REFORMATION AFTER TAWBAH ----------------------------- Admission of sins together with regret form an integral part of tauba; it in fact motivates tauba. On the contrary, to justify ones sins is a sin in itself. Shaitaan justified his sin, hence he was not granted the Taufeeq of making Tauba. Furthermore acknowledgement of sins ensures forgiveness. Nabie [salallahu alaiwasallam] said, "When a servant acknowledges his sins and then repents Allah accepts his repentance." [Mishkaat] To regret having committed a sin is in fact Tauba in itself. Nabie [salallahu alaihi wasallam] said, "Regret is the foundation of Tauba." A person grieved for forty years over a sin which he had committed. Someone inquired about the nature of the sin, he replied, "Once in order to entertain a guest, I bought fish which we ate. Thereafter, I scraped some sand from my neighbour's wall without his permission to wash my hands. I still cry over this sin." The questioner expressed surprise that such a "minor sin" caused so much of grief. The person explained, "The biggest sins before Allah Ta'aala are the little errors which man regard as unimportant and thereby thinking that it isnot necessary to make tauba. On the contrary, acknowledging ones wrongs, and considering them to be serious creates a sense of guilt within oneself, this will motivate sincere tauba." [Ghunya] ELIMINATION OF THE PLEASURE OF SIN ------------------------------- Expulsion of the pleasure of committing sin form the very essence of tauba. It motivates a firm resolution of self reformation, obedience to the commandments of Allah Ta'aala and total abstinence from sin. A Nabie of The Bani Israeel once requested Allah Ta'aala to accept the tauba of a person who, after having sinned for many years, began to excel in the Ibadah of Allah Ta'aala. Allah Ta'aala replied, "By My Honour and Grandeur! If all the people in the heavens and the earth intercede on his behalf, I will not forgive him while the pleasure of sin remains in his heart." [Ihya vol 4] REFORMATION AFTER TAUBA ---------------------------- Allah Ta'aala says, "CERTAINLY YOUR RABB: TO THOSE WHO DO WRONG IN IGNORANCE, AND THEREAFTER REPENT AND MAKE AMENDS, YOUR RABB, AFTER ALL THIS IS OFT FORGIVING, MOST MERCIFUL." [16:119] Allah Ta'aala, in this and many other ayaat assures His Forgiveness and Mercy on two conditions, tauba and reformation. In another ayah Allah Ta'aala says; "...UNLESS HE REPENTS, BELIEVES,AND WORKS RIGHTEOUS DEEDS, FOR ALLAH WILL CHANGE THEIR EVIL DEEDS TO GOOD DEEDS, AND ALLAH IS EVERFORGIVING, MOST MERCIFUL. [25:70] In this ayah Allah Ta'aala assures not only forgiveness but He will, on the condition of tauba, total Imaan and righteous deeds "Change the evils of such persons into good." This may have one of five meanings; 1. All sins would be forgiven and only virtues would remain in their books of deeds. 2. Allah Ta'aala would grant them the "Taufeeq" [Divine Guidance] to practise good deeds when otherwise they would have committed evil. 3. They become habitual doers of virtue instead of vice.eg. Hazrat Umar [radhiyallahu anhu]. At one time he had left no stone unturned in molesting the Muslims; but after embracing Islaam and remaining in the company of Rasulullah [salallahu alai wasallam] he became correspondingly hard on the unbelievers. 4. Allah Ta'aala guides him to repent for his sins. He recollects his previous sins, repents over them and prays for forgiveness. Thus for every sin previ ously committed, he gets the reward of tauba, which constitutes a devotion and a virtue. 5. If Allah Ta'aala, The Gracious, is pleased with the good deeds of somebody and through His sheer benevolence grants him virtue equal to his sins, there is nobody to question His authority. He is The Lord, He is The King, He is All Powerful, His Mercy is boundless. Who can close the door of His orgiveness? Who can stop His Bounty? [Fadhail-e-Zikr] Hazrat Abdullah ibne Mas'ood [radhiyallahu anhu] relates that once he was passing by a place near Kufa. He saw a gathering of evildoers consuming alcohol in a house. A person named Za'zaan was singing in a beautiful voice and playinghis instrument. On hearing his voice Ibne Mas'ood [radhiyallahu anhu] exclaimed, "What a beautiful voice! If only it was used for reciting the Quraan." Having said this he covered his head with a cloth and went away. Za'zaan heard him say everything. On inquiry, he was informed that the person was Abdullah ibne Mas'ood, a Sahabi of Rasulullah [salallahu alaihi wasallam]. Awe-stricken, he threw his instrument to the ground and ran to Ibne Mas'ood [radhiyallahu anhu] and began to cry at his feet. Ibne Mas'ood [radhiyallahu anhu], also crying, embraced and said, "Why should'nt 1 befriend one whom Allah Ta'aala loves." Za'zaan remained in Ibne Mas'ood's [radhiyallahu anhu] company, he learnt the Quraan and other branches of Islamic knowledge from him until he became an imam of his time. [Ghunya] TEN PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ATTAINING TOTAL PIETY --------------------------------- Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani [rahmatullah alai] has stated that to attain total piety one should hold fast onto the following ten things; 1. Save the tongue from Gheeebat [backbiting] 2. Refrain from suspicion. 3. Do not mock others. 4. Safeguard the eyes from prohibited things. 5. Always speak the truth. 6. Acknowledge the favours of Allah Ta'aala. Do not attribute any achievement to yourself. 7. Spend your wealth on the deserving, not on those who are not in need, and do not spend it on evil pursuits. 8. Do not desire lofty ranks in this world. 9. Be punctual with the five daily Salaat observing the Ruku and Sajda properly. 10. Follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah [salallahu alai wasallam] and do not disunite from the Ummah. May Allah Ta'aala accept this humble effort and make it a means of Hidaya and forgiveness for the entire Ummah of Our Beloved Nabi [salallahu alai wasallam]