Question:
Assalamualaikum ustaz. Hopefully, you are blessed and under the protection of Allah SWT. I have a question. Once there was an ustaz that came to my place and give a sermon. He said that it is impermissible for us to delay our repentance prayer. If we delay our repentance prayer, then our repentance will not be accepted. Hope for an explanation from you. Thank you.
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt. wbt.
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Every human will surely make mistakes. None are safe from committing sins and mistakes. However, the best of people is those who repent every time they commit a sin and mistake. In a hadith from Anas bin Malik, he said, the Prophet PBUH said:
كُلُّ ابْنِ آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ
“All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often.”
Sunan al-Tirmizi (2423)
Syeikh Muhammad Abdurrahman al-Mubarakfuri said, the above hadith means, the best of humans are those who make a lot of mistakes and sins, but they return back to Allah by worshipping Him and leaving the transgression that he once committed. (Refer Tuhfah Al-Ahwazi Bi Syarh Jami’ Al-Tirmizi, 7/202)
Furthermore, more than that, Allah SWT always open the doors of repentance to His slaves who have committed sins and transgressions. Allah SWT describe Himself as The Forgiver. This is stated in numerous verses of the Quran. In a verse of the Quran, Allah SWT state that one of His attributes is al-Ghaffar and al-Ghafur. Both are translated as The Forgiving.
Among the statements of Allah SWT:
نَبِّئْ عِبَادِىٓ أَنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Surah al-Hijr (49)
In another verse, Allah SWT state:
وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا ثُمَّ ٱهْتَدَىٰ
“But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.”
Surah Taha (82)
Syeikh Mustafa al-Maraghi said that it is as if Allah SWT is saying I am the owner and the One who accept repentance of those who repent, removing their sins, where they are those who immediately leave the sin and not repeat the sin, sincere in worship, fulfilling the obligations that I have commanded and leaving the sins as well as consistent with all of these until he died. (Refer Tafsir Al-Maraghi, 16/136)
Coming back to the question, as long as a person is alive and still breathing, then the doors of repentance is always open for him. Even if he is always committing his sins and mistakes, then he repents to Allah SWT fulfilling the conditions of repentance. In a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH once said:
إِنَّ عَبْدًا أَصَابَ ذَنْبًا ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ : أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا ، فَقَالَ : رَبِّ أَذْنَبْتُ ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ : أَصَبْتُ ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي ، فَقَالَ رَبُّهُ : أَعَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ ، غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي ، ثُمَّ مَكَثَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ، ثُمَّ أَصَابَ ذَنْبًا أَوْ أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا ، فَقَالَ: رَبِّ ، أَذْنَبْتُ أَوْ أَصَبْتُ آخَرَ ، فَاغْفِرْهُ ، فَقَالَ : أَعَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ ، غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي ، ثُمَّ مَكَثَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ، ثُمَّ أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ : أَصَابَ ذَنْبًا ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَبِّ ، أَصَبْتُ أَوْ قَالَ أَذْنَبْتُ آخَرَ : فَاغْفِرْهُ لِي ، فَقَالَ : أَعَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ ، غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي ثَلَاثًا ، فَلْيَعْمَلْ مَا شَاءَ
"If somebody commits a sin and then says, 'O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!' and his Lord says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).' Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without Committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes."
Sahih al-Bukhari (7507)
It is inaccurate to claim that if a person delays his repentance prayer then his repentance is rejected. The reason is, the doors of repentance is always open before death comes. Repentance is accepted if it fulfils its conditions. Simply put, the conditions are as the following:
- Leave the sin voluntarily
- Repent from committing the sin
- The choice to leave the sin comes from one’s intention to glorify Allah SWT
If the soul of a person has been taken away, there the chance to repent ceases. This is stated in the statement Allah SWT:
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُوا۟ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَٱرْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ
“If you could but see when the criminals are hanging their heads before their Lord, [saying], "Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world]; we will work righteousness. Indeed, we are [now] certain."
Surah al-Sajadah (12)
It is clear in the above verse that those who have committed sins would beg to return to this world to repent and perform acts of worship. However, their appeal and pleas are rejected by Allah SWT at that time, for it is too late.
Yes, Allah SWT did command His slaves to immediately repent and do good deeds if they have committed a mistake. Allah SWT state:
وَسَارِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.”
Surah Ali ‘Imran (133)
Syeikh Mustafa al-Maraghi commented the above verse saying that by hastening to do good deeds as it is a mean and way to gain the forgiveness of Allah SWT and get the chance to enter paradise. (Refer Tafsir Al-Maraghi, 4/68)
To conclude, it is inaccurate to say that if a person delays performing repentance then the repentance is unaccepted. However, one should not delay one’s repentance for we could die at any moment. Regarding the methods of performing sunnah repentance prayer and when to perform it, we have explained it in Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi Series 651. [1]
May we become among those who are always seeking forgiveness from Allah SWT.
Wallahua’lam.
End notes:
[1] Refer https://muftiwp.gov.my/en/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/725-al-kafi-651-tatacara-solat-sunat-taubat