Ash-Sahms “The Sun” (91), Verses 8) Many people might claim that Allah, Exalted be He, inspired to them their impiety yet this allegation is totally wrong. The word ‘inspired’ on the previous ayah does not indicate that Allah, Exalted be He, inspired man to be impious.
Similarly, people misinterpret Allah’s saying: “So who will guide the ones whom Allah has led into error?” (Sūrat Ar-Rūm “The Romans” (30), Verse 29). They committed injustice against themselves by following their lusts and prejudices, so they do not keep up the prayer and follow their prejudices and lusts. Some people allege that Allah has led them into error, so it will futile for them to exert efforts to follow Allah’s guidance. This concept is illogic. Let’s have a look at the previous ayah: “No indeed, (but) the ones who do injustice closely follow their (own) prejudices without knowledge.”
Whoso repents to his Lord, adheres to repentance and does righteous deeds will have his odious deeds turned to fair deeds. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Except him who repents, and believes, and does righteous deed (s). So those, Allah will turn (Or: substitue fair deeds in place of odious ones) their odious (deeds) into fair (deeds); and Allah has been Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.” (Sūrat Al-Furqan “The Criterion” (25), Verse 70).
He will have his evil deeds changed into righteous deeds. Does this means that all the odious deeds will be turned to fair deeds?
It has two meanings. First, will Allah change the evil deeds the sinner has already committed? If so, this demonstrates Allah’s mercy with which He showers His creations. Second, if that repentant has went on and persisted in committing odious deeds, then all his deeds will have been evil and odious. On repenting to Allah, Exalted be He, he will follow the straight path of divine guidance, hence, he will be have righteous deeds (and this denotes that his odious deeds will be changed into righteous ones). This is highly graceful. The repentant’s sins will be doubled and augmented, after having them changed into righteous deeds because the reward of the righteous deed is tenfold as much. The repentant does not only abandon sins and acts of disobedience but abandons the pleasure and lusts related to them. He abandons all carnal appetites associated to sins, strove against his desires to the extent that he curbed them and forbade himself from delighting in their pleasures. In return for this, he will be endowed with another kind of pleasures, that is, of obedience. This will be a graceful reward. In fact, the pleasure of sins is delusional for Satan adorns the evil deeds the sinner commits. The Prophet (SAWS) said: “Righteousness (Al-birr) is having the best manners (and character) while wrongdoing (al-ithm) is whatever your chest becomes constricted in doing and you hate that people might find out about it!”
There is a great discrepancy between the person who is doing a righteous deed and the evildoer. The devout person who is doing righteous deeds feels great tranquility. On the other hand, the sinner feels worried and restless about his sin. This proves that it is a fake pleasure Satan adorns for the sinners. If he had followed Allah’s divine methodology, though fraught with many orders and prohibitions, he would have entered paradise. Notice that all ayat of orders and prohibitions end with the announcement of the glad tidings of paradise. Hence, the sinner was led astray because he did not follow Allah’ guidance and divine methodology.
There are two kinds of hedaya (divine guidance). By virtue of the first kind (of divine guidance) the person is shown the way to Allah and by virtue of the second kind (of divine guidance) the person is assisted to proceed on his way to Allah. Allah says: Surely you do not guide whomever you love, but Allah guides whomever He decides, and He knows best the ones (who are) rightly-guided.” (Sūrat Al-Qassas “The Narrative”, (28), Verse 56). It is as if Allah says to His Prophet (SAWS): “As you, O Muhammad, will not guide those whom you love, then with greater reason you will not be able to guide those whom you do not love.” The guidance mentioned in the previous ayah is that of the second kind (i.e. of assistance). Hence, the ayah negates that the Prophet (SAWS) could assist anyone whomsoever on his path to Allah.
In another ayah Allah says: “And surely you indeed guide to a straight Path,” (Sūrat Ash-Shura, “Counsel” (42), Verse 52). This ayah refers to the first kind of guidance, by virtue of which the person is shown the way to Allah. The second kind of guidance, that is, of assistance by virtue of which the person is assisted to proceed on his way to Allah is possessed and endowed only by Allah, Exalted be He. If He, Exalted be He, deprived anyone thereof, then he will be led astray and abandoned by his Lord.
Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord,” (Sūrat Al-Imran “The Family of Imran” (3), Verse 133). Allah’s forgiveness is abundant yet it will not be brought forth to the human being. Rather, the human being should be quick in the race for forgiveness. It is the human being who should exert strenuous efforts on the path of forgiveness. In this respect, how many believers wake up at dawn to observe the dawn prayer? And how many believers do not wake up for prayers? Have people bothered to sleep early or set an alarm clock to wake them at dawn so that they perform and observe the dawn prayer?
On contemplating all ayat of repentance, we will find righteous deeds mentioned after repentance. Doing righteous deeds is one of the conditions of repentance. The repentant should abandon acts of disobedience and observe all pious deeds. For instance, a drunkard person who got used to drinking liquors on a certain day every week should do a righteous deed on that same day. Hence, he will be used to righteousness.
Allah says: ““….so whoever decides, then let him believe, and whoever decides, then let him disbelieve.”” (Sūrat Al Kahf “The Cave” (18), Verse 29). Our Creator would you worship Him on your own free will. This is the true essence of the freedom of religion and creed. It is not acceptable to find some people allege that some people embrace Islam against his will. The aforementioned ayah represented an essential concept of Islam which no other religion or law has. In fact, this shows manifestly the ever-innovating power of our Creator. All success in all affairs of life is the upshot of planning and pursuing a certain methodology, not to mention Allah’s divine guidance He disposed us to follow!
Let’s take the prayer as an example! On keeping up the prayers, it is as if you, the created being, are examined by your Creator five times every day. In case you have an electrical apparatus, for instance, as a guarantee, the manufacturing company might offer you to have it checked and maintained annually, and then another company offers you to check it semiannually. What if a third company offers to examine and check it five times on daily basis? I think you will rest assured that that electrical apparatus will not become inoperative.
Because the human being is Allah’s creation that has a sublimity and honor in its own, He, Exalted be He, ordained that His creation be checked and examined by Him five times every day. Praying reforms the human soul. It amends all our aberrations. A Muslim has to perform prayers duly, piously and appropriately, hence he will be pious and devout. Keeping up prayers reforms the Muslim’s character without him realizing it. Through this divine interaction that is empowered with every prayer, the Muslim gets closer to his Lord. The Prophet (SAWS) recommended us to pray two rak’as in the dead of the night. This does not mean utter darkness. Rather, it denotes the time when the Muslim is away from all the affairs that preoccupy and distract him. He will be preoccupied only by these two rak’as, and how he will manage to have himself, as his Lord’s creation, examined and checked by his Creator to have all his defects reformed.
Allah says: “Excepting Your bondmen among them, who are most faithful.” Said He, “This is for Me a straight Path. Surely over My bondmen you will have no all-binding authority, except the ones who closely follow you of the misguided ones.” (Sūrat Al-Hijr “Thamud’ Habitation” (15), Verses 40-42).
This does not mean that they do not err. Allah says: “And the ones who do not invoke another god (along) with Allah, nor kill the self that Allah has prohibited except with the truth nor commit adultery; (i.e., illegal sexual intercourse) and whoever performs that will meet the penalty for vice. Doubled will be the torment for him on the Day of the Resurrection, and he will eternally (abide) therein degraded. Except him who repents, and believes, and does righteous deed (s). So those, Allah will turn (Or: substitute fair deeds in place of odious ones) their odious (deeds) into fair (deeds); and Allah has been Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful. And whoever repents and does righteousness, then surely he repents to Allah a (true) repenting.” (Sūrat Al Furqan “The Criterion” (25), Verses 68-70).
The sinner is not curbed nor shackled by hiss in because Allah legislated repentance: “Except him who repents, and believes, and does righteous deed (s). So those, Allah will turn (Or: substitute fair deeds in place of odious ones) their odious (deeds) into fair (deeds); and Allah has been Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful. And whoever repents and does righteousness, then surely he repents to Allah a (true) repenting.” (Sūrat Al Furqan “The Criterion” (25), Verses 68-70).
Life on earth commenced with repentance when Adam descended to earth. He descended with a repentance and the legislation of repentance. On Doomsday we should thank Adam because repentance was legislated for him, repentance hich is the pivot of our life.
On turning to Allah constantly and incessantly we turn to our Lord in order to savor the beauty of repentance. This is attainable when we repent not from sin but from repentance itself. Hence, the repentant will be always in the Divine Company and Presence without ever recommitting sins. It was for him that repentance was legislated.
Translated by sister Soad Naguib jazahaAllah kheiran