Importance of Tawbah al-Nasuha: An Islamic Perspective on Real Repentance

Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 11 November 2023 Sin is an injury that comes from not taking responsibility for oneself and that affects the conscience and spirit. Repentance, then, is realising one's own mistakes, reflecting on oneself, and reawakening one's senses. Repentance is the process of defending the senses against the devil, regaining moderation, and restoring harmony with the soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said “All the descendants of Adam constantly err, but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent” (Tirmidhi 2494/Ibn Majah 4251) Main points • Taubah al-Nasuha, which may literally translate as "sincere repentance," holds that a person should not return to sin after repentance. • Through repentance, man is reborn and reformed. It rights the emotional balance that disobedience and misbehaviour had disturbed. • In cases when a sin violates a human right, the offended party must be apologised to, have their right restored, and beg for forgiveness. What is meant by Tawbah al-Nasuh? In the Quran, God Almighty addresses the believers on Taubah al-Nasuha and says: “O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance (Taubah al-Nasuha). 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) God Almighty addresses the faithful in this verse, urging them to turn from their misdeeds and turn to Allah in sincere repentance. Thus, Taubah al-Nasuha, which may literally translate as "sincere repentance," holds that a person should not return to sin after repentance, just as expressed milk does not return to the udder. This is in accordance with the statement of Hazrat Umar Farooq and other companions. (Khaazin Tafsir). (Tafsir Khaazin) In this holy verse, faith [Imaan], repentance [Tawbah] and Nasuha are three words that need to be explained. The first word is faith. Faith consists of accepting Islam as a whole, confessing it with the tongue and confirming it with the heart. Until a person believes in all fundamental beliefs and obligatory matters, he cannot be called a believer. Repentance is the second term. Through repentance, man is reborn and reformed. It rights the emotional balance that disobedience and misbehaviour had disturbed. Another meaning of repentance is the recognition of one's own guilt as a result of repentance. Repentance is defined as avoiding major sins and not even thinking about doing them. Repentance is the act of a person turning back to their Lord after straying and erring. The way out of the fall that results from sin—which is like plunging into the abyss of death—is via repentance. To put it another way, sin is an injury that comes from not taking responsibility for oneself and that affects the conscience and spirit. Repentance, then, is realising one's own mistakes, reflecting on oneself, and reawakening one's senses. Repentance is the process of defending the senses against the devil, regaining moderation, and restoring harmony with the soul. The meaning of the third term, Nasuha, is excess in good actions. To actively engage in good deeds with oneself is its meaning. Its origin is "Al-Nasiha". Nasihah is composed of excellent thoughts, a decent manner of thinking, and kindness towards others. "Al-Din al-Nasihah" refers to doing what is good for others and holding their hands to keep them from becoming misguided. Calling people to Allah, the Messenger, the Qur'an, and Islam is all part of nasihah, or goodness. It also includes comforting restless spirits who have grown weary of their sufferings and have forgotten the hereafter. To attain salvation, one must first do good to themselves and avoid sin. Accidents can occur, and in such cases, one must turn to their intellect and conscience in order to declare their distance from Allah Almighty as the sole reason for their current state, believing that they cannot be saved without turning to Him. The other side of this is that someone who wants well for oneself does not turn back to their previous transgressions. He should always think about his own well-being, just as a parent always strives for the best for his children and a happy future for them. He should therefore make an effort to abstain from sin from the start and see being far from Allah as a grave transgression and permanent loss. His repentance would thereafter be referred to as Tawbah al-Nasuha, or sincere repentance. There are a few prerequisites for Tawbah al-Nasuha [Sincere Repentance], some of which are as follows: First: In cases when a sin violates a human right, the offended party must be apologised to, have their right restored, and beg for forgiveness. Second: To make the unwavering decision to never commit this sin again. Third: There should be as little time as possible between an offence and an admission of guilt; in other words, no sins ought to remain unrepentant for longer than five minutes. A slave who truly repents turns away from his past transgressions, whether intentional or inadvertent and turns towards Allah, the One and only God. In order to put a barrier between the slave and the ways of Shaitaan (Satan), it must be followed with acts of worship that elevate the slave to the rank of Allah's devout followers. For every Muslim, repentance is a personal duty [Fard-e-Ayn]. Allah says in the Quran: “And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” (24:31) “And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Affectionate.” (11:90) These lucid lines align with the reliable Hadith that says, "O mankind! Repent to Allah! Indeed, every day I offer up a hundred repentances to Allah.” (al-Adab al-Mufrad by Al-Bukhari) Ibn Qudamah, Imam Qurtubi, and other scholars claim that "the Ummah has unanimously agreed that repentance is an obligation on the believers." (Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin, Al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran 5/90) Because of the inherent tendency towards sin in human nature, repentance must always be done immediately. There are no exceptions to this human weakness; sin is an unavoidable aspect of human nature, regardless of a person's character or faults. But sincere repentance can compensate for this shortcoming. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said “All the descendants of Adam constantly err, but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent” (Tirmidhi 2494/Ibn Majah 4251) It is also reported that “If mankind did not commit sins, Allah would create other creatures who would commit sins, then He would forgive them for He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Hakim 4/246/ Al-Hilya by Abu Nuaim 7204) The fact that Allah is the Most Forgiving should not be used as justification for committing sins again and again after repentance. However, one should hurry to repent truly in order to wash their souls and rid their hearts of the filth of sin, which stands between them and Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said “When a believer sins, a dark stain emerges on their heart. If he repents of his sins and begs for forgiveness, his heart is purified; if he persists in his sins, the stain deepens and fills him with remorse. In the Quran, the All-Powerful Allah described this as the "stain" and said, "In no way! But their hearts are stained with the stain of their (evil) deeds.!” (83:14) (Tirmidhi 3334/Ibn Majah 4244) The Almighty Allah has commanded all people, including believers, to turn from their sins and ask for forgiveness, since this is preferable for them to continue in their immoral ways. “So if they repent, it is better for them; but if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And there will not be for them on earth any protector or helper.” (9:74) “So will they not repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (5:74) According to an analysis of the Quran, all prophets and messengers formerly urged their people to turn from their sins. Given the significance of Tawbah in the context of the Quran and Hadith, it is imperative that we, the slaves of God Almighty, continue to make sincere repentance for ourselves before we pass away and lose our ability to speak. .. Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. -- URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/tawbah-al-nasuha-islamic-perspective-repentance/d/131091 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism