Tawbah (Repentance), Istighfar (asking for Allah’s
Forgiveness) & Afoo (effacing sins)
Each of the three words” tawba” (repentance), istighfār (asking for Allah’s forgiveness) and afoo (effacing sins) has a denotation. Yet, we would find out the meaning and denotation as depicted by the Noble Qūr’ān. Allah says: Allah says: “And (saying), “Ask forgiveness of your Lord, thereafter repent to Him,” (Sūrat Hūd “Hūd” (11) Verse 3).
Astaghfir (Asking Allah for His forgiveness), the grammatical form of this Arabic verb denotes a request.
Maghfira (forgiveness) means our Lord’s shield He favors us with and this boon is general. Some scholars say that if a thief is caught while stealing, know for sure that he committed this sin repeatedly, as Allah does not reveal nor scandalize a sinner who commits the sin for the first time.
As for us, after obeying Allah or doing a righteous deed, each one of us should say: I ask Allah for His forgiveness. This means: “I ask Allah to augment His forgiveness and increase my forgiveness balance so that He veils me when I commit a sin. By asking Allah for His forgiveness, we come closer to tawba (repentance).
Istighfaār brings you closer to repentance because the one who asks Allah for His forgiveness is cognizant of the attributes of Allah, Exalted be He. That’s why it will be easy for him to turn to Allah and repent. After each prayer the Prophet (SAWS) used to say thrice: “I ask Allah for His forgiveness!” thrice. Hence, he (SAWS) invoked his Lord by His all-inclusive Name, that is, ‘Allah’. This Name encompasses all the epithets and attributes of Majesty and Grace. These epithets and attributes comprise the following names: Al-Ghaffar (the All-Forgiving), Ar-Razzak (the Great Provider), Al-Wahhab (the Great Grantor), At-Tawwab (the Superbly Relenting) Al-Qawyy (the Omnipotent) in addition to all other Names and attributes known and unknown to us. Similarly, the Prophet (SAWS) taught us to say and invoke Allah, Exalted be He, on leaving one’s house by saying: “In the Name of Allah”. In this respect it is note worthy that he did not say, “In the Name of the All-Merciful” or “In the Name of the Great Provider” because the moment we leave our houses we become in earnest need of all attributes of Allah, Exalted be He, the attributes we know and those we do not know.
The Prophet (SAWS) taught us to invoke our Lord in His Name ‘Allah’ in some situations as on saying: ‘In the Name of Allah’ and ‘I seek Allah’s forgiveness’. The grace and sweetness of Istighfār is savored after obeying Allah and on doing a righteous deed.
The Prophet (SAWS) taught us Sayyid al-Istighfar (the supreme supplication for forgiveness): “O Allah! Verily, You are my Lord. There is no God save You. You created me and I am Your slave and I will abide by my covenant and pledge to You as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I I acknowledge before You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for no one forgives sins save You!”
This denotes that there are many wordings of istighfar (seeking Allah’s forgiveness) yet this is the most supreme supplication for forgiveness.
Tawba: (repentance) means turning to Allah penitently. The grace and sweetness of tawbah lies in holding fast to it without ever abandoning your Lord’s Presence and Company. As you turned to Allah in repentance, Exalted be He, abide by your repentance. This is highly significant because one should not belittle the sin he commits. By doing this, one will inevitably commit it again. Eventually, he will be obsessed with and addicted to sins. We should be aware that Allah, Exalted be He, will call us to account for each sin. If each one of us recalls that he will stand before his Lord on Doomsday and will be tortured for his sins, no one will ever dare commit a sin. We have previously said that Satan succeeds in making the sinner forget the chastisement and punishment for his sin the moment he commits it. If he recalls that he will be tortured for that sin, he will never dare commit it. Remember the Day of Judgment when you will stand before your Lord’s Hands, when He will ask you: “O My slave, why did you make me the most belittled of all the beholders of you? Did you feel ashamed to face people yet felt no shame to face me?”
