Virtues of Repentance in Light of Hadith
Bint Qasim Attariyah
(2nd year student of Jamia tul Madina Faiz Madina Girls North Karachi, Karachi)
Definition of repentance
استغفار is to seek forgiveness for your sins and promise not to commit that sin again. Declaring this resolve verbally is also called استغفار, whereas making a promise in the heart is called توبہ. استغفار is derived from غفر, which means to hide, because sins are covered due to the blessings of repentance.[1]
It is stated in the Quran:
فَقُلۡتُ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡا رَبَّکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ غَفَّارًا (ۙ۱۰)
“So I said, ‘O people, seek forgiveness from your Lord; He is Most-Forgiving.’”[2]
The virtues of repentance can be found in many hadith. Here are five:
1. Purification of the heart
Indeed, the heart becomes rusty like iron, and repentance purifies it.[3]
2. Glad tidings
Glad tidings to those whose records of deeds are filled with seeking forgiveness.[4]
3. Pleased with one’s record of deeds
Whoever desires to be pleased by their record of deeds should increase their repentance.[5]
4. Protection from calamities
Whoever persists in asking for forgiveness, Allah will grant him relief from every worry, a way out of every hardship, and provision from sources he could never imagine.[6]
5. Glad tidings of Paradise
اَللّٰهُمَّ اَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَاَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَاَنَا عَلىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ وَأَبُوْۤءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوْۤءُ لَکَ بِذَنْبِۢیْ فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَاِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ
If someone recites this during the day with firm faith and dies the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise. If somebody recites it at night with firm faith and dies before morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.[7]
May Allah grant us the ability to please Him through repentance and other worship.
اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم
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