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“Repentance:
A Key To Paradise”
A brief study on: Repentance according to our Islamic belief.
By: Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.
“In the Name of ALLAH the Merciful, the Compassionate”
“Except those who repent and amend and hold fast to ALLAH and are
sincere in their religion to ALLAH; these are with the believers, and
ALLAH will grant the believers a mighty reward”.
(The Holy Qur’an 4 An-Nisa’- 146)
Introduction:
Imam Amir-Ul-Mumineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) said:
“The worldly life is as a passage, and its
people are of two kinds; one sells himself and he degrades it, and one
buys himself and he makes it free”.
(Ibid. p. 75.)
One of the major reasons I’ve decided to
write a brief study on ‘Repentance’, is mainly
because it’s a subject I feel extremely close to. One must understand
the first step that a person takes when opening his heart to god and
embraces Islam, is in itself an act of repentance. The person on that
occasion feels an enormous relief, an opening of the heart, a re-birth
and a complete and true liberation of the chains of oppression and
darkness. However, one also feels the tightness and pain of major
repentance and realisation that all the days that passed you by until
that point were spent in idle activities, in foolish immoral conduct,
wasting away precious moments of this transient life in self destruction
and preparation of the Hell Fire of a doomed eternal existence. Yes
indeed man first true step into the divine pure glory of Islam is
‘Repentance’.
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What does repentance mean exactly?
-
Are we the only ones responsible for our sins and can we truly be
forgiven for all our sins?
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Must man repent within the time of this transient life?
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What is the behaviour of a repented person?
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What are the inner dimensions and benefits of repentance?
Insha’ALLAH we will use these exact questions as a guide for this study
and in order to understand much more about this great blessing ALLAH Azz
wa Jall has gifted to man as a key to the Paradise. In order to have a
complete understanding of this subject, we will tackle it by the
following sources for which we will base our study on:
A-
The Pure and Divine proofs and teachings in the Holy Qur’an.
B-
The teachings of our most beloved and Infallible Holy Prophet Muhammad
(saww) through Hadiths (traditions/teachings).
C-
The Hadiths (traditions/teachings) of Infallible Ahlul-Bayt (a-s)
(Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) and the 12 Holy Imams).
D-
Theological references (Books-Studies of great theologians).
E-
Science references (Books-Studies of Psychology/behaviour of great
scientists).
F-
Historical proofs (Books-Studies of great historians and scholars).
May ALLAH (swt) guide us throughout this
entire study, protect us of any errors on the path of its compilation
and may it satisfy our Lord ALLAH (swt) and bring us (you the readers
and I the writer) the best of blessings and forgiveness.
What does repentance mean exactly?
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“There is a medicine for each pain; and
the medicine for sins is repentance”.
(Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, vol.11, p. 354)
Repentance to one who has adopted and
filled one’s heart with fate, is of the most importance, for during the
believing man’s (or woman’s) mission during this short transitory
journey to the eternal hereafter, we may encounter obstacles that may
mislead us, we may make mistakes, we may make wrong turns, we may
indulge in our animal desires, we may forget or ignore others rights, we
may make crucial faulty steps, etc… For a regular true believing human
being, who is not gifted with the blessing of infallibility from ALLAH
(swt) may accidentally or even purposely (May ALLAH forbid) stumble into
any of these traps. Therefore in ALLAH’s (swt) Mercy and Forgiveness
gave to man a most incredible gift that can return his state (his
polluted soul) back to what it was before he committed the sinful act
(clean and unadulterated), this incredibly great generous gift is the
gift of Repentance.
During our stay in this transient life, our most important mission is to
seek closeness and nearness to our most Glorious Creator the Most High
ALLAH Azz wa Jall, to seek human perfection, to collect the most good
deeds for our salvation, improve our knowledge of the soul and
intellect, to perfect our worship, to strive in the way of ALLAH (swt),
to complete our obligatory duties, to be good to our parents, to keep up
good ethics and morality, to protect our faith against all enemies, to
do good and forbid and avoid evil, etc.. However, if we look carefully
at all these crucial issues, all of them can be stopped or altered by
the horrible effects of sin. Avoidance of any illicit and illegal acts
is obligatory and a must, but sometimes we may slip and fall somewhere
during our Islamic mission to salvation, eternal felicity and bliss. And
since ALLAH (swt) never decrees on man something he cannot support and
endure. ALLAH (swt) says:
“ALLAH desires ease for you, and HE does not desire for you difficulty”.
