Repentance in Islam
Each and every Human on this planet commits mistakes. There is no one who is flawless. There is a famous quote of the great English poet Alexander Pope, “To err is human”. This means that humans are full of errors and people make mistakes daily, however some mistakes are deliberate and some are unintentional. In both of the cases, people can seek forgiveness on their mistakes by Almighty Allah who is all forgiving and merciful.
Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said:
"Every son of Adam sins, the best of the sinners is those who repent." [Tarmidhi, 2499]
People should realize that whatever they did was wrong and to become the real believers they must ask forgiveness with the intentions to not repeat the mistakes again. Allah speaks various times about forgiveness, in Quran. Allah says in Surah Al-Maidah, that if a person regrets on the mistakes he has committed and ask forgiveness then Allah will forgive all his past wrongdoings. Verse number 39 of Surah Maidah is written beautifully:
“But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”. [5:39]
In Surah Noor, verse 31:
“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed”. [24:31]
Allah is inviting those who regret on their mistakes and who do not know that how to turn back to their Creator-Allah, for them Allah says that turn to me if you regret and I will forgive you. Undoubtedly, those who make Allah happy with their kind deeds get success in both the lives.
The acceptance of our forgiveness not only make us contended in this world but also leads us to the Paradise, and that world is better than this world. Allah speaks beautiful words in Surah Tahrim, verse 8:
“O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent." [66:8]
If turning away from the teachings of Islam and to walk on the wrong path create the distance between the men and their Lord, then regretting and turning back to Allah with all the pure intentions lead to get the Love of Almighty Allah which is more than enough to spend a happy and blissful life.
Allah says in Quran in Surah An-Nisa, verse 17:
“The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise”. [4:17]
Also in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 222, Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." [2:222]
People should try not to only ask for the forgiveness but also try to do the good deeds in their lives, which will make Allah and the people of Allah both happy. Good deeds work as to remove the bad deeds. Allah says in Quran, in Surah Hud, verse 114:
“And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember”. [11:114]
This means that we should regret on the things which we did against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah and we also should try to perform all the things which Allah and his messenger has asked us to do. In this way we can turn back to Allah and He will accept us as we are just born with all the purity and with no mistakes. Indeed! Allah is the most kind and merciful to His creatures.
