Salaat al-Tawbah (the Prayer of Repentance)
ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com
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Thursday 17 Ramadan 1442 AH and 29 April 2021 CE
Reminder Day 17
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.
Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.
Help us Answer the Ummah! Every second, everywhere someone needs an answer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A person who leads others to doing what is good will earn the same reward as those who do it.” (Muslim, 1893).
“Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith.” And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran Ayah 139]
“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”
[Holy Quran Chapter Imran Ayah 160]
REPENTANCE IN
ISLAM[1]
1.0 Feelings of remorse and guilt are natural reflections of sinning, if the
person who has sinned has a conscious which is alive.
After committing a sin, a person who fears Allah and give high respect to Him
would feel a sense of despondency and despair thinking, "How will God
forgive me for this sin?" However, it is noteworthy that despairing of
God's mercy is in itself one of the major sins in Islam for God is ever
merciful, ever forgiving.
As He says in the Qur'an: "Do not
despair of God's mercy; He will forgive you of all your sins”. Holy Qur'an Chapter (39:53).
In another verse, Allah says: "And He wishes to forgive you" Holy Qur'an Chapter (4:146).
Islam fully understands the temptations that come in the way of
every one of us, and that which some of us might go for. Only through repentance,
that one can wipeout those sins and past misdeeds and gradually get freed from
the clutches of the ego.
Repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of Allah
the All Mighty. He loves those who repent. Repentance has a status that no
other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant
repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the
desert.
Feeling Allah's satisfaction has its great impact on the heart of the one
repenting. Hence, the repenting person reaches the status of being amongst the
beloved through his repentance.
Moreover, repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of helplessness to the
only Creator; Allah, and that is not easily acquired through other forms of worship.
Allah says in the Qur'an: "Except those who repent, have faith and good
deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is
most forgiving and merciful." (Holy Qur'an Chapter
25:70)
This is a greatest glad tiding for those who repent and combine their
repentance with deep faith and good deeds.
Repentance breeds good deeds, whilst sinning (without repentance) can cause
deprivation of obedience altogether. It has been said that committing sins
regularly will darken and harden the heart and make purifying it once again a
difficult mission. It may even lead a person to reject Allah completely (Allah
forbid) or lead him to commit a bigger sin. There is no recourse for a sinner
except to ask Allah for forgiveness and to feel great regret for his actions.
Repentance is to repent from the heart, to train the heart into obedience and
to make a firm resolution never to commit the sin again.
2.0 HOW TO REPENT[2]?
For repentance to be accepted by Allah, one should go through these four
stages:
1- Stop the sin.
2- Regretting deeply and truly for the sin you committed.
3- Return to Allah for forgiveness.
4- Strong intention never to return to that same sin again.
Examples Of Sins For Repentance Include:
a) Associating anything with Allah – (Tawheed)
b) Disrespect to parents
c) Abandoning relatives
d) Lying about Allah and His Messenger
e) Pride and arrogance
f) Drinking Khamr (wine)
g) Frequent lying
h) Being cuckold (Betray or deceive)
i) Showing-off
j) Believing in fortune-tellers and astrologers
k) Deceiving and plotting evil etc.
3.0
WHAT WOULD HELP IN FULFILLING THE ABOVE FOUR STAGES?
The repenting person should remember three facts:
1. The grave consequence of sins.
2. The painful punishment for sins and
3. How weak a person is when committing such sins?
Abu Bakr Al siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him), narrated: "I heard
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) saying: ‘There isn’t a man who, when he commits a sin,
rises, makes ablution, and offers two rak'as of prayers, but Allah forgives his
sins.’
Allah says in the Qur'an: "Those
(are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their
souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah
forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they
know (that Allah is forgiving)." (Holy Qur'an Chapter 3:135).
4.0 ISLAM
QUESTION AND ANSWER[3] SESSION:
Effect of Major Sins on Acceptance of Good Deeds[4]
Question asked by a woman: I
am a Muslim woman, but the shaytan has been controlling me for a while. I
committed major sins, but now I regret it. I have turned to Allah and repented
to Him, but I heard that no fasting or prayer will be of any benefit to me
because I have committed the worst of major sins. Is that true? Will Allah
really never accept my repentance?