(The Holy Qur’an 2 Al-Baqarah-185).
That is exactly why ALLAH (swt) decreed
upon man the great blessing and favour of repentance.
Therefore ALLAH (swt) opened to all mankind the door of the exalted
favour of repentance. ALLAH (swt) says:
“And if you would count ALLAH’s favours,
you would not be able to number them. Surely ALLAH is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful”.
(The Holy Qur’an 16 Al-Nahl-18)
Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (a-s) said:
“As for repentance of the common man, he washes his inward being with
the water of regret, in constant recognition of his wrong action, having
regret for what he has done and fear for what remains of his life. He
does not think that his wrong actions are insignificant, for that would
lead him to laziness; his continued weeping and regret for what he has
missed is in itself an act of worship”.
(Masbah Al-Sharia’t wa Maftah Al-Haqiqat by Imam Ja’afar Ibn Muhammad
As-Sadiq (a-s) Section 12.)
In other words mankind’s mission is well defined for him by the Holy
Qur’an and in the Hadiths of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his
Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and Islam is the perfect system for all mankind; it
also protects mankind against sins and cures him of his mistakes and
sins like a medicine does for the sick person. This medicine in the case
of moral errors or sins is Repentance. Mankind strives to
perfect himself, therefore obviously he is not in the state of
infallibility
(exception: the Holy Prophets (a-s), the Holy Imams (a-s) and those
ALLAH (swt) chooses)
and we can understand that since man in his weakness will slip and make
mistakes and fall into sinful acts. ALLAH (swt) says:
“ALLAH desires that HE should make light
your burdens, and man is created weak”.
(The Holy Qur’an 4 An-Nisa’-28).
So ALLAH Azz wa Jall in HIS Mercy and Generosity gave to man repentance
as medicine to cure his soul (heart) against the ill effects of sins. If
the true believing men and women did not have repentance to turn to when
weakness overtakes them and they stumble into transgression and err,
their morality would slowly get crushed in the total lost of hope of
salvation, their very soul would deteriorate under the enormous sorrow
of drifting away from ALLAH (swt), their existence would no longer have
any logical and true meaning and their existence would be confined to
endless grief and gloom with nothing to wait for after this transient
life except torturous pain and Hell fire. This would result in nothing
else but a society ruled under chaos and no hope of any kind whatsoever.
Therefore we must absolutely turn to ALLAH Azz wa Jall with our hearts
(soul) filled with pure regret and at all times. We must feel the
overwhelming pain of the sins we committed and beg ALLAH (swt) to
forgive us and to give us protection and remembrance of HIM and of our
deaths, in order to prevent us from repeating these ugly, polluted and
filthy actions, that only lead mankind to destruction and eternal pain
and punishment. Repentance is indeed a glorious blessing that when
performed in pure sincerity cleanses mankind and gives us the greatest
hope and strength to abstain from sins and to fight all sorts of evil in
our passage though this transient life.
ALLAH (swt) says:
“And
most surely I am most Forgiving to him who repents and believes and does
good, then continues to follow the right direction”.
(The Holy Qur’an 20 Ta-Ha-82)
Are we the only ones responsible for our sins and Can we truly be
forgiven for all our sins?
-
Are we the only ones responsible for our sins?
“Yet surely your Lord, with respect to those who do an evil in
ignorance, then turn after that and make amends, most surely your Lord
after that after that is Forgiving, Merciful”.
(The Holy Qur’an 16 Al-Nahl-119)
Let us take a quick look at how man alone is responsible for his evil
deeds (sins) and how they will affect his destiny. We know without a
doubt that man is one being and only one being, however, we can divide
man’s ‘SELF’ into two distinctive properties; animal property (this
consists of man’s physical needs and desires). And his human self (the
spirit of man, his celestial essence) that makes him different and
superior to all other creation. This is a special gift given only to man
included in this celestial gift is such attributes as; intellect,
reflection, wisdom and freewill. ALLAH (swt) says:
“So when I have made him and have breathed into him of MY Spirit, do ye
fall down, prostrating yourselves to him”.