The sinner tries by all means to hide himself from people lest he will be exposed. Satan is befooling hum and tries hard to delude him into thinking that Allah is the Ever-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful. Allah says: “Fully inform My bondmen that I, Ever I, am The Ever-Forgiving, The Ever-Merciful, and that My torment is the (most) painful torment.” (Sūrat Al-Hijr “Thamûd’s Habitation” (15), verse 49,50).
It is worth mentioning in this respect that in the Noble Qūr’an, the divine order ‘say’ is issued to the Prophet (SAWS) in his response to people’s questions and inquiries. Yet, on dealing with the scales that regulate our behavior with our Lord, Exalted be He, Allah uses the verb nabi` (that is, fully inform) because ‘say’ conveys a message yet the Prophet’s nubu`a (prophethood) precedes his mission as Allah’s Messenger. (N.B. nabi` is derived from nubu`a)The Prophet (SAWS) is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of Prophets. Each Messenger is a Prophet, but not each Prophet is a Messenger. The divine order entails that the Prophet (SAWS) should fully inform people that Allah is the Ever-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful and that His torment is the (most) painful torment. The repentant savors the sweetness and greatness of Allah’s forgiveness because His torment is the painful torment. Allah says: “So, whoever is moved away from the Fire and caused to enter the Garden, then he has already triumphed;” (Sūrat Al-‘Imran “The Family of ‘Imran (3), Verse 185). The verb ‘is moved away’ is in the passive voice. In fact, our deeds will make us enter hellfire yet Allah’s mercy ordains us be moved away from it and enter paradise. You invoke your Lord and ask Him for His forgiveness and your invocation is accepted no matter what your sins are. The believer fears his Lord, apprehends His Wrath in all his deeds, and fears that He might not accept his righteous deeds. It will not be easy for such a person to commit a sin.
How can we make people contemplate and realize the Greatness and Grace of the Creator and refrain from committing sins they consider minor?
We should not deem a sin or act of disobedience as minor. Rather, we have to consider the Greatness of our Lord Whom we disobey. Unfortunately, all concepts are mixed up, that is why some people do not commit a heinous deed before their parents, yet they do not hide themselves from their Lord.
We should fear our Lord, Exalted be He, more than our fathers. In fact, we have to abide by and observe the Divine Attribute of Allah, the Watcher. The pillars of tawbah are highly significant. The first pillar lies in deeming the sin as heinous and grave, no matter how minor it is. This is because deeming the sin as minor makes one commits it repeatedly. If Allah punishes the sinner for that sin once he commits it he will not commit it again. This applies to the life of this world, what about the hereafter, then? In the hereafter, one can not escape torture, as it will be everlasting. So long as there are no constitutional rules regulating one’s life and behaviors, then the most heinous sins will be committed. Sūrat Hūd sets forth many divine instructions that are perfectly clear, detailed and well ordered.
Allah says: “Alif, Lam, Ra. (These are names of letters of the Arabic alphabet, and only Allah knows their meaning here) A book whose ayat (i.e., verses, signs) are set clear; thereafter expounded from very close to (Or: close to the Grace of) One Ever-Wise, Ever-Cognizant . (Saying), “Worship none except Allah.” Surely I (myself) (i.e., Muhammad) am to you a warner and a bearer of good things from Him. And (saying), “Ask forgiveness of your Lord, thereafter repent to Him, (and) He will make you to enjoy fair enjoyment to a stated term and He will bring of His Grace to everybody owning grace. And in case they turn away, then surely I fear for you the torment of a Great Day” (Sūrat Hūd “Hūd” (11) Verses1-3).
How does one repent? Tawbah (turning to Allah in repentance) is not a mere word. Rather, the repentant has to take a special ritual bath just as that one takes from janabah (major ritual impurity) and pray two raka’a (one unit of Islamic prayer) which the Prophet (SAWS) called ‘the two rak`as (rak`a is the unit of prayer) of tawbah’, weep and invoke Allah to forgive his sins, and relieve him of all hazards and acts of disobedience. It is not mere reiteration of words, rather, the repentant should be aware of what he is saying during praying.
