Aslam

Tauba means repentance and determination for not doing the same again. Knowledge, repentance and determination are the conditions of Tauba. Repentance is the name of grief that comes as a result of loss of a dear thing. It has got many signs-pangs of mind and sorrow, shedding tears, weeping for a long time, living in cares and anxieties. What thing other than sins shows path to punishment ? Whoelse except God and His Apostle is the giver of true news ? There is in Hadis : Live with those who repent, as their minds are very soft.' There is a story of Banu Israil that a man committed a sin and then repented and remained engaged for many years in divine service but still his repentance was not accepted. The Prophet of the time was asked about the acceptance of his Tauba and God revealed to him : By My honour and glory, if the inmates of heaven and earth make intercession for him, I will not except his repentance, as the pleasure of sin still lies within his mind.

Question: Mind naturally turns towards sinful acts. Why should there be taste of bitterness ?

Answer: Some one drinks honey mixed with poison and gets these at the time of drinking, but thereafter he suffers for long after he falls ill, his hairs fall down and his limbs get swollen, if thereafter honey mixed with poison is given to him although he is then hungry and has got a great desire to enjoy sweet things, he will hesitate in drinking that honey. The bitterness of sin is like that to a repentant. So the pleasure of every sin is like the taste of honey but there is poison in it. Without this belief, Tauba can not be sincere. When this belief becomes difficult his repentance can not be sincere. Believe that there is a ruinous poison in every sin as you believe firmly that poison is ruinous.

DETERMINATION OR FIRM WILL: The firm will which comes out of repentance is the will of inquiry. It has got connection with the present, future and past, Regarding its connection with the present, it gives advice to one to give up

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every sin, every prohibited thing and to do all compulsory duties. With regard to its connection with the past, it enquires into omission of duties. With regard to its connection with future it advices him to take care, so that there should be no further ommission of compulsory duties and doing divine service always and giving up sins upto death.

The condition of sincere Tauba is that one should prepare for

correction of past misdeeds. From the day of omission of semen

upto the present time, take account of all ommissions an

commissions and rectify these, observe the omitted prayers, pay

the dues of Zakat and do other duties like fasting and pilgrimage.

If you could not have fasted in Ramzan, you should keep them. If

you had means of going to pilgrimage and you now had not done

it, do it and if you can not do it now owing to poverty, you should