(The Holy Qur’an 15 Al-Hijr 29)
Yes, these attributes determinate man’s destiny, they open to man free
will and choices possible all within the ordainment and command of ALLAH
(swt). In other words causation and the law of casualty are a law of
ALLAH (swt) since ALLAH (swt) is the creator and controller of all
creation and existence. When ALLAH (swt) created man HE gave him the
gift of HIS Spirit giving man a free will and an intellect to reflect
and to strive on the right path and to the destination of nearness of
ALLAH Azz wa Jall.
Let me explain this in an example of a man who is walking in a field, he
comes to two paths, now this man can only take on of these two paths,
one path has many poisonous snakes and scorpions on it and has many
fruit trees on it, the other path is clear but with nothing on it. Man
has to choose which path to take, he has the option of one of the two,
however, depending on his choice, his destiny may be very different, but
both paths lead to an ultimate destiny which is the creation of ALLAH
(swt). If the man chooses the first path, he may nourish his hunger, but
perhaps at the price of being stung, bitten, or poisoned. If he chooses
the second he may be safe and perhaps he will find food on its course
further away or perhaps he will encounter a wild beast that will chew
him up.
See with intellect, man has the free will to choose his path, however,
the end result is ALLAH (swt)’s choice. This is true belief in Tawhid,
for anyone who believes in the One Creator of all existence and HIS
Divine Justice and Mercy, will believe that man’s will to choose is
without any compulsion and that the end result is only the choice of
ALLAH (swt), for ALLAH (swt) created all, therefore all destiny is HIS
and all destination leads to HIM on the Day of Judgement. Anyone who
believes that ALLAH (swt) pushes man to do evil deeds is 100%
wrong and is not a Muslim and not a believer in Tawhid. Anyone who
believes man controls all around him and his destination 100%
and that ALLAH (swt) has no control over his creation is also a
non-believer in Tawhid and in ALLAH (swt). ALLAH (swt) says:
“ALLAH creates whatever HE wants (out of what was recorded previously)
and records whatever HE wants (that was not recorded previously) and
with HIM alone is the Mother Book”.
(The Holy Qur’an 13 Al-Ra’d-39)
All thanks and Praises are to ALLAH (swt) who gave man the option of
choosing a good and prosperous direction for himself, for only the human
being may strive in order to achieve nearness and closeness to ALLAH
(swt). When ALLAH (swt) made man his vicegerent on earth he gave him the
responsibility of his own conduct and behaviour, therefore only man is
responsible for his own sins. In no way can he carry the burden of
another, nor can he blame anyone for his ill conduct, his filthy
behaviour and his destructive desires. In other words man’s free will to
choose also causes him to be responsible for himself and his actions and
no one else. Therefore we must at all times behave in a good manner and
conduct ourselves in the upmost highest human virtue possible.
ALLAH
(swt) says:
“WE have shown man the right path. Now it
is up to him to be grateful or thankless”.
(The Holy Qur’an76 Al-Dahr-3)
Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) said:
“Even if ALLAH (swt) had not
threatened for disobeying him, people must not disobey HIM in order to
be grateful for HIS blessings”.
(Nahj Al-Balaghah Maxim no. 290)
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Can we truly be forgiven for all our sins?
“And HE it is who accepts repentance from
HIS servants and pardons the evil deeds and HE knows what you do”.
(The Holy Qur’an 42 Ash-Shura-25)
Man has the ability to accomplish good
deeds and to strive in the right path, but man is also weak as we have
already mentioned above, so ALLAH Azz wa Jall sent upon all men the
blessing of repentance. Nevertheless only man’s true repentance, regret,
fear of ALLAH (swt)’s anger and the pain of HIS punishment, repentance
towards those we wronged, a deep remorse and shame in the heart, the
agony of distancing ourselves from ALLAH (swt) by committing sins and
not to repeat the evil deed in question will bring
FORGIVENESS.
‘A woman came to the Prophet Muhammad (saww) and asked:
“If a woman kills her child can she seek pardon?”
The
Holy Prophet (saww) replied:
“By
ALLAH (swt) in whose control is the life of Muhammad (saww) even if this
woman has killed seventy Prophets and then feels remorse and repents
truthfully and full heartily and ALLAH Azz wa Jall is convinced of her
sincerity and the truth of her repentance shall be accepted. And her
sins would be pardoned. Surely ALLAH (swt) is oft forgiving and
forgives, ever so beyond measure. Verily one who truly repents sincerely
is; as if he has never committed that sin”’.
