Repentance: A Return to Allah

“Every human commits sin: the best of sinners are those who repent .” _At-Tirmidhi

 

“Even if your sins were so numerous as to reach the lofty regions of the sky; if you repent (sincerely), they will absolutely be forgiven.” At-Tirmidhi

 

Repentance or Tawba is an Islamic concept on to returning to Allah after moving far away from Him as a result sins, both big and small.

Tawba is the means to achieving purification of our heart, which is the fountain of good deeds. A purified heart that urges sound actions is ultimate goal of true repentance.

Repentance is an essential means to the realm of Allah’s unlimited grace. Without the incredible opportunity of repentance, no sinner would be saved from the pains and torments of Hellfire.

True repentance is remorse and it involves leaving the prohibitions of Sharia and returning to the good that Allah has enjoined.

Allah Himself— Out of His infinite mercy— sermonize us to return Him through the process of repentance. He says in Suratul Tahrim, Quran 66:8 as follows:

“O ye who believe! Turn unto Allah in sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your evil deeds and bring you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow.

On the day when Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him.

Their light will run before them and on their right hands; they will say: Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us! Lo! Thou art Able to do all things.”

 

Allah truly wants the best for us, so He is eagerly waiting for our repentance. On the contrary, Satan doesn’t want us to repent at all.

In this direction, Imam Hassan Al-Basri (RA) was asked “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 Satan wishes that you have this attitude, so do not (get) tired of asking for forgiveness.”

And Satan does that either through deluding us to think we are friends of Allah without almost any sins or by deluding us to think we are miserable incorrigibles for whom there is no single hope of forgiveness.

However, the truth is what God himself expressed in the above verse when He calls believers to repent and when He concluded that He is able to do all things.

Thus He is willing to forgive any sin that is sincerely repented for by his faithful servants. This is further made clearer in the following verse of Suratul Zumar, Quran 39 verse 53 as follows:

“Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

Allah Akbar!

Allah’s Grace and Mercy is indeed immeasurable.

In summary, the doors of repentance to Allah is always opened as long as we are alive—and not at our final point of death.

Therefore, we should take advantage of Allah grace by making repentance a constant part of our lives.

May Allah SWT save us from self-deception in all of its forms. Aameen.