Answered:
You should
realize that what you have heard about repentance, prayer and fasting not being
accepted from one who has committed major sins is false, and it is speaking
about Allah without knowledge. There is a great deal of evidence in the Book of
Allah and the Sunnah (teaching) of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) to indicate that Allah accepts His slave’s repentance from all
sins, no matter how great they are, and it is not permissible for anyone to try
to stop a person repenting, no matter how great and how heinous his sins.
Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “Say: O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against
themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most
Merciful.”[Holy Quran Chapter 39:53].
Allah says, stating that He forgives the greatest of sins (interpretation of
the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilah (god) along with
Allah, nor kill such a person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause,
nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the
punishment.
The torment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will
abide therein in disgrace;
Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous
deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Holy Quran Chapter
25:68-70].
This clearly indicates that Allah forgives all sins – even shirk – and it
tells us of an immense bounty, which is that bad deeds are turned to good
deeds.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: No sin is
too great for Allah to forgive for the one who repents, rather He forgives
shirk and other sins for those who repent, as Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “Say: O ‘Ibadi (My
slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and
sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins.
Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Holy Quran
Chapter 39:53]. This verse is general
in meaning because it is addressed to all those who repent.
End quote. Majmoo’ al-Fatawa.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “There was among the people who came before you a man who killed
ninety-nine people. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth,
and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him, told him that he had killed
ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit said, ‘No,’
so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most
knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that
he had killed one hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The
scholar said, ‘Yes, what could possibly come between you and repentance? Go to
such-and-such a town, for in it there are people who worship Allah. Go and
worship with them, and do not go back to your own town, for it is a bad place.”
So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came to
him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him.
The angels of mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allah.’ The angels
of wrath said: ‘He never did any good thing.’ An angel in human form came to
them, and they asked him to decide the matter. He said: ‘Measure the distance
between the two lands (his home town and the town he was headed for), and
whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.’ So they
measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he
had been headed, so the angels of mercy took him.”
Al-Tirmidhi narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
“Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, said: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you
call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I
shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky
and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you and I would not
mind.’” [Saheeh al-Tirmidhi].
Ibn Majah narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.” [Saheeh Ibn Majah].
These verses and hadeeths (prophetic traditions) indicate that Allah forgives
all sins, no matter how great or how many, for the one who repents to
Him.
So strive in worship and obedience, regret the negligence and sins of the past,
and note that Allah has no need of His slaves yet despite that He rejoices in their
repentance, and even turns their bad deeds into good deeds.
The above mentioned ways is a Guide for our repentance if one is engulfed in
any of the sins; which is from seventy (70) major sins enumerated in Series
Nos. 6 and 7 given out during DAWAH in the past is to show feelings of remorse
and guilt; then, that would be natural reflections of sinning, if the person
who has sinned has a conscious which is alive.
5.0 SALAAT AL-TAWBAH (THE PRAYER OF REPENTANCE[5]
Islam Question and Answer[6]
Question: How is salaah al-tawbah (the prayer of repentance) offered?
How many rak’ahs is it? Can I offer it after ‘Asr prayer?
Answer
By the mercy of Allaah towards this Ummah, He has opened the gate of repentance
to it, and it will not cease until the soul reaches the throat (at death) or
the sun rises from the west.
By His Mercy to this Ummah, He has prescribed for them an act of worship which
is one of the best acts of worship, by means of which the sinner can draw close
to his Lord with the hope of his repentance being accepted. This is Salaat
al-Tawbah (the prayer of repentance) and there follow some issues that have to
do with this prayer.
1 – The prayer of repentance is
prescribed in SHAREE’AH
The scholars are unanimously agreed that the prayer of repentance is
prescribed in SHAREE’AH. Abu Dawood (1521) narrated that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no one who commits a sin
then purifies himself well and stands and prays two rak’ahs, then asks Allaah
for forgiveness, but Allaah will forgive him. Then he recited this verse: ‘And
those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or
wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah
and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah —
and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know’ [Holy Quran Chapter Aal ‘Imraan 3:135].” Classed as
sahaah by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Ahmad (26998) narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
say: “The one who does wudoo’ and does it well, then stands and prays two
rak’ahs or four (one of the narrators was uncertain), in which he remembers
Allaah and focuses well, then asks Allaah for forgiveness, He will forgive
him.” The editor of al-Musnad said: its isnaad is hasan. It was also quoted by
al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah (3398).
