Repentance in the Quran
We are human beings sent into this world (Dunya) by Allah. As humans we are flawed when we come into this world because Allah did not make us for this world. We were made for Jannah which is perfect. But when we are sent by Allah to this world, we make mistakes, we do mischief and we generally act ‘human’ because that is who we are in this world. Human. Flawed. But Allah also put in us a spectacular quality. The ability to repent. To make mistakes and ask for forgiveness. THAT was another quality of being human.
When Allah made us and decided to send us to the world the angels said “And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely I know what you do not know.” (2:30)
That is the story of Allah sending us to the world. Allah told the angels that He knows what they do not know. That meant that while humans would “make mischief and shed blood” they would also show repentance for all their wrong deeds. The Quran, in its many instances, shows benefits and virtues of repentance for humans and is of supreme importance in the Quran.
Repentance brings about the love of Allah. Allah says in the Quran “Allah loves those who repent” (Al-Baqarah 2:222). This means that Allah understands that as humans we are bond to make mistakes but He also understands that we can ask for forgiveness for those mistakes and promise never to do them again. This increases the love that Allah has for us as we get closer to Allah.
Repentance also brings about the perfect opportunity to delete all sins from your life. The Prophet (PBUH) said “If the servant acknowledges his sin and repents, then Allah accepts his repentance.” Imagine getting all your sins deleted from your life. A clean slate and starting FRESH! Imagine how amazing that would be. THAT is the power of repentance mentioned in the Quran. At another place Allah has said in the Quran, “Oh you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance (66:8)” There is just a little step that needs to be taken. Take that. Ask for forgiveness and see your life change.
Repentance has also been mentioned in the Quran as a great step towards a happy life without hardships. Allah has said in the Quran that the reason he has sent calamities on the people of the past was because they did not believe in Him and did not repent for their sins. Allah has said in the Quran “See they not that they are put in trial once or twice every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it). [Quran, 9:126]”
In the above ayah Allah has clearly told us the importance of repentance in the Quran. Asking for forgiveness of your sins will make you feel lighter, will make you a abtter person and will improve your life. Do not worry about the size of the sin you have committed.. NO sin is unforgivable in the book of Allah. Allah can and Allah WILL forgive your sins provided you are sincere in asking for forgiveness. So READ the Quran and understand the importance of asking it. Understand how essential it is to be forgiven by the Almighty Allah and then work towards it, eventually getting a clean slate and starting fresh!
