The word Tawbah (Repentance) in Arabic literally means ‘to return’. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He has commanded.

The subject of repentance is one which concerns all people who believe in Allah, and is vital one for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the hereafter is dependent on our repentance to Allaah, as is shown by Allaah’s order: “AND TURN YOU ALL TOGETHER IN REPENTANCE TO ALLAAH O BELIEVERS, THAT YOU MAY BE SUCCESSFUL” [An-Noor (24):31]

In Soorah al-Baqarah, Allaah tells us: “SURELY ALLAAH LOVES THOSE WHO TURN UNTO HIM IN REPENTANCE AND LOVES THOSE WHO PURIFY THEMSELVES.” [2:222]

This shows how pleasing our repenting is to Allaah. Also, the Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam gave us an example of just how pleasing to Allaah our repenting is an authentic hadeeth in which he,Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Allaah is more delighted with the repentance of His servant than one of you would be, who suddenly finds his camel laden with supplies after 22losing it in a barren land”

Try to imagine your joy if you were to suddenly retrieve everything you ever possessed after losing all hope of recovering what you had lost. Then think that Allaah’s delight is even greater than this when His slave repents to Him. So much so, that if man stopped repenting to Allaah, He would replace us with another creation that would turn to Him for forgiveness. The Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “If you did not commit sins, Allaah would sweep you out of existence and replace you by another people who would commit sins, ask for Allaah’s forgiveness and He would forgive them.”

The problem with many of us today, is that we don’t fear Allaah, which means that we don’t think twice about disobeying Him and therefore falling into sin, which we give no real tought to. So perhaps we should think about the statement which Ibn Mas’ood (3) radi Allaahu ‘anhu, made: “A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is affraid 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).”

NEVER DESPAIR.

Someone might say, ‘I want to repent but my sins are too many.’ But Allaah says: “SAY: O MY SLAVES WHO HAVE TRANSGRESSED AGAINST THEMSELVES! DESPAIR NOT FOR THE MERCY OF ALLAAH, VERILY ALLAAH FORGIVES ALL SINS. TRULY HE IS OFT FORGIVING, MOST MERCIFUL.” [Az-Zumar (39):53]

Therefore, we should never lose hope or stop asking for Allaah’s forgiveness. Its importance is shown to us in a hadeeth in which the Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “O people! Turn to Allaah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, for surely I make repentance a hundred times every day.”

Repentance is such a great act of worship that doing it can totally erase our sins altogether, as the Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “One who repents from sin is like one without sin.”

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