Tawbah part 2

Tawbah to the believer is more important than air is to a human being. Imagine that. How can we live without air? It’s impossible, right. So how can we not do tawbah? We must strive to do tawbah regularly. And as being one of those who regularly repents, we can gain it’s benefits. Because you know, there are several benefits from doing tawbah.

The first one is that Allaah subhano wata’ala wipes away our sins! I already mentioned the hadeeth where the Prophet, aleyhi salaato wasalaam, says that the one who repents from sin is like the one without sin. It could be a specific sin or more in general, the way we lead our life before that was not according to islam.



When we decide to change our life and resolve to never to go back to the sin we were doing or going back to the life we had before, then we are very sincere about it. Allaah he knows what’s in our hearts. So when we’re serious about our tawbah, Allaah subhano wata’ala wipes away our sins! In soorah ale Imraan actually two of the benefits of tawbah is mentioned. One is that our sins gets wiped away, and the second one is that Allaah subhano wata’ala gives us admission into Paradise.

وَسَارِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَغۡفِرَةٍ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرۡضُهَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ أُعِدَّتۡ
لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ

And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqûn (the pious). (3:133)

So we should be quick with seeking Allaahs forgiveness, we should haste and do it now! That is a part of genuinely coming back to Allaah because we don’t know if we are going to live the next day or even the next hour, or next minute. And we are supposed to encourage each other, race each other in doing good, and one of the first things we should encourage each other in doing is to seek Allaahs forgiveness and to make tawbah. Allaah says we should be quick in the race for forgiveness AND Paradise. In this ayah Allaahs forgiveness comes before Paradise. So to seek Allaahs forgiveness and to repent is the first step towards Paradise. So the benefit is not only that Allaah will wipe away our sins, but he will also give us Paradise! And this is for the muttaqoon, the righteous! And the verses that follow this verse explains who the righteous are.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِى ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلۡڪَـٰظِمِينَ ٱلۡغَيۡظَ وَٱلۡعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Those who spend [in Allâh's Cause] in prosperity and in adversity,[] who repress anger,[] and who pardon men; verily, Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn[] (the good - doers). (3:133)

To spend here doesn’t only mean to spend of ones wealth, but to spend of ones energy, ones time, talent, patience, smiles (we all know the hadeeth about even a smile is charity), they spend of their knowledge and so on. And they do this in easy times and in hard times. It is not like they work for islam only when they have time or energy for it or even feel like doing it, no they do it when they feel like doing it and even when they don’t feel like it, when they are tired or burdened with other things. SubhanAllaah. This is the person who is righteous and genuinely seeking to come back to Allaah subhano wata’ala.
And who restrain their anger. Think of the hadeeth where the Prophet aleyhi salaato wasalaam, says: I guarantee a house in paradise for those who leaves arguing even if they’re right!! And they are forgiving to people! They forgive! Because if we want or even expect Allaah to forgive us, how can we not forgive those who has done wrong to us. I mean, humans wrongdoing towards other humans is really nothing compared to us sinning towards Allaah right? So how can we not forgive small human faults when Allaah forgive all our sins even if they are huge as mountains or as the foam on the ocean. And Allaah loves those who do good!

وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوۡ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَہُمۡ ذَكَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَمَن يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمۡ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ (١٣٥) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَاۚ وَنِعۡمَ أَجۡرُ ٱلۡعَـٰمِلِينَ

And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (the major sins, like zinaa, lying) or wronged themselves with evil (the minor sins), remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.[]. For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allâh's Orders). (3:135,136)

So even if we have done major sins, if we remember Allaah and sincerely ask for His forgiveness, and then leave the sin, that will give us forgiveness from Allaah, he wipes away our sins, and will also admit us into Paradise. This is also, amongst other ayat, mentioned in soorah At-Tahreem:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةً۬ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَڪُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥۖ نُورُهُمۡ يَسۡعَىٰ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬

O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expaite from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allâh will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who believe with him, Their Light will run forward before them and (with their Records — Books of deeds) in their right hands They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirât (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things[] ." (66:8)