Forgiveness and Repentance

[mangostrawberry]

Since I was young, I have been taught the basic, rather simplistic belief, that every sin except for shirk can be forgiven by Allah swt, if a person does tauba and changes their ways, and even Shirk can be forgiven if a person sincerely becomes Muslim again.

I have been told this by various Muslims and learned this from researching it on my own as well.

However one thing perplexes me which is, let’s say you sincerely repent for something. You repented and changed your behavior but still feel guilty.

How do you know when you’ve been forgiven for your sin, if Allah swt has accepted your prayers for forgiveness? Is there a specific way to do that?

[KKF]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

**Alalh is ALL merciful and kind. there is no way to guarantee the forgiveness but you can hope you will be. only on the day of Judgement u'll know if ur sins have been forgiven. as i said Allah is Kind and Merciful and since Allah has promised to forgive if u sincerely and genuinely repent and ask for His Forgiveness lets hope Allah's promise will be fulfilled, inshaa Allah.

if ur sin involves violation of Human rights [Huquuq ul 'ibaad] then Allah will inshaa Allah forgive you only if and when that person forgives u.

there are 3 main conditions to be met b4 Allah will accept ur repentance and those are:

1. u admit you sinned and be sorry for what u did and promise Allah that u'll NOT repeat ur sins again [human's are weak so u may repeat but ur intentions at the time must be pure that you won't repeat the sin again]

2. u stoop ur self to the utmost humility and then praise Allah first and then ask for His forgiveness [often cry in the middle of the night when no one sees u]

3. Rectify the harm u did to someone or something and ask him/her for his forgiveness and if there is a need make just restitution/compensation]

May Allah BLESS us ALL and guide us to the siraat ul mustaqeen...aameen

wallaho 'aalam bissawaab**

[abdelyuuki]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Hope for the best, plan for the worst. I.e. Hope that your prayers of repentance are excepted, but prepare to minimise your time in hell by doing more good deeds. Should always take the view that sins are punishable by hell, assuming that God will forgive you is arrogant. Prepare!

[coin]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

some gunnah's can be rectified by making a confession and going through the punishments prescribed under shariah.

[KKF]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

some gunnah's can be rectified by making a confession and going through the punishments prescribed under shariah.

**
i'm sorry but its NOT true...the worldly pusnishment is for the justice and for the closure of the victim's family and a deterrence to the general public. the real punishment for the crime will still await on the Day of Judgement unless Allah forgives someone out of His Mercy and Kindness.**

[coin]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

i'm sorry but its NOT true...the worldly pusnishment is for the justice and for the closure of the victim's family and a deterrence to the general public. the real punishment for the crime will still await on the Day of Judgement unless Allah forgives someone out of His Mercy and Kindness.

yea i said some gunnah's and there all sorts of them like if u break your neighbours jaw you can allow him to break yours and score will be settled and then u can go to the nearest police station and confess for disorderly conduct.

by you i dont mean you yourself

[ramesha]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Al Kafi
Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from Ibn Mahbub from al-Ala from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abu Jafar . He said: Oh Muhammad b. Muslim the sins of the believer when he repents of it are forgiven for him, so the believer is to act upon what is renewed after tawba and forgiveness, however, by Allah it is only for the people of faith. I said: So if he returns (to it) after tawba and seeking forgiveness from sins, and returns in tawba? So he said: Oh Muhammad b. Muslim, have you seen the believing servant regret his sin and seek forgiveness of it, and do tawba, then Allah not accept his tawba? I said: So if he does that a number of times, he sins then does tawba and seek forgiveness of Allah? So he said: Whenever the believer returns to seeking forgiveness and tawba, Allah returns to him with forgiveness, and verily Allah is forgiving, merciful. He accepts tawba and pardons sins. And far be it from you that you should make the believers despair of the mercy of Allah. (sahih)

[ramesha]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Nahjul Balagha
Once someone said in the presence of Amir al Mo'mineen (a.s) in an offhand and careless way: "Astaghfirallah (I seek the forgiveness of Allah)." The Imam (a.s) said to him " May your mother weep for you! Do you know what it is to seek the forgiveness of Allah? Seeking forveness of Allah is the sation of those of high rank. It appears to be a word, but it includes six aspects.
The first is regret for what has been done
the second is firm resolve to abondon sinning in future
the third is restoring to others whatever rights of theirs you may have usurped in such a way that when you meet your creator they will have no claim in you
the fourth is thatt you perform whatever obligatory acts of worship you may have neglected
the fifth is that you cleanse with the tears of regret the illicit flesh that frew on you body while you were sinning,
and the sixth is that just as you tasted the pleasure of sin and disobedience, you now taste the harship and rigor of worship and obedience.

