Repentance

[bamalli]

Repentance

By Imaam Yahyaa Ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi



   


Scholars said: It is necessary to repent from every sin. If the offense involves the Right of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, not a human, then there are three condition to be met in order that repentance be accepted by Allaah:



1. To desist from committing it.

2. To feel sorry for committing it.

3. To decide not to recommit it.



Any repentance failing to meet any of these three conditions, would not be sound.



But if the sin involves a human's right, it requires a fourth condition, i.e., to absolve onself from such right. If it is a property, he should return  it to its rightful owner. If it is slandering or backbiting, one should ask the pardon of the offended.



One should also repent from all sins. If he repents from some, his repentance would still be sound according to the people of sound knowledge. He should, however, repent from the rest. Scriptural proofs from the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars support the incumbency of repentance.



Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, the, Exalted says (interpretation of the meaning):



"And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful." (24:31)



"Seek the forgiveness of your Rabb, and turn to Him in repentance." (11:3)



"O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance!." (66:8)



13. Aboo Hurayrah (radhiallaahu`anhu) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam saying: "By Allaah, I seek Allaah's forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.'' [Al-Bukhari].



Commentary: 
1. It is an inducement for seeking pardon and forgiveness. The Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, whose past and future sins were forgiven, asked Allaah's forigveness - then how about us, who commit sins on regular basis, not to seek pardon and forgiveness from Allaah?

2. Sincere and ceaseless prayer for pardon is essential so that sins committed by us unintentionally are also forgiven. The above Hadeeth lays great emphasis on seeking pardon.



14. Al-Agharr bin Yasar Al-Muzani (radhiallaahu`anhu) narrated that: The Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said: "Turn you people in repentance to Allaah and beg pardon of  Him. I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times a day". [Muslim].



15 Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari (radhiallaahu`anhu) the servant of the Messenger of Allaah narrated: Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, Allaah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave than a person who lost his camel in a desert land and then finds it (unexpectedly)". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].



In another version of Muslim, he said: "Verily, Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allaah, You are my slave and I am Your Rabb'. He commits this mistake out of extreme joy".



Commentary: 
1. This Hadeeth also deals with the inducement and merit of repentance and pardon for sins. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala is highly pleased with repentance. 

2 One will not have to account for a mistake made without any purpose and intention.

3. It is permissible to take an oath to stress on one's pardon.

4. One can quote an instance for the purpose of understanding and elaboration.



16. Aboo Musa Al-Ash`ari (radhiallaahu`anhu) reported: The Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said: "Allaah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west". [Muslim].



Commentary: This Hadeeth confirms an essential Attribute of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, i.e., the Hand which He stretches out anytime He wishes without drawing similarity to it, nor interpretation. Such was the attitude of the pious predecessors with regards to all of the essential Attributes of Allaah. It is deduced from this Hadeeth that if one commits a sin during any hour of day or night, he should immediately seek the forgiveness of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala as a result.



17.  Aboo Hurayrah  (radhiallaahu`anhu) narrated: Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, "He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allaah will forgive him". [Muslim].



Commentary: Taubah means returning to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala from sins. When a person commits a sin, he goes away from Allaah. When he repents, he returns to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and desires for being pardoned by Him, and getting near Him. This returning towards Him is Taubah. When it is said that `Allaah turns towards him', it means that Allaah accepts his repentance.



18. `Abdullah bin`Umar bin Al-Khattab (radhiallaahu`anhu) reported that: The Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, "Allaah accepts a slave's repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)".
[At-Tirmidhi, who categorised it as Hadeeth Hasan].



Commentary: The word Ghargharah means the stage when soul is about to leave the body and reaches the throat. In other words, the time when one suffers the agony of death.



Hadeeth Hasan means that Hadeeth the authenticity of which is connected without any technical defect. Their narrators, however, are next to those of Hadeeth Saheeh. In the opinion of Muhaddithin (Hadeeth scholars), Hadeeth Hasan is also reliable as Hadeeth Saheeh.