2 – The reason for the prayer of repentance.
The reason for the prayer of repentance is if a Muslim falls into sin,
whether it is a major or minor sin, he has to repent from it straight away and
it is recommended for him to pray these two rak’ahs. And when he repents he
should do a righteous deed which is one of the best of deeds, namely prayer. So
he may draw close to Allaah by means of this in the hope that He may accept his
repentance and forgive his sin.
3 – The time for the prayer of
repentance
It is mustahabb to offer this prayer when the Muslim has decided to
repent from the sin that he has committed, whether this repentance comes
immediately after committing the sin or later on. The sinner must hasten to
repent but if he delays it, it will still be accepted, because repentance is accepted
so long as one of the following impediments does not occur:
(i) When the soul reaches the throat (at death). The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah
will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death rattle has not yet
begun.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi (3537).
(ii) When the sun rises from the west. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever repents before the
sun rises from the west, Allaah will accept his repentance.” Narrated by Muslim
(2703).
This prayer is prescribed at all times including times when prayer is
disallowed (such as after ‘Asr prayer), because it is one of the prayers that
are done for a reason, so it is prescribed when the reason for it is
present.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: Prayers which are done for a reason, such as
the prostration of recitation, greeting the mosque, the eclipse prayer, prayer
immediately after purifying oneself, as mentioned in the hadeeth of Bilaal, and
istikhaarah prayer should not be delayed if the reason comes up at a time when
prayer is disallowed, because delaying them may cause one to miss them, such as
if the one who is praying istikhaarah may miss the thing concerning which he is
seeking guidance if he delays the prayer. The same applies to the prayer of
repentance. If a person commits a sin, then it is obligatory to repent straight
away, and it is recommended for him to pray two rak’ahs, then repent, as it
says in the hadeeth of Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq. End quote from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(23/215).
4 –Description of the prayer of
repentance
The prayer of repentance is two rak’ahs, as it says in the hadeeth of
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him).
It is prescribed for the one who is repenting to pray alone, because it is one
of the naafil prayers that it is not prescribed to offer in congregation. After
that it is prescribed to ask Allaah for forgiveness, because of the hadeeth of
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him).
There is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
to say that it is mustahabb to recite any particular soorahs in these two
rak’ahs, so the worshipper may recite whatever he wants.
It is mustahabb for the penitent to strive hard in doing righteous deeds as
well as offering this prayer, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness,
and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then
remains constant in doing them (till his death)”[Holy
Quran Chapter Ta-Ha 20:82].
Among the best of righteous deeds that the penitent can do is giving
charity, for charity is one of the greatest means of expiating sin. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“If you disclose your Sadaqaat
(almsgiving), it is well; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor,
that is better for you. (Allaah) will expiate you some of your sins”[Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:271]
It is proven that Ka’b ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, when
Allaah accepted his repentance: O Messenger of Allaah, as part of my repentance
I shall give up my wealth as charity for Allaah and His Messenger. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Keep
some of your wealth, for it is better for you.” He said: Then I shall keep my
share in Khaybar. Agreed upon.
To sum up:
1- This prayer is proven from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
2- It is prescribed when the Muslim repents from any sin,
whether it is a major sin or a minor sin, and whether this repentance comes
immediately after committing the sin or after some time has passed.
3- This prayer may be offered at any time, including times
when prayer is disallowed.
4- It is mustahabb for the penitent to do some good deeds
along with this prayer, such as charity etc.
May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his
family and companions.
We ask Allah to help me and you to
remember Him, give thanks to Him and worship Him properly.
And Allaah knows best.
References
[1] http://www.islamawareness.net/Repentance/repentance.html
[2] http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?service_id=688
[3] Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
[4] http://islamqa.info/en/tree; Question No 65621
[5] Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
[6] http://islamqa.info/en/98030 - Islam Q&A