Only when you have completed all six may you say "Astaghfirallah (I seek forgiveness of Allah)."

[Zarvan_Ali]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

you can hope that your sin will be forgiven and do Zikar in abundance

[Sussana]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

"Those who are godfearing will have Gardens with their Lord with rivers flowing under them" to His words, "those who seek forgiveness before dawn." (3:15-17)

[mangostrawberry]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

**Alalh is ALL merciful and kind. there is no way to guarantee the forgiveness but you can hope you will be. only on the day of Judgement u'll know if ur sins have been forgiven. as i said Allah is Kind and Merciful and since Allah has promised to forgive if u sincerely and genuinely repent and ask for His Forgiveness lets hope Allah's promise will be fulfilled, inshaa Allah.

if ur sin involves violation of Human rights [Huquuq ul 'ibaad] then Allah will inshaa Allah forgive you only if and when that person forgives u.

there are 3 main conditions to be met b4 Allah will accept ur repentance and those are:

1. u admit you sinned and be sorry for what u did and promise Allah that u'll NOT repeat ur sins again [human's are weak so u may repeat but ur intentions at the time must be pure that you won't repeat the sin again]

2. u stoop ur self to the utmost humility and then praise Allah first and then ask for His forgiveness [often cry in the middle of the night when no one sees u]

3. Rectify the harm u did to someone or something and ask him/her for his forgiveness and if there is a need make just restitution/compensation]

May Allah BLESS us ALL and guide us to the siraat ul mustaqeen...aameen

wallaho 'aalam bissawaab**

Thank you for the reply. I now have more questions that are just out of cuirosity and wanting to know more...

What if hte sin was not a violation of human rights? From my understanding, sins against others (ie lying, cheating, stealing, murder, rape, gossip, etc) are worse than sins against Allah swt (not fasting or not praying).

Also, if you did sin against someone, and you apologize and ask them for forgiveness but they refuse to speak to you or accept hte apology..?

Al Kafi Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from Ibn Mahbub from al-Ala from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abu Jafar . He said: Oh Muhammad b. Muslim the sins of the believer when he repents of it are forgiven for him, so the believer is to act upon what is renewed after tawba and forgiveness, however, by Allah it is only for the people of faith. I said: So if he returns (to it) after tawba and seeking forgiveness from sins, and returns in tawba? So he said: Oh Muhammad b. Muslim, have you seen the believing servant regret his sin and seek forgiveness of it, and do tawba, then Allah not accept his tawba? I said: So if he does that a number of times, he sins then does tawba and seek forgiveness of Allah? So he said: Whenever the believer returns to seeking forgiveness and tawba, Allah returns to him with forgiveness, and verily Allah is forgiving, merciful. He accepts tawba and pardons sins. And far be it from you that you should make the believers despair of the mercy of Allah. (sahih)

Nahjul Balagha Once someone said in the presence of Amir al Mo'mineen (a.s) in an offhand and careless way: "Astaghfirallah (I seek the forgiveness of Allah)." The Imam (a.s) said to him " May your mother weep for you! Do you know what it is to seek the forgiveness of Allah? Seeking forveness of Allah is the sation of those of high rank. It appears to be a word, but it includes six aspects. The first is regret for what has been done the second is firm resolve to abondon sinning in future the third is restoring to others whatever rights of theirs you may have usurped in such a way that when you meet your creator they will have no claim in you the fourth is thatt you perform whatever obligatory acts of worship you may have neglected the fifth is that you cleanse with the tears of regret the illicit flesh that frew on you body while you were sinning, and the sixth is that just as you tasted the pleasure of sin and disobedience, you now taste the harship and rigor of worship and obedience.

Only when you have completed all six may you say "Astaghfirallah (I seek forgiveness of Allah)."

