Tips for tawbah?

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

as-salaamu alaykum,

I was hoping that we can all contribute to a thread on repentence. In particular how to make yourself remoresfull and how to subdue your nafs from committing the sins again and again.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Nice thread Masha'Allah.

You beat me to it.

Insha'Allah I'll post relevant articles - verses etc.

In the mean time though, for Tawbah sincerity is required and motivation. There's a lot of stuff on Tazkiyah.

[Umm Ahmed]

Wa 'alaykum usalaam

There are a variety of articles you can read here.

http://www.islamicawakening.com/articles.php?subcatID=35&


Al-Istighfaar (Seeking forgiveness) - Abu Ghadhanfar

Those Who Repented - Ibn Qudaamah (Sheikh al-Islam, Muwaffaq al-Deen)

al-Istighfaar - Seeking Forgiveness - Ibn Taymiyyah (Sheikh al-Islam)

The State of Repentance - Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=635

The Rich Meanings of Tawbah and Istighfaar
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

[hearandobey]

maybe someone could translate bits from "kitab al-tawwabeen (http://www.saaid.net/book/8/1455.doc)" by imam ibn qudamah?

[Nooristan]

Good thread.May Allah forgive our sins,ameen....

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

as-salaamu alaykum,

jazakallah khayr, A great start. Please allow me to share.
From 'First Things First-For Inquiring Minds and Yearning Hearts' by Khalid Baig (Open Mind Press)

Istighfar: Seeking Forgiveness from Allaah (Subhannahu wa ta ala)

Truely, Allah loves those who repent, and He Loves those who purify themselves. [al-Baqarah, 2:222]

Aisha (radiallahu anha) reports that the Messenger (salalahu alayhi wa salam) used to say: "O Allah! Make me among those who, when they commit an act of virtue, feel good, and when they commit a mistake, seek forgiveness." [Ibn Majah, Hadith 3810]

Tauba (repentance) and Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allaah subhannahu wa ta ala) are among the most meritorious acts of virtue for the believers. Tauba means feeling remorse for our actions or omissions. Istighfar means expressing that remorse in words and begging Allaah (subhannahu wa ta ala) for forgiveness.

The act for which we perform tauba and istighfar is not necessarily a sin, or an act of disobediance to Allaah subhannahu wa ta ala; it also includes our shortcomings. As we realize Allah's immense favors to us, all of our thankfulness and devotion clearly appears to be inadequate. As we realize the Grandeur of Allah subhannahu a w a ta ala, the most High, our acts of worship and obedience clearly are seen to be insufficient. The higher a person is on the scale of taqwa, piety and God consciousness, the greater is this sense of inadequacy. Consequently the greater is his practice of istighfar.

That is why all the prophets alayhum salam preached and practiced tauba and istighfar. We do not have to invent any sins-inherited or personal-to explain their repentance. In fact all the prophets alayhum salam were free of sin, as Allah subhannahu wa ta ala appointed them as role models for humanity and Allah subhannahu wa ta ala did not send defective role models.

The leader of allt he propehts was Prophet Muhammad salalahu alayhi wa salam a fact that was also symbolized in his leading of all the prophets in salat in Jerusalem during Isra. And what did the prayer leader of the propehts use to do after every prayer? He used to say "astaghfirallah" (I seek Allah's forgiveness) three times! This is the istighfar that comes out of the highest level of God consciousness! He taught us to perform istighfar profusely, as he himself practiced. The companions (radiallahu anhum) have reeported that he used to do istighfar hundreds of times during the course of a day.

Tauba and istighfar are the essence of our servitude and submission to Allaah subhannahu wa ta ala.

---Inshallah more to come

[juwairiyah]

bismillahir rahmanir raheem

assalamu'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

we should hurry up in making tawbah and never keep it for another day for the angel of death might come any time....

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Giving up Hope of the Mercy of Allah is a crime in itself:

"Say: 'O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins (except shirk): for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" (39:53)

"And it is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons the evil deed and knows what you do." (42:25)

In order for forgiveness to be accepted, these conditions should be met:

(1) The crime is committed out of ignorance, not with the intention that, "Let us go ahead and commit this crime as Allah is forgiving, so He will forgive us.";

(2) Quickly turn into shame and repentance after committing a crime out of ignorance;

(3) After asking for forgiveness, make a promise or pledge to "mend his ways", and to stick to his promise. Let us examine verses of Quran.

"...if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (your conduct), lo! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (6:54)

"Forgiveness is only incumbent on Allah towards those who do evil out of ignorance and then turn quickly (in repentance) to Allah. Toward them will Allah turn in mercy; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom." (4:17)

"Forgiveness is not for those who do ill until death faces one of them, who then says, 'Lo! I repent now, nor for those who die as disbelievers, for such we have prepared a painful doom.'" (4:18)

Is any crime or crimes to big to be forgiven?

Hadith Qudsi: Allah, the Almighty, has 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. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth, and were you then to face Me ascribing no partners to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.

Source (http://www.islamawareness.net/Repentance/forgiveness.html)

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. (Surah 39 Verses 53 - 54)

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

That is golden advice juwairiyah.

Jazakallah khayr I am a hermit. That is a beautiful article. We must renew our tawba daily.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Prophet (SAW) has said:

A certain person had committed 99 murders. He went to a scholar and asked, is there any chance of my being forgiven? The scholar said no, you have committed too many crimes. The man killed the scholar too, but his heart was restless, so he went to another scholar and asked the same question. He was told yes, but you must leave this town of bad people and go live in the next town in the company of good people.