(Liyali Akhbaar)
If we meditate on the above Hadith and the above quoted Qur’anic verse,
we can understand that forgiveness is possible for any sin; however, the
sinner polluted and evil infected heart must be purified and cured
before he can expect any kind of forgiveness. For the action of sinning
is an extremely dangerous virus that attacks man’s heart (soul) without
any pity or mercy. It is man’s desires, when not controlled, that push
man’s tyrannical self to get the best over his human self (spirit) and
that opens his soul to disgusting and vile sins. Then Shaïton steps into
man’s conscious and soul and drags him down into the most horrid and
repulsive place, shutting down his heart and pulls him ever so far away
from the Forgiveness and Mercifulness of ALLAH (swt). The sinner is then
a completely chronically sick soul, who has lost all touch with reality
and goodness; his journey is one of doom and destruction, moving ever so
closely to the fires of Hell. He is like the one who is sick and knows
the cure, but chooses to suffer in anguish, ignoring his condition until
there is no longer any hope of a cure for his illness.
Consequently it is truly a matter of man’s
sincerity and truthfulness of the heart that will determine his chances
of forgiveness. For example; there are people who fast during the Holy
month of Ramadan, but during the other 11 months live in sin and evil,
they turn away from good deeds and worship. Every year they repeat the
same sins and every year they fast thinking it will clean away their
filthy hearts. Can we say that this man’s true inner self is a
reflection of his fasting during the 30 days of the month of Ramadan or
of the evil and vile sins committed the other 11 months of the year?
This is like those who are very rich and live like tyrants and despots
all year round then rush to do Hajj every year, thinking this will clear
away all their evil deeds. This is like a very ill patient taking only
one aspirin thinking it will cure him instead of getting full and
effective medical treatment. The man, who truly repents, works hard,
strives on the path of ALLAH (swt), deeply regrets his ugly actions and
does not return to them and then only he can count on Divine forgiveness
from ALLAH Azz wa Jall. For ALLAH (swt) knows all that is true and false
in our hearts (souls). We must not forget that it tells us in
the Holy Qur’an:
“HE knows what you do”.
(The Holy Qur’an 42 Ash-Shura-25)
“And ALLAH knows what you do openly and what you hide”.
(The Holy Qur’an 5 Al Ma’idah-99)
“And
your LORD is not heedless of what you do”.
(The Holy Qur’an 11 Hud-123)
“And
HE it is WHO takes your souls at night, and HE knows what you acquire in
the day, then HE raises you up therein that an appointed term may be
fulfilled; then to HIM is your return, then HE will inform you of what
you were doing”.
(The
Holy Qur’an 6 Al-An’am-60)
“And ALLAH knows what you conceal and what you do openly”.
(The Holy Qur’an 16 An-Nahl-19)
“And
your LORD knows what their hearts conceal and what they manifest”.
(The Holy Qur’an 28 Al-Qasas-69)
“And
certainly WE created man, and WE know what his mind suggests to him, and
WE are nearer to him than his jugular vein”.
(The Holy Qur’an 50 Qaf-16)
So we can very easily understand that our true inner intention is what
will be revealed to our eyes on the Day of Judgement, it is our true
inner intention that determines if we are sincere in our repentance or
not and only ALLAH (swt) knows this, and HE will Judge with the highest
and purest justice, for HIS Justice is Divine Justice. Indeed the
sinning man is only fooling himself with his empty promises and idle
talk. The truthful man, who wants to end his evil deeds in true
repentance and does not return to them, is allowing his heart to be
cured and with the Mercy and Forgiveness of ALLAH (swt), his repentance
will be a new weapon and a guiding light for him on his journey in this
transient life leading to his ultimate destination: Death and then to
the Hereafter. Logically there is no doubt that the door to repentance
which leads to salvation is open, however, how many people are truly
entering this door?
We will Insha’ALLAH answer this question further in this study.
Must man repent within the time of this transient life?
We now know from the last section of this brief study, that man can
determine whether he will obtain a good destiny or a bad destiny,
depending on his behaviour and deeds. In other words man’s destiny is
determined on the results of his deeds. And through the course of
history is destined by the Divine Will, man being of a free will is not
eradicated.
ALLAH (swt) says:
“Surely ALLAH does not change what is in a
people, until they change what is in themselves”.