"Those who are godfearing will have Gardens with their Lord with rivers flowing under them" to His words, "those who seek forgiveness before dawn." (3:15-17)

Thank you for the quotes, this helps me alot.

[KKF]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Thank you for the reply. I now have more questions that are just out of cuirosity and wanting to know more...

What if hte sin was not a violation of human rights? From my understanding, sins against others (ie lying, cheating, stealing, murder, rape, gossip, etc) are worse than sins against Allah swt (not fasting or not praying).

Also, if you did sin against someone, and you apologize and ask them for forgiveness but they refuse to speak to you or accept hte apology..?

**thank you for ur reply.

yes, u've answered ur own Q. Allah forgives sins against Himself but its NOT the same if one sins against a human or a living thing [like torturing an animal]. u have to have that person's forgiveness. here, i'm talking about major sins [gunaah e kabeera]. if a person does NOT forgive u then u've done ur job. Allah might forgive u and reward him equally to make him happy. so Allah's mercy is endless. Allah is JUST!**

[mangostrawberry]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

**thank you for ur reply.

yes, u've answered ur own Q. Allah forgives sins against Himself but its NOT the same if one sins against a human or a living thing [like torturing an animal]. u have to have that person's forgiveness. here, i'm talking about major sins [gunaah e kabeera]. if a person does NOT forgive u then u've done ur job. Allah might forgive u and reward him equally to make him happy. so Allah's mercy is endless. Allah is JUST!**

Okay...well this is one example that kind of confuses me. A friend of mine confided into me that they had sex with someone and they regret it immediately and felt very guilty about it.

This was consenaul and both were single so nobody's rights were violated and lied to, so if nobody needs to be apologized to then is this a sin against someone or not?

[KKF]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Okay...well this is one example that kind of confuses me. A friend of mine confided into me that they had sex with someone and they regret it immediately and felt very guilty about it.

This was consenaul and both were single so nobody's rights were violated and lied to, so if nobody needs to be apologized to then is this a sin against someone or not?

**oh i see what u mean...its like victimless crime. well, there is always a victim if u commit a crime whether one can see it or not!

in islam there is NO concept of "consentual sex" coz its both a sin of transgression against Allah and a sin/crime against a female/male. its only in terms of law of the land that it was a consentual sex. islam is very strict about sex outside marriage and in certain conditions its punishable by death. so, its a sin/crime against Alalh's commands.

now, since they have done it and they have repented and asked and received each other's forgiveness, its time for them to go back to Allah and ask for forgiveness according to the right way of asking for forgiveness and hopefully Allah will forgive. inshaa Allah.**

[Sara516]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

oh i see what u mean...its like victimless crime. well, there is always a victim if u commit a crime whether one can see it or not! ** in islam there is NO concept of "consentual sex" coz its both a sin of transgression against Allah and a sin/crime against a female/male. its only in terms of law of the land that it was a consentual sex. islam is very strict about sex outside marriage and in certain conditions its punishable by death. so, its a sin/crime against Alalh's commands. ** now, since they have done it and they have repented and asked and received each other's forgiveness, its time for them to go back to Allah and ask for forgiveness according to the right way of asking for forgiveness and hopefully Allah will forgive. inshaa Allah.

Not exactly, isn't the punishment for rape different than the punishment for premarital sex ???? I can understand if its crime against Allah but how can it be a crime against a male/female if both parties were willing and of sound mind/judgment? Isn't it a crime against male/female only if the other was forced/deceived into it?

[KKF]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Not exactly, isn't the punishment for rape different than the punishment for premarital sex ???? I can understand if its crime against Allah but how can it be a crime against a male/female if both parties were willing and of sound mind/judgment? Isn't it a crime against male/female only if the other was forced/deceived into it?

sex outside marriage is punishable by death...there is no such thing in islam as "consentual sex". in Islam, the bad things are nipped in the bud rather than let it flourish. Allah has laid down "commands" and whosoever violates/transgresses them is committing a sin/crime. in order to keep the society clean, the laws have to be tough. if Allah wishes to forgive someone out of His Mercy then its His choosing. Allah is also Almighty and Kind and Just and Merciful and ALL Wise.