O Allah, may You set us free from our fetters of sin!
It is as if Satan has shackled the disobedient to his disobedience so he becomes addicted to his act of disobedience because he deems it minor. How can we set ourselves free from these fetters? The only way-out is at-tawbah al-nasuh (i.e. the pure repentance that advises the penitent to uproot his sins and never commit them again. This is attainable only by feeling great regret for committing sins). Sincere repentance is the only way-out. Can one unshackle these fetters?
Allah legislated repentance, so we should grasp its meaning and denotations. Back to Adam’s sin! In the very start Adam said to his Lord that he heard (His orders) and did obey them. Allah says: “And indeed We already covenanted with Adam earlier, yet he forgot and We found in him no resolve.” (Sūrat Taha (20), Verse 115).
In fact, your forgetfulness of Allah’s attributes, following your desires and gratifying your lusts make you disobey Him.
This means that the human being should adhere to his Lord’s Presence and Company, and then when he gets remote by committing a sin, he has to turn to Him penitently. Allah says: “surely He, Ever He, is The Superbly Relenting, The Ever-Merciful.” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah “The Cow” (2), Verse 37).
Allah says: “Then Adam received (some) Words from his Lord; so He relented towards him;” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah “The Cow” (2), Verse 37). Our Lord, Exalted be He, refers and attributes the grace to Adam though all grace is attributed to Him. Allah has made Adam the one who received his Lord’s Words. Let’s broach an important question here: shall we wait for Allah’s repentance? For instance, when one calls a young woman to repent to Allah and wear the veil, she says: “Oh, yes, of course I will when Allah grants me His guidance!” Some people claim that mankind bear part and parcel of Adam’s sin. This allegation is refutable. Allah says: “And no encumbered self (can) be encumbered with the encumbrance of another.” (Sūrat Az-Zumar “The Hordes” (39), Verse7). When Adam received his Lord’s repentance, all mankind received it as well.
Some people fast the month of Ramadan yet they do not keep up prayers. They do not know whether their fasting is accepted (and rewarded) or not. To those people I say that their fasting will be accepted (and rewarded) if they observe it appropriately.
Angels record each deed separately without mixing them up. If that fasting person performs prayers, it will be better for him. Keeping up prayers is the prop of religion, and the backbone of the Pillars of Islam. Surely prayer forbids obscenity and malfeasance. In this respect, I warn Islamic preachers from putting too many restrictions on people. I ask them not to scare people away nor fill them with an aversion to religion. Instead of making people attached to their Lord’s presence you are driving them away from His religion. It is as if those Islamic preachers are the keepers of paradise and hell. Actually, Allah is (The One) Whose help is to be sought. Allah says: “Call (This is addressed to the Prophet) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and dispute with them in the way (which is) fairest.” (Sūrat Al-Nahl “The Bees” (16) Verse 125).
The Islamic preacher has to encourage the Muslim who fasts the month of Ramadan and does not keep up prayers, and then he has to approach him and exert all efforts in making him keep up prayers.
A Muslim has to perfect his relation with his Lord. By performing and keeping up prayers, he gets remote from sins. Allah, Exalted be He, describes the Prophets by saying: “Those are they whom Allah has favored among the Prophets of the offspring of Adam, (Adam) and of the ones We carried with Nûh, (Noah) and of the offspring of Ibrahîm (Abraham) and Israel) and of the ones We guided and selected. When the ayat (Verses or signs) of The All-Merciful were recited to them, they collapsed constantly prostrating and weeping. (A prostration is to be performed here)” (Sūrat Maryam “Mary” (19), Verse 58).
Then He, Exalted be He, says: “Then there succeeded even after them a succession who wasted the prayer and closely followed lusts; so they will eventually meet misguidance. Except him who repents and believes and does righteousness; so those will enter the Garden and they will not be done injustice in anything.” (Sūrat Maryam “Mary” (19), Verse 59, 60).
Allah describes Adam’s disobedience by saying “yet he forgot” (Sūrat Taha (20, Verse 115). So Adam forgot but he never disbelieved in Allah and He, Exalted be He, legislated repentance for him.