(The Holy Qur’an 13 Ar-Ra’d-11)
The purpose of man’s passage in this transient life is to accumulate
truthful knowledge, good deeds and actions, to perfect himself and to
attain the nearest position to ALLAH Azz wa Jall possible, and man’s
test is to prove his unconditional and undying love for ALLAH (swt), to
fight against the evil forces of the Shaïtins, to combat his idle
desires from corrupting his soul, to abstain from sins that do nothing
else but guarantee his doom. So when man does slip he must (in order to
purify his soul) repent immediately, the reason being that man does not
know when death will take him and this transient life is for planting
the seeds for the harvest in the Hereafter. In other words, this life is
for good actions and the Day of Judgement is for recompense. Man will
not have the chance to repent after his death as he enters Barzakh.
Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (a-s) said:
“Delaying repentance is a sort of
arrogance; continuation of delay results in confusion and astonishment;
excuses in front of the Almighty ALLAH is total destruction; instance
for sinning is due to feeling secure against the Divine punishment;
except the people who are losers, no one feels secured against it”.
(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 73, p. 365)
Only the one with a purified and clean heart (soul) can accomplish the
entrance to Paradise on the Day of Judgement and the only way to clean
and purify the heart is through repentance. And repentance must be done
in this transient life before man meets his death. In fact, this was one
of the very important messages that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww)
taught to the Ummah, he (saww) would constantly tell his followers the
importance of repentance, that it was a command upon all mankind to be
done in this transient life, so one can receive the Mercy and
Forgiveness of ALLAH Azz wa Jall and in order to obtain salvation on the
Day of Judgement.
Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (a-s) said:
“The Holy Prophet (saww) used to repent seventy times a day without ever
committing any single sin”.
(Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 450)
What is the behaviour of a repented person?
Imam Amir-Ul-Mumineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) said:
“Whenever one repents and ALLAH (swt) accepts his repentance, ALLAH will
employ his body parts to cover up his sins. ALLAH (swt) will employ the
places where the sins were committed to hide the sin and will make the
guardian angels who record the sins forget them”.
(Mishkat ul-Anwar Fi Ghurar il-Akhbar. Hadith # 528)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“Whenever you repent, ALLAH the Almighty will be pleased just as you get
happy when you find something you have lost”.
(Mishkat ul-Anwar Fi Ghurar il-Akhbar. Hadith # 529)
“O ye who believe! Turn unto 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”.
(The Holy Qur’an 66 At-Tahrim-8)
A man who has truly repented with his heart’s intention and sincerity
and his repentance is accepted becomes a transformed being. The heavy
load that was pulling him down to the abyss of doom and destruction is
lifted from his spirit, his mind and his body. For one who is infected
with sins is spiritually sick, mentally sick and physically sick and
only a true repentance can clean, purify and cure all of his illness. A
man who repents begins his inner Jihad against those evil desires that
haunt his own soul (heart). The one who repents is like the one who has
not sinned, therefore he protects his new well being with all the effort
he can possibly give and with the Mercy and Guidance from ALLAH Azz wa
Jall his success will lead him to eternal felicity, happiness and bliss.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“Sorrow is repentance”
(Tuhaf Al-Uquul, Maxims of the Prophet (saww) # 154)
The above Maxim is short but has a big meaning; a major part of
repentance is an extreme feeling of regret, remorse and sorrow. The man,
who truly repents, lives with the haunting pain and horror of his evil
action. His nights are filled with the fear of punishement and of
disappointing his most beloved Creator ALLAH (swt) until the day he
feels no doubt that his evil deeds have been forgiven. In fact, he longs
so much to be forgiven, he prefers any kind of punishement in this life,
than that of the Grave (in Barzakh) or on Judgement Day. For a man who
does get his repentance accepted and is forgiven has a whole new outlook
on life.
(We will go deeper into this subject in the next section: “What are
the inner dimensions and benefits of repentance?”)
