Repentance in Islam

We all make mistakes in our lives and we all commit sins. We are all human and tend to lose the
path for a while. As Muslims, we have to perform Tawbah, which means to turn to Allah and ask
for his forgiveness. Tawbah is something that is between you and Allah; your Creator, Sustainer,
and Cherisher. It is also something that we should do often because Allah says: !"#$%&# '() *# +,
Surely, Allah loves those people who constantly repent to Him (do Tawbah to Him). [2:222] Allah
says - !. "#/ $01, which means those who constantly, over and over, repent to Allah. To do so, we must
admit to our mistakes, regret deeply and commit to avoid this sin again. If the sin involved the
rights of other people, then one must return the them back to the person they belong to.
The Prophet (saw) is reported to have said: All humans are sinners, and the best sinners are
those who repent much. [Ahmed, At-Tirmidhee & Ibn Majah] Tawbah is one of the main purposes
of our creation as human beings. Allah has created human beings to have a nature of sin and
committing mistakes so we can return back to Allah and seek His forgiveness. Tawbah is the
distinguishing feature between Muslim sinners and other sinners, because as a part of human
nature, were all sinners. The only di!erence between us is our admission of committing the sin,
the feeling of deep regret, and the desire to ask and seek Allah for forgiveness.
Repentance is a very strong quality of the believer. Many people nd their repentance begins
strong, but slowly gets weaker and fall back into committing the sin again. As Muslims, it is our
duty to Allah to stay true to our repentance and keep our promises to Him. The rst step is to
believe that Allah is most Forgiving and most Merciful. Many people believe they are not worthy of
Allahs forgiveness and this is wrong. He created you and He knows your weaknesses and your
faults. Everyone makes mistakes and it is what makes you His best creation because you turn to
Allah and ask for forgiveness. This strengthens ones relationship and faith with Allah. Tawbah can
be done for any major or minor sin. We must never think that Allah will not forgive us. Repent with
sincerity and remember that Allah loves His servants and Allah will accept your repentance.
No matter how major or minor a sin is, once we decide to repent to Allah, it is important for us to
nd the main source of this sin and avoid it to the best of our ability. If the sin is related to the
computer or TV, we cant eliminate them from our lives but instead surround yourself with people
who remind you to stay on the right path when using them. It is always easier to commit a sin
when you are alone and vulnerable. If you nd that the source of the sin is a friend, then you
should cut ties with this friend. Although it will not be an easy task, Allah will reward you
immensely as you have done it for the sake of Allah. If the sin is more like missing prayers or not
fasting in Ramadan, your mind is occupied with other distractions from the worship of Allah. In
this case, we should try to eliminate the distraction and organize our time to maintain balanced
lives which also include worship in our daily lives.
The last way to stay true to repentance is to stay connected with Islam and the Muslim Ummah. It
is uplifting for the soul when you are surrounded by other Muslims seeking knowledge and
worshipping together. Surrounding yourself with the Islamic community takes your mind o! the
worldly things. Staying connected also helps your connection to Allah. Reading the Quran
regularly and performing your prayers on time keeps the connection between yourself and Allah
strong. Once you feel that Islam is an important part of your life and that you are truly close to
Allah, it is di"cult to be pulled back to your old sins. However, it is always important to
continuously keep asking Allah for guidance and protection as it is the purpose of our existence.
by Farzin Sadeq 9B
Bibliography
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Abdul Aziz, Molvi. Islamic Studies. Riyadh: Darussalam, 2009. 15-19. Print. Ser. 9.
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