According to the book "Hidayatul Azqiya Ila Tariqil Awliya," written by Imam Zainuddin Al Makhdum Al Kabir Bin Ali Al Mabari Al Malyabari Al Shafi (RA), everyone who wishes to pursue the Sufi path should adhere to the nine commandments. Unexpectedly, one of the nine commandments is Tawbah.

To return is the literal meaning of Tawbah, which is الرجوع. In the context of Sharia, it also signifies turning away from any behavior that is deemed wicked or evil and toward what is deemed good.

Conditions for Genuine Tawbah

For someone's repentance to be acceptable, Imam Zainuddin Al-Makhdum Al-Kabir Bin Ali Al-Mabari Al-Malyabari Al-Shafi (RA) adds that there are four requirements:

1. If someone has done a sin or sins, they must be sorry for all of them; in other words, they must be sorry for committing many sins.
2. The offender is also required to take an oath that he will never perpetrate the same transgression.
3. Refusing to commit new sins or staying far away from sins.
4. And ensuring that everyone's rights and entitlements are met.

A person's repentance will not be accepted if they fail to meet these four requirements. Imam Zainuddin Al-Makhdum Al-Kabir Bin Ali Al-Mabari Al-Malyabari Al-Shafi (RA) made this assertion. In other words, we recognize that a person must first meet these four requirements in order to repent.

Tawbah in the Quran and Sunnah:

In the Quran and Hadith Sharif, the virtue of repentance is referenced in a number of places. For instance, Allah Ta'ala states in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 222: "ان الله يحب التوابين ويحب المتطهرين" Interpretation: “Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.”

We learn from this Quranic passage how highly esteemed those who turn from their sins are in Allah's eyes.

According to a hadith attributed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب “a person who repents of their sin is like someone who has no sin.” Regarding the value of repentance, Allah Almighty also states in Surah An-Nur verse 31: وتوبوا إلى الله جميعا أيه المؤمنون لعلكم تفلحون "And repent to Allah, O you believers, that you may be successful."

From this, we can see that Tawbah is essential to achievement. According to a poem by Imam Zainuddin Al-Makhdum Al-Kabir Bin Ali Al-Mabari Al-Malyabari Al-Shafi (may Allah have pity on him):

والتوب مفتاح لكل طاعة
وأساس كل الخير أجمع أشملا

Interpretation:

And the secret to all obedience is Tawbah.
And the entire foundation of all good deeds

The poet asserts in this poem that the foundation of all obedience is repentance. In this context, obedience equates to worship, and wholeness is the foundation of good deeds. أجمع أشمل signifies wholeness in this context. From this, we can appreciate the honor and value of repentance.

According to Abu Musa (RA), who recounted another hadith concerning repentance, the Prophet (PBUH) stated:

إن الله تعالى يبسط يده بالليل ليتوب مسيء النهار ويبسط يده بالنهار ليتوب مسيء الليل حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها

In fact, Allah extends His hand at night so that His servants who sinned during the day can repent at night, and Allah extends His hand during the day so that His servants who sinned during the night can repent during the day, until the sun rises in its west.

From this point on, we realize how grateful Allah Ta'ala is for our repentance.

The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have stated that Allah Ta'ala is pleased when someone repents to his Lord in a hadith regarding it that is recounted by Abu Sa'id bin Sa'd (RA). A guy who loses his horse while drinking is an illustration of this. He gets very depressed and goes to a date palm tree, where he falls asleep. His sleep is abruptly interrupted when he discovers his horse beside him, and he exclaims joyfully, "O Lord, you are my servant, and I am your Lord."

Some well-known Hadith episodes about the virtue of repentance:

1) A man who took 100 lives:

The man who killed 99 people is the subject of this tale. He once questioned the residents of his town, "Who is the most knowledgeable person in our village?" The villagers said that it was a monk who was a well-known magician in Bani Israel's day. "Monk," he said, approaching the monk, "I have heard that you have a lot of knowledge." You heard correctly, he said. "I have killed 99 people," the murderer then questioned the man. Do I regret anything? "No!" the monk said. 99 individuals have been slain by you. This is extremely immoral behavior. After hearing the monk's response, he became enraged and also killed him. He has now murdered one hundred individuals. He then asked his village's residents once more: Who is more knowledgeable than this? Once more, the locals responded that he was a scholar. Then, like a monk, he approached the scholar and questioned him. In a very kind response, the scholar stated, "You must have repented, but you will have to leave your village and live in a new village because your village is dangerous for you."

Following the scholar's advice, the man then left the house and perished in the middle of the road. The angels of Paradise and Hell then appeared, and the angels of Paradise declared that since the individual had turned from his sins, he would accompany me to Paradise. Then the angels of Hell responded, "No, because he killed 100 people, this person will accompany me to Hell." The ruler of the angels, Malaqul al-Malaika, arrived as the angels were fighting and told them that it was pointless. One piece of advice I would give you is to estimate the distance between the person's home and the location he was going to or was considering.

2) The repentance of Prophet Adam:

The story of Prophet Adam’s (PBUH) repentance is a beautiful and touching tale of human mistake and the boundless mercy of Allah.

When Adam was created, he was placed in a paradise filled with everything good. He had everything he could ever need—beautiful gardens, delicious fruits, and peace. Allah also created Hawwa (Eve) to be his companion, and together they lived in this perfect place.

However, Allah gave them one rule: they were not to eat from a specific tree. Allah warned them that if they did, it would bring harm. But one day, Iblis (Satan), who was jealous of Adam, whispered to them, telling them that eating from the tree would make them live forever, like angels. He made it seem so tempting.

Adam and Hawwa, despite knowing the rule, were persuaded by Iblis’s lies. They ate the fruit, and immediately they realized their mistake. The paradise they had known suddenly felt different. They felt ashamed, and for the first time, they were aware of their disobedience to Allah. They tried to hide, covering themselves with leaves.

In that moment, Adam and Hawwa turned to Allah with deep regret and prayed for forgiveness.

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be lost.”

Allah, in His incredible mercy, forgave them. However, as part of their repentance, they were sent down to Earth to live. This was the beginning of human life on Earth.

The story teaches us that everyone makes mistakes, but true repentance and asking Allah for forgiveness can lead to mercy and a fresh start. It reminds us that no matter how far we may stray, the door to forgiveness is always open with Allah.

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