We should have taken Adam’s story and repentance into consideration. Hence, for instance, a Muslim who performs and keeps up prayers should abstain from committing adultery as Allah says: “Surely prayer forbids obscenity and malfeasance; and indeed the Remembrance of Allah is greater, and Allah knows whatever you (The pronoun is plural) work.” (Sūrat Al-Ankabût “The Spider” (29), Verse 45). Keeping up prayers makes the Muslim remember his Lord so he should abstain from committing sins.
Let’s review our prayers, how do we pray? If we keep up the prayers perfectly an appropriately, we will never commit a sin. ‘Iqamet as-Salah’ (i.e. Keeping up the prayers’ is mentioned many times in the Noble Qūr’an, yet (the mere) ‘performance of prayers’ is neither mentioned in the Noble Qūr’an nor Sūnnah (the Prophetic tradition). This means that we have to perfect our performance of prayers. Each one of us should understand Allah’s saying: “Then Adam received (some) Words from his Lord; so He relented towards him;” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah “The Cow” (2), Verse 37). When Allah, Exalted be He, legislated tawbah (repentance), this has been an implicit acknowledgement that all sons of Adam are erroneous and that Satan should not besiege them in the dungeon of sins.
Allah says: “Yes indeed, whoever has earned an odious deed and his offense(s) have encompassed him, then those are therein the companions ( (i.e. inhabitants) of the Fire; they are therein eternally (abiding).” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah “The Cow” (2), Verse 81). Such sinners who commit odious deeds will not break the vicious circle of disobedience as they will be “the companions (i.e. inhabitants) of the Fire”. Whenever a sinner resorts to Allah and asks Him to grant him His forgiveness, he will be restored to his Lord’s Grace and Divine Presence no matter how great his sins are. Allah will never refuse the repentant. Allah, Exalted be He, comes down every night to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and then says: “Is there any repentant that I restore to My Grace? Is there anyone seeking (My) forgiveness that I forgive? Is there anyone calling upon Me that I may grant (My endowments)?”
Imagine what the Muslims are doing while their Lord comes down to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night. Actually, they are sleeping and snoring. Dawn prayer may bear witness for this on Doomsday. Muslims have wasted the chance and neglected the perfect keeping up of their prayers though they might be performing them.
The pious are the only ones who will be granted their Lord’s forgiveness and will have their sins effaced, that is, those who repent and turn to Allah penitently. Many terms used in the Noble Qūr’an to reveal manifestly the essence of the true Muslim. Allah says: “Surely Ibrahîm is indeed constantly forbearing, most plaintive, and constantly penitent.” (Sūrat Hūd (11), Verse 75).
No one has been described with this attribute except Ibrahîm. In the Noble Qūr’an, Ibrahîm is described as awah. The Arabic word awah is derived from aha (a moan or sigh). For Arabs, aha is measles because it makes the diseased moan and sigh for being feverish and in great pain.
Idiomatically it denotes that Ibrahîm prayed and called upon his Lord frequently, used to glorify Him and fear for his people. Allah says: “And in no way was Ibrahîm’s (Abraham’s) asking forgiveness for his father (for any reason) except for a commitment he had promised him; so, as soon as it became evident to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself quit of him; surely Ibrahîm was indeed most plaintive, constantly forbearing.” (Sūrat At-Tawbah “Repentance” (9), Verse 114).
He dreaded his Lord, feared for his people because he was aware of the perdition that awaited them. Moreover, ‘Most plaintive’ means that he used to turn to his Lord penitently, praise Him, moaning and suffering deep down and dreaded his Lord lest he failed to convey his message in the most appropriate way.
This description was not attributed to the Prophet (SAWS) because this was his permanent state and his wont throughout all his life.
