Tawba is the sorry feeling after committing a forbidden action and then having the fear of Allâhu ta’âlâ and having a strong resolution, penitence[1] not to do it again. Repentance for fear of a worldly loss that you may incur is not tawba. While one is committing several different sins, one’s tawba for some of the sins would be valid (sahîh) while one insists committing the other sins. After tawba, one’s repeating the same sin again and then repenting again would be valid. Repeating this chain of repenting, committing the sin again, repenting again several times would be valid. Forgiveness of a grave sin certainly requires tawba. Five daily “salât” prayers, Friday “salât” prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadân, going for pilgrimage (hajj), making tawba, avoiding grave sins and all similar acts of worship will cause forgiveness of venial sins. Tawba for disbelief and other types of sins, when done in observance of their conditions, will certainly be accepted. A pilgrimage performed with sincerity and by observing all its conditions is called “hajj al-mabrûr”. “Hajj al-mabrûr” causes all types of sins to be forgiven except the sins incurred by omitting those acts of worship which are farz and sins wherein violation of others’ rights is involved. In order for these two types of sins to be forgiven, one has to carry out those omitted obligatory duties and one has to compensate the right owners for their violated rights. “Hajj al-mabrûr” does not cause forgiveness of the sins incurred by omitting the obligatory (fard) duties, yet it causes forgiveness of the sins incurred by not doing the obligatory duties within their prescribed times. After the pilgrimage, if one does not immediately start to perform the omitted obligatory duties, the sin of postponing the obligatory duties will start again and as time passes it will increase many folds. Postponing the performance is a grave sin. Everybody should understand this point clearly. The hadîth-i-sherîf, “The sins of a person who performs “hajj al-mabrûr” will be forgiven. He will be like a new born,” includes sins other than the sin incurred by omitting the obligatory duties and sins incurred by violating others’ rights. The invocations which Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sal-lam’ offered at (the sacred place called) Muzdalifa on the night of (the day previous to ’Iyd of Qurbân and called) Arefa for the forgiveness of (Muslim pilgrims called) hadjis is reported to have been of this capacity. There are also scholars who stated that the sins earned by not performing the obligatory duties and sins earned by violating others’ rights are also included in the forgiveness. Their statements concern those who make tawba but who are physically unable to perform those “fards” or unable to compensate the violated rights of others. The hundred and fourteenth âyat-i-kerîma of Sûra Hûd of the Qur’ân al-kerîm purports: “… for those things that are good (hasanât) remove those that are evil: …” (11-114) Scholars explain this âyat-i-kerîma as: “When the unperformed obligatory duties are performed then the sin will be forgiven.” When a person hears that someone has backbitten him, if he becomes sad because of what has been said behind his back, then this will be an additional grave sin for the backbiter. The good deed (hasanât) which will cause forgiveness of that grave sin is to get the forgiveness of the backbitten person.
It is farz to make tawba immediately after a sin has been committed. It would be another grave sin to postpone the tawba, and in that case it would be necessary to make an additional tawba. The sin earned by not doing the obligatory duties will only be forgiven when the obligatory duty concerned is performed. Forgiveness of any sin committed requires tawba made with a remorseful heart, (a certain invocation termed) istighfâr[2] offered verbally, and a physical compensation (when necessary). Saying, “Subhânallah-il-’azîm wa bi-hamdihi”, a hundred times, giving alms and fasting for one day would be very beneficial.
The thirty-first âyat-i-kerîma of Sûra Nûr of the Qur’ân al-kerîm purports: “… O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allâhu ta’âlâ (make tawba). …” (14-31). And the eighth âyat-i-kerîma of Sûra Tahrîm purports: “Turn to Allâhu ta’âlâ with sincere repentance (tawba-i-nasûkh)…” (66-8). The word “nasûkh” in this âyat-i-kerîma was interpreted in twenty-three different ways. The most famous interpretation is having the sorry feeling and saying the repentance through tongue and deciding strongly not to do it again. The two hundred and twenty-second âyat-i-kerîma of Sûra Baqara purports: “… For Allâhu ta’âlâ loves those who turn to Him constantly. …” (2-222).
A hadîth-i-sherîf reads: “The best of you is the one who makes repentance ‘tawba’ immediately after committing a sin.” The gravest sins are disbelief, hypocrisy, and deserting one’s faith or apostasy (irtidâd).
Sins between Allâhu ta’âlâ and the slave, i.e. those which do not involve violation of others’ rights, merely require a tawba made secretly. It is not necessary to inform a third person, e.g. the imâm of the region. Redemption, i.e. buying freedom from sins from a priest, is practised among Christians. Islam does not accommodate anything of that nature. Examples for sins which do not involve violation of others’ rights are: To read talk about worldly affairs or to eat and drink or to sleep in a mosque; to hold the Qur’ân al-kerîm without having an ablution (wudû); to play musical instruments; to consume wine; to commit fornication; for women to go out without covering (those parts of their body which Islam calls ‘awrat’ and commands them to cover, such as) their head, arms, legs and hair. Sins involving violation of animals’ rights are extremely difficult to get absolved from. It is sinful to kill an animal unjustly, to beat it, to slap it on the face, to make it walk beyond its energy, to overload it, and/or not to feed it or water it when it needs. Such sins necessitate both tawba and istighfâr, and remorseful and lamenting invocations.