19. Zirr bin Hubaish reported: I went to Safwan bin `Assal  (radhiallaahu`anhu) to inquire about wiping with wet hands over light boots while performing Wudoo'. He asked me, "What brings you here, Zirr?'' I answered: "Search for knowledge". He said, "Angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of  joy for what he seeks". I told him, "I have some doubts in my mind regarding wiping of wet hands over light boots in the course of performing Wudoo' after defecation or urinating. Now since you are one of the Companions of the Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, I have come to ask you whether you heard any saying of the Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam concerning it?". He replied in the affirmative and said, "He, Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam instructed us that during a journey we need not take off our light boots for washing the feet up to three days and nights, except in case of major impurity (after sexual intercourse). In other cases such as sleeping, relieving oneself or urinating, the wiping of wet hands over light boots will suffice.'' I, then, questioned him, "Did you hear him say anything about love and affection?'' He replied, "We accompanied the Messenger of Allaah, Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam in a journey when a bedouin called out in a loud voice, `O Muhammad.' The Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam replied him in the same tone, `Here I am.' I said to him (the bedouin), `Woe to you, lower your voice in his presence, because you are not allowed to do so.' He said, `By Allaah! I will not lower my voice,' and then addressing the Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam he said, 'What about a person who loves people but has not found himself in their company.' Messenger of Allaah, Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam replied, 'On the Day of Resurrection, a person will be in the company of those whom he loves.' The Messenger of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam then kept on talking to us and in the course of his talk, he mentioned a gateway in the heaven, the width of which could be crossed by a rider in forty or seventy years."



Sufyan, one of the narrators of this tradition, said: "This gateway is in the direction of Syria. Allaah created it on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is open for repentance and will not be shut until the sun rises from that direction (i.e., the West) (on Doomsday)". [At-Tirmidhi, who categorised it as Hadeeth Hasan Saheeh]



Commentary:
1. We learn from this Hadeeth that in ablution, it is permissible to wipe over light boots rather than washing the feet. It is called Mash. The period, in which Mash is intact,  in case of travellers it is three days and three nights; while for the residents, it is one day and one night only. A precondition for it is that light boots should be clean and worn after full Wudoo'. Ankles should also be covered. In case of breach of ablution, the wiping over the socks is sufficient, and there is no need for washing the feet. Wudoo' is invalidated by sleeping, call of nature and passing of wind. This is called Hadath Asghar. In the case of Hadath Akbar, which occurs because of coitus, menses and wet dream, washing of the whole body becomes obligatory. It means that the privilege of wiping over the light boots is also finished in this case, in the same way as it does after the expiry of period specified for it.

2. One should associate himself with the pious people so that he is counted among them. One also comes to know many other points from this Hadeeth which every intelligent person can understand with a little effort.



20. Aboo Sa`id Al-Khudri (radhiallaahu`anhu) reported: The Prophet of Allaah Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said: "There was a man from among a nation before you who killed ninety-nine people and then made an inquiry about the most learned person on the earth. He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the negative and the man killed him also completing one hundred. He then asked about the most learned man in the earth. He was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the affirmative and asked, `Who stands between you and repentance? Go to such and such land; there (you will find) people devoted to prayer and worship of Allaah, join them in worship, and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place.' So he went away and hardly had he covered half the distance when death overtook him; and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of torment. The angels of mercy pleaded, 'This man has come with a repenting heart to Allaah,' and the angels of punishment argued, 'He never did a virtuous deed in his life.' Then there appeared another angel in the form of a human being and the contending angels agreed to make him arbiter between them. He said, `Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered belonging to the land to which he is nearer.' They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy collected his soul".
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].



In another version: "He was found to be nearer to the locality of the pious by a cubit and was thus included among them". Another version says: "Allaah commanded (the land which he wanted to leave) to move away and commanded the other land (his destination) to draw nearer and then He said: "Now measure the distance between them.' It was found that he was nearer to his goal by a hand's span and was thus forgiven". It is also narrated that he drew closer by a slight movement on his chest.



Commentary: 
1. One comes to know from this Hadeeth that the gate of Taubah is open even for the worst of the sinners; and Allaah forgives everyone provided he repents sincerely, the conditions for such repentance have already been discussed.

2. It is the duty of a religious scholar that while discussing a problem, he should keep in mind the psychological aspects of the questioner and adopt a policy which neither causes a change in the Injunction of Allaah nor make the sinner reckless in his sins out of frustration.

3. When a situation warrants, angels appear in the form of men on Orders of Allaah.