Question Summary:
Repenting after receiving punishment in the Dunyaa

Question Detail:

assalamualaikum

Answer :

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

Brother in Islaam,

Allaah Ta’aala says,

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

Translation: And we will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent. (Surah As-Sajdah v.21)

The person in reference has committed a major sin by going to prostitutes. He has violated the laws of Allaah Ta’aala. Every sin has negative consequences even in this worldly life. That is a form of punishment from Allaah Ta’aala. However, the purpose of such punishment is veiled in love and mercy. Allaah Ta’aala wishes to draw such a person closer to Him by making him realize the harms of his sins. He then thereby forgets the enjoyment of the sin and regrets the sin. He then turns to Allaah Ta’aala with sincere forgiveness and repentance. This is understood from the above verse. Allaah Ta’aala is Most-Merciful and Oft-Forgiving; He waits for His servants to turn to Him and repent for their shortcomings. The person is suffering from AIDS as a consequence of his ill-doings, but at the same time it is a reminder that he should make tawbah for his sin. The ultimate punishment is in the Hereafter and he can avert this from by seeking forgiveness from Allaah Ta’aala and changing his lifestyle.

Ponder over the following. Allaah Ta’aala says,

قُلْ يَاعِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Translation: “Say (O Prophet): (Allaah declares to humanity) O My beloved servants! Those (of you) who have committed (sins in great) excess against their own souls, never despond of the mercy of Allaah! For, indeed, Allaah forgives the sins, one and all. Indeed, it is He (alone) who is All-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving.^[1]” (Az-Zumar v.53)

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ

Translation: “And, indeed, I am Most-Forgiving of whoever repents.” (TaaHaa v.82)

Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said,

قال الله تبارك وتعالى: يا ابن آدم إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان فيك ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك، ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة^[2]

Translation: “Allaah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you call upon Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam! If your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, then you were to seek forgiveness from Me, I will forgive you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam! If you come to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you meet Me not associating anything with Me (as partners), I will come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.” (Tirmidhi 5408)

إن الله عز وجل يبسط يده بالليل ليتوب مسيء النهار، ويبسط يده بالنهار ليتوب مسيء الليل، حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها^[3]

Translation: “Indeed, Allaah the Exalted and Glorious, stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people may repent from the sins committed during the day, and He stretches out His Hand during the day so that the people may repent from the sins committed at night. (Allaah will continue doing this) until the sun rises from the west (i.e. until the Day of Resurrection). (Muslim 2759)

He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also said,

لله أفرح بتوبة عبده من أحدكم سقط على بعيره وقد أضله في أرض فلاة^[4]

Translation: “Allaah is more happy with the repentance of His slave than one of you (would be happy) if he suddenly stumbled upon (i.e. found) his camel after having lost it in a desert (and given up all hope).” (Al-Bukhaari 6309)

The scholars have stated that for the validity of tawbah (repentance), three factors must be found^[5]:

1)      to abandon the sin

2)      to have remorse and regret over having committing the sin

3)      to make a firm intention to not commit the sin again

Moreover, you should seek forgiveness from Allaah Ta’aala (istighfaar) daily for the sin in reference and for all sins in general. Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam), despite being sinless, would seek forgiveness a hundred times daily. When repenting and seeking forgiveness, have full hope in Allaah Ta’aala that He will shower upon you with His mercy and compassion and pardon your sins.

Avoid all avenues that may lead you to fall into the sin in reference.  

You may listen to the discourses of my honorable teacher, Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Hafizahullaah) on the Qaseedah Burdah for spiritual enhancement. The discourses are available here.

And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.

Muajul I. Chowdhury

Student, Darul Iftaa

Astoria, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

________

^[1] Adapted from The Gracious Quran by Ahmad Zaki Hammad

^[2] سنن الترمذي (5/ 548)

3540 - حدثنا عبد الله بن إسحاق الجوهري البصري قال: حدثنا أبو عاصم قال: حدثنا كثير بن فائد قال: حدثنا سعيد بن عبيد، قال: سمعت بكر بن عبد الله المزني، يقول: حدثنا أنس بن مالك، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " قال الله تبارك وتعالى: يا ابن آدم إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان فيك ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك، ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة ": هذا حديث حسن غريب لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه

^[3]  صحيح مسلم (4/ 2113)

31 - (2759) حدثنا محمد بن المثنى، حدثنا محمد بن جعفر، حدثنا شعبة، عن عمرو بن مرة، قال: سمعت أبا عبيدة، يحدث عن أبي موسى، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: «إن الله عز وجل يبسط يده بالليل ليتوب مسيء النهار، ويبسط يده بالنهار ليتوب مسيء الليل، حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها»

^[4]  صحيح البخاري (ح: 6309)

6309 - حدثنا إسحاق أخبرنا حبان حدثنا همام حدثنا قتادة حدثنا أنس بن مالك عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم  و حدثنا هدبة حدثنا همام حدثنا قتادة عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الله أفرح بتوبة عبده من أحدكم سقط على بعيره وقد أضله في أرض فلاة

^[5]  رياض الصالحين (ص: 33)

قال العلماء: التوبة واجبة من كل ذنب، فإن كانت المعصية بين العبد وبين الله تعالى لا تتعلق بحق آدمي، فلها ثلاثة شروط: أحدها: أن يقلع عن المعصية. والثاني: أن يندم على فعلها. والثالث: أن يعزم أن لا يعود إليها أبدا. فإن فقد أحد الثلاثة لم تصح توبته.

فتح الباري لابن حجر (14/ 123)

والتوبة ترك الذنب على أحد الأوجه.وفي الشرع ترك الذنب لقبحه، والندم على فعله، والعزم على عدم العود، ورد المظلمة إن كانت أو طلب البراءة من صاحبها.