So the man set out to the town he was told to go to. On the way he died. A man passing by saw two angels arguing over his dead body. The Angel from Hell said, 'His body belongs to me as he had not done any good in his life.' The Angel from Heaven said, 'His body belongs to me as he had repented and was set out to be with good people.' The man who was the passer-by said, 'Let us measure the distance of his body from the town he left and the town he was going to.'

This was done. He was found to be nearer to the town he was going to. In another version, the earth was ordered by Allah to shrink and make the distance smaller, so that he was admitted to Heaven.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

"Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.(But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,-Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for God will change the evil of such persons into good, and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Surah 25 Verses 67 – 70)

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

When Adam and Eve realized they had done wrong but did not know how to ask for forgiveness:

"Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of forgiveness, and his Lord turned toward him, for He is Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful". (Surah 2 Verse 37)

What were those words taught to Adam (AS)?

They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged our souls and if you forgive us not, and bestow not upon us your mercy, we shall be losers". (Surah 7 Verse 23)

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

The State of Repentance - Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

[Extract from the above article]

Allah divides His servants into two categories only: the repentant and the wrongdoers. There is no third category. Allah calls those who do not make tawbah, "dhaalimoon" (wrongdoers and transgressors) and no one is more of a wrongdoer and a transgressor than a person who does not repent for his evil actions. This state is a result of a person's ignorance of his Lord and the rights due to Him, as well as, his own defects and the evil of his deeds. The Prophet, sallallahu alayeh wa sallam, is reported to have said: "O people, make tawbah to Allah. By Allah, I make tawbah to Him more than seventy times each day." (Bukhari)
His companions used to count for him in each congregation his saying one hundred times: "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are At-Tawwab (the One who accept repentance), Al-Ghafoor (The Oft Forgiving)." The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, is also reported to have said: "No one will be rescued (on the Day of Judgment) by his deeds. They (his companions) asked even you Messenger of Allah? He said, even me, unless Allah would grant me His mercy and Grace."

May Allah's blessings and peace be upon His Messenger, the most knowledgeable among His creation of Him, His Rights, His Greatness and what servitude He deserves. He is the most knowledgeable of servitude and its requirements and the most committed in servitude to Allah.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Ibn Mas'ood, a Muslim scholar, is reported to have said:
"A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may fall on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this (and he moved his hand over his nose in illustration)."

[Umm Ahmed]

Imam Ash-Shaafi`ee From "Three Forgotten Prayers" by `Adnaan Aali `Uroor 1997
Published By Call to Islam Da`wah Center, London E17 UK

Al-Muzni who is Aboo lbraaheem Isma`eel ibn Yahya said: "I entered upon ash-Shaafi'ee during his illness which resulted in his death, so I said to him: 'What is your condition?' He replied: "I am journeying from this world, and departing from my brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and upon Allaah - Exalted is His remembrance - arriving. And no! By Allaah, I do not know if my soul is traveling towards Paradise or the Fire!" Then he started to weep, and he said:

'In You, the Creator, I raise my longing, And even if I am, O possessor of kindness and generosity, an evildoer, a criminal,

When my heart became constricted and my paths became narrow,

I took my hope in Your pardon and forgiveness as an opening and an escape,

My sins seemed very great to me but when I compared them to Your forgiveness,

I found Your forgiveness to be greater,

You are and still remain the only One who can forgive sins,

You grant and forgive out of Your benevolence and generosity,

Perhaps the One who is the source of all goodness will forgive and overlook my mistakes,

And will hide the sins and burden that I accumulated,

My sins seemed very great to me, so I turned (to You) in humility,

Were it not for my contentment in you, I wouldn't, O my Lord, have seen any comfort at all,

So if You forgive me, You would have forgiven a sinner, A rebellious, oppressive tyrant still sinning,

So my crime is very great, past and present, But Your forgiveness that embraces Your servant is greater and higher,

So whomsoever holds fast to Allaah is truly saved from mankind, And whosever's hopes are in Him, will be far removed from any regrets.'

In translating these lines of poetry I have exercised a certain degree of freedom in order to preserve the emotive content as well as making it readable in the English language. [Translator Note]

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

JZK for that sis Umm Ahmed.

Really emotional stuff.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

And you should say what Yunus (AS) said: ''None has the right to be worshipped but You Allaah, Glorified are You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers". (Surah Al-Anbiya' Verse 87)

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Imam Ahmad reported, on the authority of Abi Darda (RA), who said, ''Worship Allaah as if you see Him, and know that a little [wealth] which makes you rich is better than much which destroys you. You should know that piety never decays, and that sins are never forgotton''.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Fear Allaah SWT

[That should keep us from sinning]

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Constant dhikr

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

A Great lecture (http://www.kalamullah.com/lectures.html) on Tawbah Masha'Allah.

[salahuddin_ayyubi]

Another good lecture on the topic of Tawbah by Ali Al-Timimi

Tawbah (Repentance)
Part 1 (http://www.kalamullah.com/Ali%20Al-Timimi/Tawbah%20(Repentance)/Tawbah%20(Repentance)%20-%20Part%2001.mp3)
Part 2 (http://www.kalamullah.com/Ali%20Al-Timimi/Tawbah%20(Repentance)/Tawbah%20(Repentance)%20-%20Part%2002.mp3)

[Abu Ishaaq]

Tip for Tawbah?

Ponder over your shortcomings, and remember death. When we truly think about the horrors that could possibly wait for us in the next life I'm sure it will be a good source of encouragement to repent from sins.

Read Quran and ponder over the verses.

If anything check out Sheikh Anwar Al Awlaki's series on the Hereafter.