Tawbah or repentance has significant importance in a Muslim’s life. The author promised us that he would explain the path to Allah and began it with repentance. This topic has been thoroughly explored in almost all Sufi books. One of the great books in Tasawwuf , Ihya- UloomuDin which is authored by one of the far-famed icons of Tasawwuf Sheikh Gazzali t illustrates the core of Tawbah in lengthy pages. According to him, Tawbah has some specific conditions and if they are fulfilled then Tawbah should be accepted. He divides the people into four categories:
1. A person who repents and keeps his repentance intact for the rest of his life. He does not revert to his sins again. This is of the highest rank, worthy of being called a calm soul (النفس المطمئنة))
2. A person who repents and follows the path of righteousness (Istiqama) by doing the major obedient acts and abandoning all major sins (Kaba-er). However, sins catch him and he suffers, but in the course of time, without any intention to do so. Whenever this occurs, he blames himself and reiterates his resolve to be very careful to avoid circumstances which lead him to such acts. This category deserves to be called the reproachful soul (النفس اللوامة)
The Quran points to them in the following verse:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ [1]
“And who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and pray forgiveness for their sins.” (Al Imran, 135).
3. A person who repents and persists in uprightness for a certain period of time. He then intentionally commits sin, unable to curb his appetites. Along with this, he continues in his worship and obedient actions and avoids some sins despite the drive and opportunity to commit them. He wishes only that Allah enables him and protects him from evil, but he is tempted and puts off repentance. This category is called tempted soul (النفس المسولة), as the Quran says.
﴿ وَءَاخَرُونَ ٱعْتَرَفُواْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُواْ عَمَلًا صَٰلِحًا وَءَاخَرَ سَيِّئًا ﴾ [2]
And others have confessed their sins; they have mixed a righteous deed with another evil (Tawbah 102)
4. A person who repents and proceeds, for a while, in the right manner (Istiqamah), but then he reverts to the temptation of sin or sins without admonishing his soul to repent and without regretting his actions. Rather, he becomes absorbed heedlessly in following his appetites. He is called the owner of an evil inciting soul (النفس الأمارة بالسوء). The Quran says:
﴿ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواْ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَٱرْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ ﴾ [3]
If thou couldst see the guilty hanging their heads before their lord!. ‘Our lord, we have seen and heard; now return us, that we may do righteousness. (Sajdah 12).
To achieve sincere repentance (Tawbah), one has to fulfill four conditions (terms) so that his Tawbah is accepted by Allah.
1. Leaving off and renouncing sin
2. Regret over having committed sin.
3. Firm determination not to return to sin
4. (if sin violates another person’s rights) compensation of others’ rights.
For example, if a Muslim drinks alcohol, Tawbah would mean:
1. Leaving the drink itself.
2. Regret over this bad habit (drinking).
3. Firm resolve not to drink in the future.
If a Muslim doesn’t pray the Fajr prayer, then his Tawbah is to perform it as soon as possible and practice the above said three steps (conditions), because leaving this sin (not praying Fajr) means to perform it as soon as possible. The same applies to Zakat, Haj and other similar religious practices.
If a Muslim oppressed his fellow being, his Tawbah is to ask forgiveness and practice above said three steps (conditions). If a Muslim cheated his fellow in business and earned money out of it, his Tawbah is, along with the above mentioned three conditions, to inform him about cheating and give back money to him. The last two sins have four conditions: because they are related to human beings.
Tawbah is a continuous phenomenon that needs to be practiced throughout life. He should check on himself and try to get rid of all sins in the future.
Imam Gazzali says: “As for sins, he should trace (sins committed by) his ear, eye, tongue, stomach, hand, foot, private organs and the rest of his limbs since the beginning of adulthood. Then look through all his days and hours and record all transgressions both the minor and the major committed by him and he should sift them. Some of them are between God and himself, i.e., do not entail injustice to man. This includes such acts as gazing at a woman unlawful to the man, sitting in a mosque despite a major ritual impurity (Janaba), touching the Quran before performing an ablution, entertaining a heresy, drinking wine, listening to entertainment, etc. all unconnected with harm to another person.
Repentance of these sins comes through remorse and regret, and also by calculating their measure with regard to magnitude and duration, and performing for each of these sins a corresponding good deed. He should perform good deeds in proportion to the measure of the transgression relying on the Prophet’s saying ‘Fear God wherever you are and follow an evil deed with a good one to wipe it out’.
Allah, moreover, has said: ‘Surely the good deeds will drive away the evil deeds.’
Listening to entertainment is atoned by listening to the recitation of the Quran and Dhikr sessions. Sitting in a mosque in an impure state is atoned for by retreating to a mosque to engage in worship. Touching Quran while unclean is atoned by honoring Quran, extensive reading from it, kissing it often, and giving a copy of the Book as an endowment. The consumption of wine is atoned by charitable donations of a lawful healthy drink, which is better and liked by him.
Repentance for possessing unlawful wealth is to return it to the rightful owner. If the rightful owner is not known, it should be distributed to charity. If lawful possessions become mixed up with unlawful ones, he must do his best to separate the amount of the illicit property, and distribute that amount to charity.
As for one who made verbal offenses against another, such as tormenting or defaming him, he must repent by asking for forgiveness and expiation.[4]
Tawbah is not an easy task. In fact, it covers the concept of Taqwa as well. One who maintains Taqwa in his life can claim that his Tawbah is perfect and accepted, because a strong determination to avoid sins would lead him to Taqwa.
There are many worldly factors that deter a sinner from performing Tawbah; bad friendship and evil company being the worst of them. If any disaster afflicts a human being, he usually tends to ask God for recovery and safety, whereas he does not even think about God when he commits sins! He simply considers sin as normal as drinking tea. He considers the men around him as vehicles of his entertainment and amusement. He also thinks of the postponement of Tawbah and feels that the best practice is to commit more sins and get rid of them with one Tawbah at the end. This trend is vulnerable to hazardous outcomes. Who knows his date of death?
For these reasons, the author says one has to hasten to perform repentance as soon as he commits sin. When he forgets to do Tawbah because of worldly engagements, he should try to do it once he remembers it.