Repentance: Cleansing a Remorseful Heart

Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) allows his servants who fall into sin to enter the gates of repentance before their deaths. Therefore, despite our sins and shortcomings, with the help of sincere tears and remorse, we can always turn to Allah’s (jalla jalaluhu) mercy and save our lives in this world and the Hereafter.

We live in an age where things that are unequivocally haram, as well as suspicious, doubtful things, which one can’t ascertain as either halal or haram, run rampant. Shaytan’s temptations, the endless desires and whims of our nafs, along with multiple external factors, test the limits of our will. Hence, we fall into sin and transgression.

In addition, it is in our nature to slip up and make mistakes. We know the first human, our forefather Adam (alayhissalam), went against the one rule in Heaven and was therefore expelled. Only with regret and repentance was he granted forgiveness. As his children, we are destined to falter and sin.

Sometimes, human beings forget in whose domain they reside, whose blessings they are provided with, and even who sustains their very existence, falling into sinful behavior. Some of these sins may be as serious as kabair (great sins), regarding which there are clear warnings in the Holy Qur’an and sunnah. Even in such circumstances, one of the commands of Allah the Most High illustrates the incredible magnitude of His mercy and instills hope in believers.

“Say: ‘O, My servants who have acted extravagantly (crossed the line) against their souls! Do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Surely Allah forgives (changes into rewards) the sins altogether. He surely is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn unto your Lord repentant, and surrender unto Him, before the doom comes unto you when you cannot be helped’” (Az-Zumar, 53-54).

It is stated in the above verse that Allah the Exalted allows his servants who fall into sin to enter through the gates of repentance before death arrives. Therefore, despite all our sins and transgressions, by shedding sincere tears and feeling genuine remorse, we can always turn to the mercy of Allah the Most Forgiving and save our mortal life in this world and eternal life in the Hereafter.

The verse is a call to salvation from our Creator and glad tidings to those who respond to this call by repenting and submitting to Him. Praise be to Allah the Almighty, who gives us, His wayward servants, the opportunity to repent.

Hope once again

Our holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warns us that our past sins and shortcomings should not make us shrink from seeking Allah’s forgiveness:

“By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence, and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them” (Muslim, Tawbah, 9,11).

We live in such times that one may quickly find themselves alone when in despair; sometimes, kicks may even come from those closest to us while we are down.  Even in such daunting, turbulent circumstances, we are reminded by our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) of the infinite grace of Allah the Most Merciful. Undoubtedly, this hadith is an invitation for us to repent and ask for forgiveness.  To persist in sins is Shaytan’s way, and to repent is the way of our forefather Adam (alayhissalam). Repentance is truly a blessing of Allah to those who do not insist on thoughtless, stubborn defiance and strive to give up on their sins.

The significance of repentance

It is fard (obligatory) for all Muslim men and women to show remorse for sins and make tawbah (repentance).  Repentance has special significance among the followers of tasawwuf. This spiritual training method of tasawwuf involves guiding individuals to be worthy of being servants of Allah and have good akhlaq (manners), similar to the akhlaq of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Like all journeys, this one also has a destination with milestones along the way. The pious scholars, in whose hearts the knowledge of haqiqah (divine truth) is enshrined, agree that repentance is the starting point of this spiritual journey. This is also mentioned in all fundamental Sufi literature. For instance, in the fifth century after hijrah (Rasulullah’s -sallallahu alayhi wa sallam- departure from Makkah), great scholar Ibn Furak discussed the term repentance as the first topic among many other tasawwuf subjects in his book named Al-Ibanah. He said: “Tawbah is not only an act of remorse for one’s previous sins but also maintaining a steadfast adherence to clean, upright behavior.”

In the famous book Al-Risalah, the great Sufi Imam Qushayri (quddisa sirruhu) explains the spiritual levels, manners, and experiences of Sufis, leading with the subject of repentance.

“Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.” (An-Nur, 31)

The great imam explains this verse in light of different hadiths and points out that tawbah is the first objective and the first step of followers of this righteous path.

Another precious literary work from an earlier era named Manazil As-Sa’irin, by a prominent scholar named Haja Abdullah al-Ansari (quddisa sirruhu), also mentions tawbah as part of the first rank in tasawwuf.  He explains the verse following from the Qur’an:

“And whoever does not repent, it is they who are the true wrongdoers.” (Al-Hujurat, 11)

He states that the wrongdoers will clean themselves from such evil acts and from being an oppressor by repenting.

We see similar explanations in another fifth-century fundamental treatise on tasawwuf named Kashf al-Mahjub. Tawbah has been described as the first station for saliks and murids (Sufi training students and seekers). In this work, the author uses a thought-provoking analogy as he draws attention to how repentance resembles wudu (ablution). Just as the teachings of Islamic law start with cleaning the outer body with wudu (ablution) and taharah (purification), the first step of tasawwuf (spiritual training), which is considered the essence, the seed within the shell that blooms, is tawbah.

The level of ihsan (perfection) and taqwa (piety)

Great Sufi authors of the following centuries, such as Imam Suhrawardi (quddisa sirruhu), also drew attention to similar points. These excellent, righteous, and pioneering Sufis from different geographies, and even different times, strongly underlined repentance in their works and teachings, as if in agreement with each other. This is undoubtedly related to repentance being the first step and a necessary one for someone who wants to progress spiritually.

The call of the great masters Abu Said Abu'l Khayr (quddisa sirruhu) and Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (quddisa sirruhu) to “come, whoever you are” is an invitation to repentance. The interpretation of these expressions in their Persian origin does not only denote an act of coming but also invites us to renounce our sinful ways and let regret wash over us.

One can always embark on the path of spiritual progress, no matter the circumstances. No matter whose teachings this path relays to its followers, as long as it is one of the true paths of tasawwuf, repentance will be its first lesson., Subsequently, they will be cleansed by waves of remorse crashing against their burdened conscience. The great murshids of Naqshbandiyyah, who have guided people for centuries, made repentance the first step at the beginning of the road; they repented together with people and prayed that they would remain true to their repentance. Believers, purified from their spiritual impurities by repentance, have encountered many subtleties on the path of truth and attained higher ranks as they advanced according to the manners and teachings of the way.

There is no perfect servant. We could be wallowing in sins, big or small, and may even be unaware of our errors. One of the foremost commands of our religion, repentance, is a must for everyone. Suppose we want to turn over a new leaf or aim to reach higher levels of ihsan and taqwa by living our lives in a sensitive fashion with unwavering compliance towards the orders and prohibitions of Islam. In every case, our first step should be true repentance. Repentance is the river where we will be purified from the filth and crud of daily life; it is an admission of our faults and helplessness before Allah the Most Forgiving. 

Selim Uğur