Engaging in acts of repentance is imperative as a Muslim and learning exactly how to repent a sin is essential for our repentance to be accepted.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that when Allah’s slave abstains from a sin, repents and asks for forgiveness, his heart is not only wiped clean of that dark spot (that was placed on the heart because of the sin) but it is also polished.
Think about the word ‘polished.’ It means to become even more beautiful, shiny, clean, pure.
Allah (SWT) does not expect us to be flawless like the angels and never sin.
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.”
This is why it is important to constantly repent and ask for forgiveness. It is human to sin – but what pleases Allah and earns us the rewards to enter Jannah is repenting for those sins.
In this short series, we will focus on how to repent a sin (or a number of sins) and guarantee that it will be wiped clean from our records. We will also look at the exact process of how to repent a sin.
Whaat? There’s an actual step-by-step process for how to repent a sin? It sounds too good to be true, but there is!
(if you want to skip straight to the step-by-step process, the next post will cover that. <3 )
It is Human to Sin
We are are constantly attacked by Shaytan’s advances to give into our desires or commit an act we know is wrong. Shaytan knows how to make these sins attractive so that we are more likely to commit the sin.
He may even wrap the sin in such a way that it doesn’t seem a wrong thing at all, but just an innocent moment of trying something new.
And then, when we’ve committed the sin many times and are addicted to it, he makes us lose hope and feel like there’s no point in trying to change if we’re going to mess up anyway.
But, there’s a bright side.
In Surah Al Maidah, it is said ‘But whoever repents after their wrongdoing and mends their ways, Allah will surely turn to them in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ [al-Maidah 5:39]
If we realise that what we are engaging in is a sin and want to stop doing it, then engage in sincere repentance for it, and resolve to never do it again, that sin will be rubbed out from our ‘record.’
So yes, you may have spiralled and fallen deeper into sin than you would’ve expected. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop hoping.
If Allah is willing to forgive you for some of the most major sins, you need to put in the effort to ask for forgiveness in the first place.
How Allah (SWT) Feels when you Repent a Sin
Allah (SWT) rejoices over and is overjoyed when people make repentance to Him. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said ‘By Allah, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert.’ (Sahih Muslim)
SubhanAllah! Isn’t that amazing? Let’s visualise the above scenario together.
Imagine you are on a journey to a far-off location and to get there, it includes crossing a desert (let’s just forget we have planes and trains now for the moment).
The desert is scorching, and there is no one and nothing to be seen. But, you’re fine because you’ve got your water, food items, clothing etc. on your trusty companion, your camel.
You tie your camel to one side and take a little break after travelling for a while.
When you get up from your break, you realise your camel is gone. Forget that being your only mode of transport in the desert, but all your belongings (including items for survival!!) are gone.
Now you are in utter despair and grief, hours have passed, and you know your death is looming. But wait! You see something in the distance.
Coming towards you is your camel with all your belongings. You are overjoyed and are saved from the tragic end that was previously before you.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that Allah feels even more happiness than this when you repent to Him.
Despite never ever being able to do enough to repay our thanks to Allah, this simple act of feeling guilty and asking for forgiveness brings so much joy to Allah than the joy you would feel if you were stuck in the desert and had just found your camel.
How to Repent a Sin (Things you can do daily)
Tahajjud Prayer
It was said from the Prophet (pbuh) that Allah (SWT) comes down to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and asks “Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)
This is the perfect time for you to make Dua’, Dhikr and pray Tahajjud to ask for His forgiveness.
How to Repent a Sin through Dua’
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said “By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times each day.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6307).
If our Prophet (pbuh) repented more than seventy times a day and he was free from sin and his entrance into Jannah is guaranteed, this emphasizes the importance of us also doing this.
If anything, we have to do way more because we are nowhere near the calibre of the Prophet (pbuh).
There are some simple dua’s you can say to ask for repentance from the Fortress of the Muslim book. Some of these you can get done in five minutes so definitely check it out – they may be your ticket to Heaven!
Repenting Consistently
We have to remember that at the end of the day, our admittance into Jannah isn’t because we repented so much but because of the mercy of Allah.
Learning how to repent a sin properly, and then constantly and consistently engaging in repentance morning, day and night will increase our chances of attaining Allah’s mercy.
Well, that’s not fair, is it? After all this Tawbah, all this Dhikr, all this extra Salah, we may still not be able to enter Jannah just because Allah didn’t want it. Then, what’s the point?
There is a point.
Allah (SWT) doesn’t want to put us in the Hellfire. He wants the best for us, He wants us to enter Jannah.
But, if we pray Salah while thinking about our plans later or if we give charity just so that other people can see, we’re not being sincere.
When you make Tawbah, Dhikr and pray Salah you have to be doing it all for the sake of Allah (SWT).
You have to do it with the intention that Allah is Al-Ghafur, Ar-Rahman, and after all of the blessings and chances He gave you, only He can decide whether what you did was genuine or not.
The best way to do that is to be intentional when engaging in acts of worship.
Focus in your Salah, give to charity for the sake of Allah (not because you want other people to know how much you’re giving), and learn the meanings behind what you say to actually feel it.
How to Repent a Sin before it’s too late
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking ‘I have so many years left, I can repent later,’ as it is a trap of Shaytan.
Or don’t think you want to have this ‘moment’ on Laylatul Qadr or during Hajj because reaching those times later is not guaranteed.
It may be that you have many years left to live, or a couple of years or months. You never know.
How many stories have we heard of people dying in an accident or passing away in their sleep? I’m sure they thought they had loads of time as well.
After reading this next line from Surah Al-Furqan 25:70, I want you to take a minute to think about Allah’s mercy.
“As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
In this verse, Allah is saying that if we repent sincerely, believe in Islam and do good deeds, our sins are transformed into good deeds.
The picture of Hell is extremely frightening, but oftentimes, we tend to forget about Allah’s mercy.
Yes, there are many sins especially in this day and age that have become easy to commit. Free mixing, listening to music, engaging in riba to name a few.
But, if we try our best to avoid these sins, and more importantly, repent after committing them, Allah may change those sins into good deeds on the Day of Judgement. This shows just how much Allah loves us and wants the best for us.
Conclusion
Muhammad (pbuh) said that Allah stretches His hand in the day so that those who had sinned in the night can repent and He does the same in the night so that those who had sinned in the day can repent (Sahih Muslim). Allah (SWT) will do this until Judgement day.
I hope from this post you can see the immense mercy Allah has for us. There were so many more examples I could have gone through that all reflect Allah’s love and mercy for us.
Yes, it’s hard to keep getting up and up again. Yes, it’s hard to let go of bad habits. Yes, it’s hard to say no, especially in a world that tells us that saying no is wrong.
But every time you get up, Allah is leading you back to Him. Every time you get up, Allah (SWT) will reward you with something better. Every time you get up, Allah will give you more and more and more you can say yes to where it truly matters.
In the hereafter.
Other posts to read:
How To Repent Our Sins (Including a Step-by-Step Guide)
How To Do Home Décor With Plants To Improve Mental Health
Sunday Routine To Prepare For A Hard Week & Skyrocket Productivity