Logically a man, who is repented, is like he who has undergone a
miraculous re-birth. Consequently he strives to be the best human being
that he possibly can, after all the remorse and sorrow he suffered from
the evil and painful effects of his sins, he rejoices in his newly
re-found inner peace and satisfaction. The one we will now call the
‘repented’ is the one we see and we find him to be a man of
pure faith, generous heart, dedicated worshipper, helpful brother
(or
sister however, we have been using the masculine pronoun in this study
in order to simplify),
cheerful companion and gentle adviser. The reason for this is simple
for; faith, generosity, worship, helpfulness, good character and
gentleness are all attributes of the sinless or of the repented. In
other words, those whose hearts are pure, intentions sincere and light
up the room when they inter it, are the true winners. The repented are
those who regret their past, wrong deeds and now stand firm to protect
the blessing of Forgiveness that ALLAH (swt) in his Enormous Generosity,
Mercy and Graciousness, has Bestowed on them.
Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (a-s) said:
“One who repents a sin is like one who has not committed any sin, but
one who continues to commit sins while he has repented is making a fool
out of himself”.
(Mishkat ul-Anwar Fi Ghurar il-Akhbar. Hadith # 540)
Imam Ali Ibn Musa Ar-Rida (a-s) said:
“The Prophet Muhammad (saww) said: A believer near ALLAH (swt) is like a
close angel. A believer near ALLAH (swt) is greater than this and
nothing is more beloved to ALLAH (swt) than a repentant believing man or
a repentant believing woman”
(Uyoon Akbar ar-Rida, p.198)
Imam Amir-Ul-Mumineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) said:
“Repentance is regretting in the heart, asking ALLAH Azz wa Jall for
forgiveness by the tongue, giving up sins by the organs and intending
not to come back to sins again”.
(Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 78 p. 81)
What are the inner dimensions and benefits of repentance?
“Except him who repents and believes and does a good deed; so these are
they of whom ALLAH changes evil deeds to good ones; and ALLAH is
Forgiving, Merciful. And whoever repents and does good, he surely turns
to ALLAH a goodly turning”.
(The Holy Qur’an 25 Al-Furqane-70-71)
Unlike the materialist point of view on human evolution, Islam believes
with pure unadulterated conviction that humanity is always progressing
on the path of perfection. Islam at its base has a Divine doctrine that
guides man on the very straight path that leads to salvation. The point
of view of the current secular materialism vision that this life is the
only life, pushing man in an existence of fear and doubt, with
absolutely no hope of any solace, obliged to bow down to the despot
tyrannical rulers in today’s governments, a world where profits come
first and the human being way down the list of importance. Islam’s view
(as per
the Holy Qur’anic verses and the teachings of the Holy Messenger and
Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s))
however, is a complete human approach to human kind and the life in this
transient life, it promotes and pushes man to achieve his true potential
of higher being, encouraging him to strive on the path that leads to
purification and perfection, which will transport him after his demise
in this transient life, to a lofty position near his most beloved and
only god; ALLAH (swt). By understanding this perfect system (Islam), we
can understand the colossal importance of repentance. For repentance is
truly one of the major keys of this doctrine, in other words: should man
slip and fall on an icy surface (fall into error and sins), repentance
is the helping hand to help pick him up to continue his transitory
journey to human perfection. Therefore man does not consider his chances
of success to arrive at the doors of eternal felicity and bliss,
annulled only because of a slip. This is a proof of the indescribable
Mercy, Generosity and Forgiveness of the Most High ALLAH (swt). And it
also opens a new door for us to enter and to investigate and this being
the inner dimensions and benefits of repentance.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“ALLAH
(swt) is happier with the repentance of HIS servant than a sterile man
when begetting a child, than a lost one when finding his destination and
than a thirsty one when reaching a drinking fountain”.
(Mizan al-Hikmat, vol. 1, p. 338)
Many of the schools of psychology in the secular world, that explore
human behaviour, are inclined to ignore the deeper esoteric nature of
man, when in reality it is this esoteric nature that differences man
from all other living organism. In reality these schools of thinking see
man only as an animal, who is under the command and control of his base
desires. They do not base any of their research on the inner
developments of man in accordance with his spirit. For it is his spirit,
that will lead him to self perfection. Islam in its perfect dogma
explores and bases man’s conduct on his inner essence. So man is seen as
a human being, encouraged to grow spiritually and intellectually, in
Islam both man’s individual life and social life are in relation to his
inner human perfection.
