Question:
As salamu alaykum warahmathullahiwabarakathuh,
Dear Shaykh,
I have a question related to repentance (Taubah) – Is making taubah a verbal affirmation on confessing all sins committed and promise not to return to any of them?
I would like to know if the way I repent is correct. Firstly I praise Allah by saying Alhamdulillah and then I give durood to the prophet sallallahualayhiwasallam and then i ask Allah to forgive all my sins committed openly and secretly and promise never to commit them again. All done in the form of a duaa with raised hands. I do not bring each sin to mind but I confess to all of them. Will this be correct?
OR
Do i have to think of each sin have sadness in my heart and make up my mind i will never return back to the sin? (Not expressed verbally but all in the heart)
May Allah bless you immensely – Ameen
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Brother in Islam,
It is pleasing to note your concern to ensure that your Tawbah is done correctly. Verily, Allah Ta’ala loves those who turn to him in repentance. Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ (سورة البقرة: ٢٢٢)
Translation: Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 222)
Furthermore, Rasulullah (SallallahuAlaihiWasallam) said:
(صحيح البخاري:٦٣٠٩)” اللَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ سَقَطَ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ، وَقَدْ أَضَلَّهُ فِي أَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ ”
Translation: “Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert. ” (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 6309)
Brother, there are three conditions for the validity of one’s Tawbah(repentance):
1) To abandon the sin
2) To regretcommitting the sin
3) To make a firm intention not to commit the sin again.
Accordingly, the method of Tawbah you refer to is a correct way of doing Tawbah.
However, it is advisable to make Wudhu and perform two Rak’aats of Salah Al-Tawbah.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (RadhiyallahuAnhu) narrated from Rasulullah (SallallahuAlayhiWasallam):
ما من رجل يذنب ذنبا فيتوضأ فيحسن الوضوء ثم يصلي ركعتين فيستغفر الله عز وجل إلا غفر له (مسندالإمامأحمد:٢)
Translation: “No man commits a sin, then performs Wudhu, and perfects the Wudhu, then performs two Rak’aat, and then begs to Allah Ta’ala for forgiveness, except he will be forgiven.” (Musnad Ahmad:2)
Thereafter, whilst facing the Qiblah in the Tashahhud position, one should raise his hands and begin his Du’a by praising Allah Ta’ala and sending Durood upon Rasulullah (SallallahuAlaihiWasallam). After sending durood, one should make Du’a to Allahsaying: “O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness from such-and-such a sin. I will never return to it”. Lastly, one should ask AllahTa’ala to accept his Tawbah.
If one fulfills all the conditionsof making Tawbahand he is sincere in his Tawbah, then Inshallah he/she will be forgiven, for Allah is the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Allah Ta’ala says:
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُٱلرَّحِيمُ (سورة الزمر:٥٣)
Translation: Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah.Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
(Surah Al-Zumar: 53)
