Repentance in Islam
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Tawba (Template:Lang-ar) is a Quranic Arabic word that means “a retreat” or “a return”.[1][2] Both the Qur'an and the Hadith incorporate the word to refer to the act of leaving what Allah has prohibited and returning to what He has commanded. In the Islamic theology, the word denotes the act of being repentant for one's misdeeds, atoning for those misdeeds, and having a strong determination to forsake those misdeeds. Because Qur'an and Hadith repeatedly mention and emphasize the act of atoning for one's misdeeds, tawba is of immense importance in Islamic tradition. For a Muslim, it is regarded as a major gateway to rectifying his life.
Etymology
Today, the main sources of the word tawba are the Qur'an and the Hadith. The holy Qur'an mentions the word in several places, some of which are: 1) Sura 24, ayah 31; 2) Sura 25, ayah 70-71; 3) Sura 66, ayah 08.
Meaning
The literal meaning of tawba is 'to return' or 'to retreat'. In Islamic Sharia, it means to turn or to retreat from past sinful and evil activities, and to firmly resolve abstaining from them in future. In Sura 66, verse no. 08 of the holy Qur'an, the word tawba has been associated with the word نصوح (nasūh) which means 'to make pure or sincere'. Thus tawba signifies sincere and faithful repentance, free from pretense and hypocrisy.[2]
In the Quran
Like many other topics, the act of atoning (for one’s misdeeds) and seeking Allah’s forgiveness has also been discussed in the Quran with much importance. For those believers who have wronged themselves, the Qur'an asks them to become repentant, seek Allah’s forgiveness, and make a sincere tawba, and assures them that if they do this, Allah will forgive them, and exonerate them from their misdeeds:
And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.
— Quran, Sura 24 (Al-Noor), ayah 31[3]
O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance, in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow...
— Quran, Sura 66 (Al-Tahrim), ayah 08[4]
Surely Allah loves those who turn much (to Him), and He loves those who purify themselves.
— Quran, Sura 02 (Al-Baqara), ayah 222[5]
The holy Qur'an also addresses the disbelievers and urges them to turn to Allah, upon which Allah promises to pardon them:
The Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him (disbeliever), and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion.
In the Hadith
Like Quran, the Hadith also mentions and stresses the issue of tawba. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Anas ibn Malik narrates:
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert."
The holy prophet Muhammad himself used to ask Allah’s forgiveness more than any other person. Abu Hurairah narrates:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."
Theological viewpoints
Since the issue of tawba or repentance arises from Islamic religious context, it can be understood well when discussed from that perspective.
Repentance to Allah alone
Islam does not view any human being as being infallible. Any human being can be subject to errors, Allah being the only perfect one. Thus the sole authority for the forgiveness of any human being corresponds to Allah. Muslims deny the authority of men to listen to another person's confessions and then pronounce him forgiven of his sin. Likewise repenting to anyone besides Allah is forbidden. The Quran states:
Verily those whom ye call upon besides Allah are servants like unto you.
— Quran, Sura 7 (Al-Araf), ayah 194[7]
Conditions of tawba
According to Islamic Sharia, when an act of tawba is performed by a Muslim, Allah generally accepts it. However, that tawba should be sincere and true. Muslim scholars agree upon the fact that if a person is not ashamed of his past misdeeds, or does not intent to forsake those, then his verbal announcement of tawba is an open mockery of repentance.[8] Mere verbal repentance does not account for a true tawba. A sincere tawba has some criteria. Hazrat Ali was asked as to what is tawba, and he replied that tawba consists of six elements:
- to regret one’s past evil deeds;
- to carry out Divine duties (fard, wajib etc.) that were missed;
- to return the rights/properties of others that were usurped unjustly;
- to ask forgiveness of a person who has been wronged by him, physically or verbally;
- to make a firm resolve of avoiding the sin in future; and
- to employ oneself in Allah’s obedience, as he previously employed himself in Allah’ disobedience.[2]
Tawba and the benevolence of Allah
According to Islamic sharia, a sincere tawba is always accepted by Allah. Allah says:
Verily, He is One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful.
— Quran, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 37[9]
In numerous verses of the holy Quran, Allah describes Himself as being extremely generous, merciful, and forgiving towards His creations. In verse 22 of sura Al-Hashr, for example, He assures: “He is Allah besides Whom there is no God; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; He is the Beneficent, the Merciful”.[10]
The use of the verse “In the name of Allah, the Benevolent, the Merciful” at the beginning of every sura (except one) further testifies to this fact. According to the narration of Quran and Hadith, Allah’s overarching mercy permits even the gravest sins to be pardoned by Him, provided the wrongdoer intends a sincere tawba. Allah says:
Verily, Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth.
— Quran, Sura 4 (An-Nisa), ayah 48[11]
As such, becoming hopeless of the mercy of Allah is prohibited. The holy Quran declares:
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.
— Quran, Sura 39 (Az-Zumar), ayah 53[12]
Again, God says to the believers in a Hadith–ul-Qudsi.
“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”
Responsibility
At the same time Islam also expects the Muslims to be aware of their own sins. Ibn Mas'ood, a Muslim scholar, is reported to have said:
"A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may fall on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this (and he moved his hand over his nose in illustration)." -Collected by al-Bukhaaree (eng. trans. vol.8 p.214 no.320)
Islam rejects the idea of original sin, nor does it subscribe to the philosophy of one man carrying another's burden. Each individual will be held accountable for his or her own actions on Yaum al-Qiyamah (day of judgment). Before that day occurs however, an individual should constantly seek forgiveness from God and work to rectify the faults one finds within oneself. It is for this reason that Muhammad said
"Allah accepts the repentance of His servant, so long as death has not reached his collar bone"
He also stated:
"O people! Turn to Allah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, for surely I make repentance a hundred times every day." -Reported by al-Aghaar ibn Yasaar & collected in Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.4 p.1418 no.6523)
"One who repents from sin is like one without sin." -HASAN - Reported by Abu 'Ubaidah ibn 'Abdullaah & collected by Ibn Majah Authenticated by al-Albaanee
Muslims believe that forgiveness for one's sins is not something that comes automatically; it is something that must be sought sincerely and with true devotion. It is only through God's mercy that one can hope to enter Paradise. Muhammad advised:
"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and rejoice, for no one's good deeds will put him in Paradise." The Companions asked, "Not even you O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Not even me unless Allah bestows His pardon and mercy on me." -Reported by Aboo Hurayrah & 'Aa'ishah & collected by al-Bukhaaree (eng. trans. vol.8 p.315 no.474)
Therefore in Islam, salvation rests on faith (which includes), good actions and hope in God's mercy. Furthermore, it is only God who can forgive our sins and He is not in need of any intercessor.
References
- ^ Maulana Muhammad Shamsul Haq. Al-Muradif: Arabic Thesaurus. Dhaka: Islamia Kutubkhana. p. 58.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c Mufti Muhammad Shafi (2004). Ma'ariful Quran. Translated by Maulana Ahmed Khalil Aziz & Muhammad Taqi Usmani. Vol. 8; p.525.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Quran 24:31 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
- ^ Quran 66:08 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
- ^ [Quran 02:222]
- ^ Quran 25:69-71 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
- ^ Quran 7:194 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
- ^ Ma'ariful Quran. Vol. Vol 2. p. 569.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ [Quran 2:37]
- ^ [Quran 59:22]
- ^ Quran 4:48 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
- ^ Quran 39:53 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
See also
- Muslim theology
- Itmam al-hujjah
- sin
- Teshuva, a similar concept in Judaism