Allah says: “And (saying), “Ask forgiveness of your Lord, thereafter repent to Him, (and) He will make you to enjoy fair enjoyment to a stated term and He will bring of His Grace to everybody owning grace. And in case they turn away, then surely I fear for you the torment of a Great Day.” (Sūrat Hūd (11), Verse 3). It is worth mentioning here that the Day of Judgment is described as Great. When the polytheists refused his Message and disbelieved in their Lord, the Prophet (SAWS) said to them: “then surely I fear for you the torment of a Great Day.” (Sūrat Hūd (11), Verse 3). When he (SAWS) called someone to Islam and he did not respond he feared for him.
So, awah (most plaintive) was the attribute of the Prophet (SAWS) the moment someone turned away from him and his message. When a Jew died, the Prophet grieved because he had not embraced Islam nor professed the Prophet’s Message. The Prophet (SAWS) comprised all the epithets of perfection and flawlessness of all Prophets as Allah says: “Those are they whom Allah has guided; so emulate their guidance.” (Sūrat Al-An`am “The Cattle” (6), Verse 90).
The Prophet (SAWS) was ordered to emulate their guidance and follow their example of perfection. The Prophet’s character comprised all excellences and perfections. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) described the Prophet (SAWS) and his manners by saying: “Verily, his manners were but (complying with) the Qur’an.”
Allah, Exalted be He, endowed him with Musa’s (Moses’) bravery, Dawud’s (David’s) courage, Harun’s (Aaron’s) sympathy and Solaiman’s (Solomon’s) sovereignty. Actually, it suffices us that our Messenger is Muhammad (SAWS).
First and foremost, the repentant sinner should not deem the sin as minor. The repentant should exert strenuous efforts to have his repentance accepted
The penitent sinner says: “I turn to Allah in repentance!” but does he understand what this means? If he feels great regret and remorse for committing the sin, and thinks a lot about his sin he will abstain from committing it again. Repentance is an integral process.
As for praying, one has to perform and keep up prayers as the Prophet (SAWS) did. He said: “Pray as you found me praying!”
The Prophet (SAWS) ordered us to pray the same way we found him (found here applies to those who witnessed him during his lifetime and those who came after them and were informed of this).
He (SAWS) used to lessen (or curtail) the prayer in jama`a (congregation prayer) yet he used to prolong the prayer if praying by himself.
Try to contemplate and meditate on performing two rak’as, then kneel down till you feel composed, as the Prophet (SAWS) ordered us. This means kneel down till you feel composed and have no doubt about your kneeling down. If we perform prayers in the best and perfect way set forth for Muslims, then no Muslim will have any problems or sufferings. We should reflect on and contemplate the Qūranic verses and ayahs we recite during our prayers. The point is the one who is performing prayers should ponder and reflect on what he/she is reciting. On reciting ayahs, one has, for instance, to reflect on them in an attentive way without repeating them absentmindedly.
Unfortunately, sometimes we find someone asking whether a sinner who committed a heinous sin can repent and have his repentance accepted.
Similarly, some people ask whether the killer’s repentance can be accepted. Nobody can ever say that his repentance will not be accepted as Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Surely relenting from (Literally: upon, i.e. Allah relents) Allah is only towards the ones who do any odious deed in ignorance (and) thereafter they repent shortly; so Allah relents towards those and Allah has been Ever-Knowing, Ever-Wise.” (Sūrat Al-Nisa` “The Women” (4), Verse 17).
The preposition “from (Literally: upon)” shows manifestly that it is as if Allah, Exalted be He, obligates himself to accept repentance though nothing whatsoever obligates Him, Exalted be He.
The preposition “upon” is used in many ayahs in the Noble Qūr’an in great issues. Allah says: “And it is (a duty) upon mankind towards Allah (to come) to the Home on Pilgrimage, for whomever is able to make a way to it.” (Sūrat Al-Imran “The Family of Imran“ (3), Verse 97) and He says: “And in no way is there any beast in the earth except that its provision (depends) on Allah; and He knows its repository and its depository. All is in an Evident Book.” (Sūrat Hūd (11), Verse 6).