There are five types of violation of others’ rights: Mâlî (pertaining to property, financial); nafsî (pertaining to nafs); irzî (pertaining to honour); mahramî (pertaining to mahrams); dînî (religious).
Examples for human rights violations pertaining to property are: Theft, extortion; selling something by way of fraud or lying; paying counterfeit money; causing damage to someone’s property; false testimony; treachery; bribery. Tawba and getting the wronged person’s forgiveness are necessary for this type of violation even if it is a matter of one cent or a seed of grain. Violations pertaining to property, (if they have not been compensated for,) should be compensated for by (the wrongdoer’s) children (inheriting from him).
The second type of violation, nafsî, or pertaining to life, involves a homicide or mutilation. Absolution from this sin requires tawba and the guilty person’s resigning himself to the walî (executor) of the murdered or mutilated person. The walî has the choice to forgive him, to make peace in return for property, or to start a legal case against him and sue for his punishment. However, it is not permissible for him to retaliate on his own. [Islam does not have a place for vendettas of any sort.]
An irzî violation of a right, (i.e. a violation of honour,) involves acts like backbiting, slander, mockery, and abusing. Forgiveness of this sin requires tawba and reconciliation with the wronged person (either by compensation or by apology or by pleasing him in one way or other.) This type of violation does not become rectified by any form of reconciliation with the (wronged person’s) inheritors.
It is a very meritorious act (which produces plenty of thawâb) to forgive the debt of a poor person.
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “A person who makes tawba becomes as (clean as) if he had never sinned.” And in another: “A person who makes istighfâr with his speech but never feels sorry for the sin he committed is one who continues sinning. He is teasing Allâhu ta’âlâ.” Making istighfâr means saying the word “Astaghfirullah”. Muhammad ’Uthmân Hindî ‘quddisa sirruh’, passed away in 1314 hijrî [1896 A.D], states as follows in the Fârisî language in his book Fawâid-i-’Uthmâniyya: “You want me to write specific prayers for health for you. For health, (make tawba all the time and) say the prayer of istighfâr every now and then, [that is, say, ‘Astaghfirullah al’azim wa atûbu ilayh’]! It is very effective against cares and afflictions. The fifty-second âyat of Sûra Hûd purports: “Say (the prayer of) istighfâr! (If you do so) I shall come to thy rescue.” Istighfâr will make one attain all sorts of wishes as well as good health.
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “If a slave commits a sin and then repents, Allâhu ta’âlâ will forgive him even before he says (the prayer of) istighfâr.” And in another: “Make tawba even if your sins (make up piles which) reach skies. Allâhu ta’âlâ will accept your tawba.” These hadîth-i-sherîfs concern those sins which do not involve violating others’ rights. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: There are three kinds of sins: “Three types of sin are: The sin that will not be forgiven in the last Judgement day (Qiyâmat); the sin that is not discontinued; and the sin which will be forgiven if Allâhu ta’âlâ wishes.” The sin which will absolutely not be forgiven in the last Judgement day is, “shirk”. “Shirk” in this context is all kinds of disbelief. Sins that are not discontinued are the sins which involve violating others’ rights. The sins which will be forgiven if Allâhu ta’âlâ wishes are the sins which do not involve violating others’ rights.
Ref: This paragraphes are quoted from the book “Ethics of Islam” page 163, which is the translation of the book Berîka written by Abû Sa’îd Muhammad bin MustafâHâdimî ‘rahima hullâhu ta’âlâ’, who passed away in 1176 Hijrî, 1762 A.D. in Konya / Turkey and the book Akhlâq-i-Alâî written in Turkish by Alî bin Amrullah ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ,’ who passed away in 979 Hijrî, 1572 A.D. in Edirne / Turkey. You can find the whole book and the other valuable books in the web site www.hakikatkitabevi.com.tr and download in PDF format for Adobe Acrobat Reader, EPUB format for iPhone-iPad-Mac devices and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle device.
[1] Penitence; to make tawba means to repent for your sin(s), to beg Allâhu ta’âlâ for forgiveness, and to be resolved not to commit the same sin(s) again. Repentance.
[2] Although there is not a prescribed manner of tawba, Islamic scholars recommend a certain prayer which, they say, will serve both as an invocation for forgiveness and as a protection against worldly disasters and misfortunes. The recommended prayer of invocation is: “Estaghfirullah al-’azîm al-lazî lâ ilâha il-lâ huwa-l-hayya-l-qayyûm wa atûbu ilayh.”
