Repentance means to return to the soul’s initial
spirituality after the light of his human nature and the spirit has been
covered by the darkness of sins and disobedience. The human soul in its initial
natural state is devoid of any merits or vices. When a man commits sins, the
light of intrinsic nature is extinguished and is changed into darkness. If the
man awakens from the slumber of negligence, it results in repentance and the
soul gradually returns from the darkness to the light of original nature of essential
spirituality. The Infallible Imam
Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said: “One who repents from sins is like the one who has
not sinned.”
Repentance should be done as soon as possible. While a
person is still young and the roots of sins are not firmly entrenched in the
soul, one can easily perform repentance and save his Hereafter. Shaytan
encourages human beings to postpone the repentance for future. No one knows
when his time of death arrives and would not get a chance to repent.
The Commander of the
Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “The essentials of Tauba or repentance are;
remorse over the past the resolution never to return to it, return and
compensate the people whose rights were usurped, fulfill every duty neglected,
mourn and grieve so that the flesh acquired by unlawful sustenance should melt
away, let the body taste the pains of obedience in the same way it tasted the
pleasures of sinfulness.”
Sayyid-ul- Ulamah Mir
Damad’s grandson Fakhrul Muhaqqaqin quotes Shahid al-Sa’ni in his book, Fazail
Us Sada’t that a man arrived in Egypt. There
he saw a black-smith extracting red hot iron from kiln with his bare hands.
The hot iron did not affect his skin. Thinking that he must be a holy person, he
came near him and requested him to pray for him. Upon hearing this request, the
black-smith started to cry and said: “O Slave of Allah, I am not as you think
and I do not count myself among the righteous.”
The visitor said: “But the gift that you have is not possible for anyone
except the righteous one.”
The black-smith said: “One day I was busy in my workshop
when a very beautiful woman came to me and complained of her poverty and
difficulties. I told her to satisfy my needs and I will solve your problems.
She told me to Fear Allah and she said that she was not of loose character. I
said “O.K. you can go.” The woman went away dejected but came back after a
while and said that her needs had compelled her to return to me. I took her to
a house and locked the door. She asked me why I have locked the door. I said,
“So that people may not know about us.” She asked me why I did not Fear Allah.
I replied, “Because He is Forgiving and Merciful.” When I approached her, I
found her trembling and crying profusely. I asked her “What is the matter with
you?” She said that she was fearful of Allah Who was a witness over them. “If
you leave me alone, I can guarantee that Allah shall make you immune to the
fire of this world and the Hell-Fire.” The woman said. The words had the
desired effect and I gave up my evil intention. I gave her whatever I had and
said that I am releasing her due to the Fear of Allah.” The woman returned home
satisfied. That night I dreamt of a lady wearing a crown of rubies. She was
telling me, “May Allah give you a good reward.” When I asked her who she was,
she said that she was the mother of that poor woman. She prayed, “May Allah
keep you safe from the fire of this world and the Hereafter.” I thanked Allah. From that day fire does not
affect me.”
Surah -al-Na’ziat
Ayah 40 and 41: “However, those who had feared their Lord and restrained their
souls from acting to their desires, Paradise will be their dwelling.”
Sources used:
The Glorious Qur’an, Nahjul Balagha, Faza’il-us-Sadat by
Shaheed-al-Sa’ni , Al-Kafi by Kulayni ;Bab al-Tawbah Hadith 10
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