Taubah comes from word Ta wa ba means turn away from something. Whenever a slave of Allah wants to refine himself/ herself then they find the need to repent to Allah. Islamically we use this term to turn away from disobedience to Allah’s commands. A person turns from disobeying Allah to obeying Allah.
Allah says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىأَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُالذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[az-Zumar : 53]
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىأَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُالذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[az-Zumar : 53]
Often when we sin, we think not to turn to Allah as shaitaan whispers in to our mind: doing this heinous sin you want to pray to Allah, he makes us feel that we are not worthy of forgiveness from Allah. But that should not be the case. We must always ask forgiveness and stay from commiting those sins again.
Indeed, Allah has opened the door of repentance to every sinner. The Prophet said,
"Oh people, repent to Allah, for indeed, I repent to Allah 100 times every day"
[Muslim : 2702]
Indeed, Allah has opened the door of repentance to every sinner. The Prophet said,
"Oh people, repent to Allah, for indeed, I repent to Allah 100 times every day"
[Muslim : 2702]
One of the scholar said that repentance is the first step in your relationship with Allah (AL HARAQI)
Some ulema refine and expanded the above mentioned defination of tawbah by the following:
1) Regret in the heart (nadham al Qalb)
After you commit a sin, you feel that guilt in you and regret that encompasses you. Prophet(pbuh) said: Taubah is to feel regret and shame. To do taubah without the sense of regret is a sign of Hypocrisy.
2) Stick to the obedience of Allah:
To control his/her body parts with the fear of Allah.
The Eg: If the person who turns to Alah is like a house with six doors. Then he needs to be careful with who does he let in from those six doors. This is the example of a mumin.
That he /she looks at the doors. The doors are Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Ears, Hands, Limbs, Mind. Out of these doors the acts which are forbidden they seem to be entering easily and if you dont put guards at each of the door, then you are going to sin. The Question is how do we put the guard... guard is Dhikr of Allah.
Imam Gazzali said : the sins of zina doesn’t start with eyes.. it starts with mind. So, it is mind where it all starts. Ibn Qayyim said : repel bad thoughts , if you don’t then they will become desires.. declare war(haarib-ha) on them. If they become desires then they become ambitions for you. If it becomes ambition then capture (qayyidh – haa) it… and if you don’t then they become a habit, then try to do the opposite of the habit to stop it and if you don’t then it becomes difficult to stop.
3) Stay Upright (Istikaaamah)
It means to try to stand straight and be on the right path. Another meaning is to strive against the evil. Ignorance is always not legitimate excuse. So we must understand our purpose in life. This life should not hold any importance, whereas your after life should be considered with utmost importance. When we gather together knowledge and sincerity coupled with practice then we may become amongst those in Siratul mustaqeem. How can we do that is by Taubah.
Allah says in Quran:
The greatest gift of Allah upon creation is that he inspires the creation to turn to Him.
Surah Taubah – Verse 117 118.
There might be some thought in the mind of youngsters that they are too young to make taubah, as they have not lived long years as compared to others. A young person who repents to Allah is the beloved thing to Allah. A young person who feels who doesn’t need to make taubah as they have long life, then they need to make taubah also, taubah from what….? Taubah from stupididty.
وْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there was a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself and Allah is full of Kindness to His slaves.
[Aal-Imraan : 30]
On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there was a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself and Allah is full of Kindness to His slaves.
[Aal-Imraan : 30]
Allah warns against Himself, Allah is the only one who knows the Ilm e Ghaib (the Unseen), and this verse is a clear proof that no matter how much ever we think good about ourselves, how much ever proud we are about our Ibaadah, Charity, Fasting & other good deeds; we would think on that day there was long distance between ourself and our evil.
Hasten to repent to Allah and turn to Him for guidance…. Insha Allah He will forgive your sins and Guide You.
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