With such an absolute probe into man’s essence, needs and desires, Islam
has a means
(an
aid/tool)
for every single part of man’s existence. Repentance is one of these
very important tools, repentance works on many fronts of man’s well
being for this transient life and for his Hereafter. In fact man’s
science is not developed enough to even be able to scratch the surface
of all the true benefits repentance has for the human soul. Until now,
we only know some of the inner dimensions and benefits, from which our
research and sciences have been able to detect and confirm. Only ALLAH
(swt) knows all of the benefits and inner dimensions of true repentance.
“The Knower of the unseen! So HE does not reveal HIS secrets to any”
(The Holy Qur’an 72 Al-Jinn-26)
We can, however, say in a nutshell, that when a man truly repents for
his wrong action, many actual, genuine, indisputable and factual
transformations come over him, from the source of his inner spirit which
is purified and cleansed by the wonderful Mercy and Forgiveness of ALLAH
Azz wa Jall. At that moment man returns to his social duties refreshed
and contented, which in return reflects on his personality and his new
need to perform good duties for the advancement of human kind, he
becomes a better human being, a better father, a better son, a better
husband. He then becomes an excellent example for society in general,
his heart becomes filled with goodness and honesty, therefore his
surroundings appreciate him, this opens many doors of opportunity for
him and most importantly this leads him on the Straight Path wanting
nothing else but closeness and nearness to ALLAH (swt). He then strives
and works very hard for the purpose of closeness to ALLAH Azz wa Jall
and that in return gives him many blessings, good deeds and heavenly
rewards in this life and for the Hereafter, which provides him with the
best of positions in Paradise after the Day of Judgement Insha’ALLAH.
Imam Ali Ibn Hussayn Zaynul-A’abideen As-Sajjaad (a-s) Said:
“So he stood before Thee pleading, his eyes turned toward the ground in
humbleness, his head bowed before Thy might in lowliness; he revealed to
Thee in meekness those secrets of his which Thou knowest better then he;
he numbered for Thee in humility those sins of his which Thou countest
better than he; he sought help from Thee before the dreadful into which
he has fallen in Thy knowledge and the ugly which has disgraced him in
Thy judgment the sins whose pleasures have turned their backs and gone
and whose evil consequences have stayed and stuck fast. He will not deny
thy justice, my God, if Thou punishes him, nor will he consider Thy
pardon great if Thou pardons him and hast mercy on him, for Thou art the
Generous Lord for whom the forgiveness of great sins is nothing great!”
(Taken from: “As-Sah’eefat-ul-Kaamilat-us-Sadjjaadeeyah” Dua’a # 31 “In
mentioning and asking for Repentance”)
So we can clearly see that the scope of the inner dimensions and
benefits of repentance is unlimited in the goodness that it provides.
Imagine how man would be without the blessing of repentance, he would
live in despair, misery, gloom and desolation. Man would then have no
hope of salvation; no hope of bettering himself and that would lead him
to sinking deeper into chaotic sins and vice, until he would have no
other option but to commit suicide in order to escape the horrific pain
and suffering that is his existence, however, in reality this would only
lead him to the abyss of Hell Fire.
Imam Amir-Ul-Mumineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) said:
“There is no intercessor more successful than repentance”.
(Ibid).
In Conclusion:
In this brief study, I did not want to go too deep into scientific terms
and I did not want to move away too much from our main subject
repentance, so that all can understand and so that the study would not
become too long. Anyhow we can come away from this study understanding
the extreme importance of repentance, how it is a vital part of man’s
spiritual and psychological well being. It is without a doubt a tool for
mankind to perfect his humanity and is most definitely a key to
Paradise. Insha’ALLAH we will not only use the information in this study
theoretically, but practically as well. We are the most blessed people
on earth, we are Muslims and we are blessed with the gift of the Holy
Qur’an and the knowledge of it properly taught to us by our beloved Holy
Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Saintly Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). That is why we
must live by these Divine teachings and must conduct ourselves in the
best possible manner, always working and striving to perfect ourselves
in order to be closer and nearer to our LORD and CREATOR; ALLAH (swt).
And with this, I pray ALLAH (swt) will be satisfied with our efforts.
May ALLAH Azz wa Jall bless us all, guide us all, protect us all, and
forgive us all. Very special thanks and may ALLAH (swt) send the best of
blessings to my very dear brother Mohammad Al-Khafagy
at
AlHawra.Com
and his family. And also to all my brothers and their families at:
Al-Hawra Zainab (a-s) Foundation and Masjid.
Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump. |