Best Way

The best ways of compensating and rectifying the sins, and returning the value and dignity of a sinner – which is among the important factors of spiritual training and correctness of moral values, as well as the purification of soul; and at the same time, it shows the easiness and vastness of the religion of Islam, without harming the dignity and respect of the sinner in front of others, and thus purifies his conscience and heart from darkness and impurity – are to seek forgiveness, pardon, repentance and return towards Allah.

Amidst the majority of its social teachings, Islam has observed the protection of dignity, respect, social position, sanctity and value of people, and it doesn’t want to expose and disclose people’s hidden deeds. It has strictly prohibited the revelation of defects and sins before others.

The Islamic viewpoint is that whoever committed sins and witnessed a downfall as a result, he should stand again and begin to walk again on the path of Allah, without stopping his efforts and endeavour for Him.

Each one of us must assess his own deeds, and witness the file of his actions, and must be questioned in the court of conscience.

Compensation of sins and forgiveness from bad deeds doesn’t require a visit to the priest and confession of sins before him, nor does it need physical sufferings and cutting of body parts. Compensation of sins, forgiveness and acceptance of repentance, has no other condition except the awareness of conscience and intellect, and the attention towards the harmfulness of sins, and the decision of being purified from sins, returning towards Allah, giving the rights, and freeing oneself from oppression.

If a believer commits a sin, he will regret upon it if he is aware of the shameful and dangerous effects of that sin. Just like a person who unintentionally or angrily eats poison, or sets his wealth on fire, or kills his son, or humiliates his benefactor, regrets and if he doesn’t regret:

"فمن لم یندم علی ذنب یرتکبہ فلیس بمؤمن"

“One who doesn’t regret on the sin he committed, is not a believer”.

The effect of faith is regression and remorse, and regretting the sin is enough for repentance.

When a believer commits a sin, his guilt and regret will force him to seek forgiveness and pardon. And the Islamic teachings gives hope to a sinner and rescues him from despair and hopelessness. This divine gift and Quranic good-tiding blows a new life inside a dead body:

قُلْ یا عِبَادِی الَّذِینَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ یغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِیعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِیمُ

“Say [that Allah declares], ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah will forgive all sins. He is all-forgiving, all-merciful.”

Indeed Allah is the all-forgiver, the Veiler, all-Clement and the all-Merciful. He loves those servants who repent; and no human is definitely unfortunate.

 In some of the traditions and narrations, it has arrived that when a servant regrets a sins and returns towards Allah, and says:

"الھی انا اسات"

“O My Lord, I have wronged”

Allah says:

"و انا سترت"

“I have veiled”

Then he says:

"فیقول: الھی انا ندمت"

“O my Lord, I regret”

Allah says:

"و انا قبلت"

“I accept it”.

"ایھا الشاب اذا تبت ثم نقضت فلا تستحی ان ترجع الینا"

“O youth! If you repented and broke it, do not feel shy from returning towards Us again”.

"و اذا ثانیا فلا تستحی او یمنعک الحیاء ان تاتینا ثالثا"

“And if You repented the second time and broke it, don’t be shy. Has your shyness stopped you from returning to Us the third time? (Don’t feel shy and come)

"واذا نقضت ثالثا فارجع الینا رابعا"

“And if you repented the third time and failed it, then come to Us for the fourth time.”

"فانا الجواد الذی لا ابخل"

“I am the Generous who doesn’t show misery”.

"و انا الحلیم الذی لا اعجل"

“And I am the Forbearing who doesn’t haste”

"و انا الذی استر علی المعاصی و اقبل التائبین، و اعفو عن الخاطئین، و ارحم النادمین"

“And I am the One who puts veil on sins and accepts repentance, and forgives the wrongdoers, and have mercy upon the remorseful”.

"و انا ارحم الراحمین"

“And I am the most Merciful”

" من ذا الذی اتی الی بابنا فرددناہ؟"                    

“Who has come to our door and We have rejected him?”

"من ذا الذی لجا الی جانبنا فطردناہ؟"

“Who has sought refuge in Us and we have refused him?”

"من ذا الذی تاب الینا و ما قبلناہ؟"

“Who has returned towards Us and we haven’t accepted him?”

"من ذا الذی طلب منا و ما اعطیناہ؟"

“Who has asked Us and We haven’t given?”

"من ذا الذی استقال من ذنبہ فما غفرناہ؟"

“Who has demanded forgiveness and we haven’t forgiven him?”

"انا الذی اغفر الذنوب و استر العیوب و اغیث المکروب، و ارحم الباکی الندوب و انا علام الغیوب"

“I am the One who forgives the sins and hides the defects and helps the distressed and has Mercy upon the aggrieving and moaning, and I am the Knower of the Hidden”.

The reported supplications teaches repentance and clemency to the wrongdoers.

Study this sentence from the supplication carefully to understand how a servant presents his excuses in the threshold of Allah and how it makes him aware of Allah:

"الھی لم اعصک حین عصیتک و انا بربوبیتک جامد و لا بامرک مستخف و لا لعقوبتک متعرض و لا لوعیدک متھاون و لکن خطیئۃ عرضت و سولت لی نفسی و غلبنی ھوای و اعاننی علیھا شقوتی و غرنی سترک المرخی علی"

“O Allah, I did not disobey You when I did because I rejected Your divinity or because I belittled Your commands, or that I was daringly challenging Your punishment, or that I did not appreciate Your forewarning, Yet the mistake occurred and my self misled me, and my sinful desires won over me, and my misery helped me to it, and Your protective veil over my sins lured me”.