Rescuing Your Soul - The Degree of Repentance

REPENTANCE IS AN OBLIGATION!

“Verily Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves.” [al-Baqarah: 222]

The Prophet (pbuh) used to make istighfaar more than 70 times a day, although he was promised jannah – but he was teaching his ummah. He would cry at night until his beard would be soaked in his tears.

“Say: ‘O my slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins) Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [az Zumar: 53]

There was once a draught in the time of Musa [as]. Allah did not send the rain as there was a sinner amongst the people and only once the sinner had left the town would Allah send the rain. Musa [as] called out for the sinner to come forward, but no one did. And suddenly it began to rain, the sinner had repented, and Allah accepted his repentance, subhanallah!!

The reality of repentance is to:

1. Magnify the sin – think of it like this – YOU SINNED AGAINST ALLAH SWT! Don’t just look at your sin, look at the greatness of the one you sinned against!
2. Question your repentance – accuse your repentance, question it, was it sincere, was it enough? Check your heart; if your heart is not moved by the recitation of the Qur’an, by the circles of knowledge, during dhikr, you really need to ponder on your relationship with Allah swt.
3. Acquire protective jealousy – Do you feel the pain of your brothers and sisters when in oppression, are you moved to do something?

  

REPENTANCE IS BELOVED TO ALLAH!

Repentance must meet 5 conditions:

1. Sincerity to Allah, the Most High
2. Remorse for the sin that was committed
3. Ceasing to commit the sin immediately
4. Determination to not go back to doing that sin again in the future
5. The repentance should not occur before the time when its accepted is terminated, either by death or by the sun rising from the west.

Repent every time we feel we have committed a sin, we are always in need of repentance

“O ye who believe! Turn to 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.’” [at-Tahreem: 8]