The Prophet (SAWS) said that the son of Adam will not be able to escape from his means of subsistence because they will reach him despite him. The Prophet (SAWS) said that if the son of Adam rode the wind to escape from his livelihood, then his livelihood would ride lightning until it fell in the mouth of the son of Adam and that if the son of Adam escaped from Allah’s decree, then, verily, he would be escaping from Allah’s decree to Allah’s decree.
Blessed are those who performed the two rak`as and repented from sin! Blessed are those who performed the two rak`as and repented without committing a sin! The point is the repentant should not turn to sins again. Allah says: “then whoever closely follows My guidance, so he will not err away, nor will he be wretched;” (Sūrat Taha (20), Verse 123).
Our Lord states that this is conditional upon adherence to Allah’s Guidance and compliance therewith. On the other hand, the counter-situation is horrible, as Allah says: “And whoever veers away from My Remembrance, then surely he will have a cramped subsistence and We will muster him blind on the Day of the Resurrection. He will say, “Lord! Why have You mustered me blind, and I was already constantly beholding?” Said He, “Thus it is. Our signs came up to you, yet you forgot them; and thus today you are forgotten.” ( Sūrat Taha (20), Verse 124-126). It is as if we do commit sins because of our veering away from Allah’s Remembrance. We have to lead a life delighted in Allah’s Presence and Divine Company. Only then we will be repentant incessantly so we will never err away nor be wretched.
‘Remembrance’ (dhikr) is a great term. Praying is dhikr, invocation is dhikr and glorifying Allah is dhikr. Allah says: “The ones who have believed and whose hearts (feel) composed with the Remembrance of Allah -verily in the Remembrance of Allah the hearts are composed!” (Sūrat Ar-Raad “Thunder” (13), Verse 28). This means that it is the believer’s heart first that remembers Allah and feels composed with the Remembrance of Allah. The Noble Qūr’an mentions the believer’s keeping up prayers except after mentioning the solemnity and submissiveness the believer shows during praying. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “The believers have already prospered. The ones who show in their prayer all solemnity and submissiveness.” (Sūrat Al-Muminûn “The Believers” (23), Verse 1,2). Then He says: “And they are the ones who preserve their prayers.” (Sūrat Al-Muminûn “The Believers” (23), Verse 9). Performing prayers in their appointed times is beyond question.
In fact, we disobey Allah because we are remote from him.
Allah says in Sūrat Taha on describing the disbeliever: “And whoever veers away from My Remembrance, then surely he will have a cramped subsistence and We will muster him blind on the Day of the Resurrection. He will say, “Lord! Why have You mustered me blind, and I was already constantly beholding?” Said He, “Thus it is. Our signs came up to you, yet you forgot them; and thus today you are forgotten.” ( Sūrat Taha (20), Verse 124-126).
The disbeliever will receive in the hereafter what he did in the life of this world. “And thus today you are forgotten.” This means that he will be forgotten and deprived of Allah’s Mercy. This is not utter forgetfulness, rather, this ‘forgetfulness’ denotes that the disbeliever is deprived of Allah’s Mercy. Allah, Exalted be He, calls us into Reckoning as per His Grace and Generosity. In fact, if He calls us into Reckoning as per His all-encompassing Justice we will be lost and annihilated.
In Sūrat Al-Araaf, Allah says: “Surely the ones who are pious, when a visitation of Ash-Shaytan (the all-vicious (one), i.e., the Devil) touches them, remind themselves, then, only then are they (clear) beholders.” (Sūrat Al-Araaf “The Battlement” (7), Verse 201). They are clear beholders who are guided by their insight. Those who will be mustered blind on doomsday will feel surprised because he was not blind in the life of this world. So, Allah, Exalted be He, “Thus it is.” This means that what they did during their lifetime in the life of this world will incur all this on them. Allah says about them: “And they say, “If we had heard or had considered, in no way would we have been among the companions of the Blaze”. (Sūrat Al-Mūlk “The Kingdom” (67), Verse 10). They accused themselves that they had neither heard nor considered. Neither their sense of hearing, mentalities nor eyesight did avail them
This episode was aired on 11/4/2006.
Translated by sister Soad Naguib jazahaAllah kheiran