[Maham]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

However one thing perplexes me which is, let's say you sincerely repent for something. You repented and changed your behavior but still feel guilty.

How do you know when you've been forgiven for your sin, if Allah swt has accepted your prayers for forgiveness? Is there a specific way to do that?

If you still feel guilty, it could possibly also mean that you have just disappointed yourself too much for the wrong that you have done. So for any Sane, Decent and God fearing person i think this feeling is normal. It's alot better than just be indifferent or thinking so what, i said sorry now i am fine. Maybe it's God's way of keeping you at your toe; careful and cautious as to not repeat the same again.

I would recommend you to keep your relationship with Allah strong by praying regularly and meditating. Believe me it will help you alot to put yourself at ease and also stronger your bond with the Almighty :).

[Pataka]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

Here's an outline of lecture I gave once...(remember it's just an outline so doesn't have very many details)

Bismillah

Repentance or Tauba is obligatory for EVERY sin. The linguistic meaning of tawba means "to return". When we repent, we return to Allah swt. You return from disobedience to obedience. Obedience is a part of Tawheed because then we recognize that it is Allah that is above all and that He is the One who should be our most overwhelming concern.

The Prophet PBUH himself repented over seventy times a day! This is a man who was promised Jannah! And have a look at ourselves. May Allah swt give us guidance and humble us.

Steps of Repentace

If the sin is between the servant and the Lord (for example, not praying or fasting or something in secret), then there are three conditions:

1. Leave the sin immediately
2. Feel remorse or guilt of having done the sin.
3. Resolve never to do the sin again.

A note that I must put in here is that Tauba and Sincerity go hand in hand. Sincerity is of UTMOST importance. You really have to do this for the sake of Allah and 100% of your heart.

IF the sin has affected the right of others (i.e. you have spread a rumor or stole something), then you must redress the wrong. For example, if you have spread around a rumor about someone to slander their reputation, go back and tell the people you were wrong and so and so is actually a good person. OR if you stole something, return the item or pay off what it's worth.

Now, some of us, when it comes to repentance/tauba get very disheartened. I know I do. I have done sooo much wrong, how can I be forgiven for everything?

Don't be disheartened my brothers and sisters because as the Prophet PBUH has said in this following hadith narrated by Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari,

[QUOTE]
Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinner of the day may repent and continue to stretch out his hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the West
[/QUOTE]

Take a look at the last part of that Hadith. "until the sun rises from the West" What does that mean?

The day of Judgement. That is when the sun will rise from the west right? Basically, this Hadith gives us that guarantee that as long as we repent and with full sincerity, Allah The Most Merciful will forgive us, InshAllah.

As another nice story that gives us all hope, I'll post one last hadith:
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Radi Allah Anhu) reported
Allah’s Messenger (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) as saying:

[QUOTE]
“There was a person before you who had killed
ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry
about the learned persons of the world
(who could show him the way to salvation).

He was directed to a monk. He came to him
and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons
and asked him whether there was any scope
for his repentance to be accepted.
He (monk) said: No. He killed him also
and thus completed one hundred.

He then asked about the learned persons of the earth
and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that
he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether
there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted.
He (scholar) said: Yes;
what stands between you and the repentance?
You better go to such and such land;
there are people devoted to prayer and worship
and you also worship along with them and do not come
to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you).

So he went away and he had hardly covered
half the distance when death came to him
and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy
and the angels of punishment.

The angels of mercy said:
This man has come as a penitent and remorseful to Allah
and the angels of punishment said:
He has done no good at all.

Then there came another angel in the form of
a human being in order to decide between them.
He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near.
They measured it and found him nearer to the land
where he intended to go (the land of piety),
and so the angels of mercy took possession of it.

Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy.”
[/QUOTE]

This Hadith is both in Bukhari and Muslim.

Please forgive me for any mistakes I may have made.

[Pataka]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

bump as a good reminder for all of us

[sarab]

Re: Forgiveness and Repentance

However one thing perplexes me which is, let's say you sincerely repent for something. You repented and changed your behavior but still feel guilty.

Even if you have been forgiven it does not mean you stop feeling guilty, maybe we will always feel guilty for the things we have done and I don't think that is a bad thing. The guilt will keep you humble, thankfull and hopefully keep you on the straight path.