Repentance

Introduction:

All the people need repentance as long as they make mistakes as it is said by the prophet, may peace be upon him, «every human being is mistaken and the repentants are the best ones ». The Almighty Allah not only forgive and pardon our sins but also reward us for our repentance.

It is very necessary to speak a little bit about disobedience and its disadvantages which result in:

1. The deprivation of knowledge and understanding, knowledge is Allah’s light that is not given for the sinners.

2. The loneliness that the disobedient finds in his heart.

3. The darkness and the difficulties in his affairs

4. The weakness and the feebleness of the sinner's heart and body

5. The inheritance of disgrace and humiliation «O my God, make of us worthy persons by your obedience, and do not humiliate us with your disobedience».

First : The definition of repentance.

The verb “to repent” is taken from the noun “repentance”. Its meaning is “to return”, “to turn to Allah”, “to revert”. The Almighty Allah and his messenger may peace be upon him, used these verbs (words). Allah the great said: «O! Those who believe repent a sincere repentance » (The Prohibition, 8).

«Paradise will be brought closer for the pious» (The Letter Qaf, 31).

«This is what you have been promised, for persons who are full of repentance and have respect for Allah’s instructions » (The Letter Qaf, 32).

« he who fears Allah the merciful even if he does not see him and comes towards him with an obedient heart » (The Letter Qaf, 33). «And recall David, our servant who is endowed with the power of adoration, he is full of repentance ». (The Letter Sad, 17).

The difference between these three concepts is that the one who returns to Allah because he is afraid of the doomsday or the day of judgement is the repentant; the one who returns to Him because of his diffidence is the reverting and the one who returns to him because of Allah’s Majesty and greatness is the penitent.

Second : The Islamic stance of repentance:

Repentance is an obligation and a duty. Allah the great said: «whoever do not repent, those are the unjust or the unfair» (The Dwellings, 11). «O! Those who believe repent a sincere repentance» (The Prohibition, 8). The prophet, may pace be upon him, also said: «O! People, repent and ask Allah for forgiveness, I repent 100 times a day». Reported by Muslim. Besides, many other Ahadith incite people to repent.

Third : Its conditions (requirements).

All the knowledgeables agree that the sincere repentance stipulates the following requirements:

- The desisting disobedience.

- Regretting being disobedient.

- The full determination of never returning to disobedience.

These conditions are needed only if the sin is against the creator, but if the sin is done to other people, the knowledgeables add another criterion which is the compensation of damages, materialistic they are or moralistic. Doing so, the sinful can feel himself innocent in front of God and men.

Hassan El Basri limited the conditions of repentance to the following points:

- To avoid and get rid of all what is resulted from disobedience.

- To regret and feel sadness about that disobedience.

- The remedy and the correction of what had elapsed, this could be performed by doing more virtues and being obedient, Allah the great said: «the good deeds dissipate the bad one» (Hud, 114).

Fourth :The beseeching to repentance:

In spite of the abundance of human being’s mistakes and his committing of all kinds of sins, Allah never derive him away from his mercy. The Almighty Allah said «O my servants, you, who have committed excesses to your proper detriment, do not feel desperate of Allah’s mercy. Allah forgive and pardon all sins. He is the tolerant and the kindest » (The Groups, 53).

The prophet may peace be upon him, said: «God stretch out his hard in the night to forgive the sinful of the day, and stretch out his hand in the day to pardon the sinful of the night until the sun rises from its sunset» reported by Muslim.

In other sacred Hadith, Allah the great said: «the djinn, the human being and I are in great news. I create and others are adored. I bestow on them food and others are thanked. My benevolence goes down to them, and their wickedness goes up to me. I give them wealth and I am in no need of them, they do not thank me and they are in need of me. The one who comes to me, I receive him from the far distance, and the one who abstains from me, I call on him from the near distance. Those who thank me I give them more opulence and those who adore (worship) me are the honourables. I am always with those who remember me. And those who disobey me are never repulsed from my mercy. I thank the little (easy) work and I pardon plenty of errors».

God is not of need for his servants’ repentance, his happiness and enjoyment is that of kindness and charity not that of needy God.

Fifth : Conclusions.

1 - Each person can make mistakes, this is very necessary for him to repent.

2 - To disobey openly and publicly is an other sin which needs repentance.

3 - The insistence on disobedience is a sin

4 - To postpone or delay repentance is a sin

5 - Do not despise the little sins( do not look at the smallness of the sin but rather at the greatness of the one you disobey)

6 - The repentant is similar to the one who had never sinned.

7 - To do more good deeds « the good deeds dissipate the bad ones, this is an advise for those who really think» (Hud, 114).

8 - Repentance is compulsory. Ibn abass said: the prophet, may peace be upon him, said: « the one who always repent, God give him solutions to his distress, relieve his grief, and feed him from unknown resources ». Reported by Abu dawud and Ibn madja.

9 - The necessity to remember God (the master of repentance) «O! Allah, you are my God, there is no God but you. You have created me and I am your servant. I adore you and follow your instructions as far as I can, all that I have is thanks to you. I confess my sins so forgive me because no one can pardon my sins except you. You are the forgiver and the tolerant».

10- To ask forgiveness for the other. The Almighty Allah said: «O my God, forgive me and forgive our brothers (believers) who come before us»

(The Gathering, 10).

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