Touba as per Quran
We will surely test you through some fear, hunger, and loss of money, lives, and crops. Give good news to the steadfast….[Quran- Surat l’Buqra Surah # 2; Ayah # 155; 2:155]
These are challenging times indeed but more so, this is the time to really think and ponder; not only how such a small little micro organism has brought the whole world, the most evolved race on the planet to its knees; but also, for us as Muslims, is this Azzab-e-illahi? what are the reasons behind this Azaab Punishment from God Almighty? and what can we do as Muslims?
During this calamity, Muslims are being stressed to focus on duas (supplications), Mughfirah and Touba. These are good advices indeed and these times definitely calls for ‘Touba’. However as per Quran, Touba is not the words that we utter from our mouth. As per the very clear Quranic guidelines, ‘Touba’ can only be accepted if there is a genuine repentance, a realization of what we did wrong, rectification of the wrongdoing and an ‘ahad’ a covenant, a firm commitment with ourselves and Allah that we will not do it ever again!
[Quran Surah Al-Baqarah; Surah #2; Ayah # 160; 2:160] Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident. Those – I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
As per Quran, Touba is not the words that we utter from our mouth.
‘Touba’ is a complete course of action which is as follows.
- Identify what we have been doing wrong.
- Rectify our wrong doings
- Make a firm commitment to ourselves and Allah never to repeat the wrong doings again.
- Refocus and Re-strengthen our Emaan, stay on righteous path and continue to do righteous deeds.
- Then and only then our Touba can be accepted and we can be forgiven by Allah.
Therefore, seeking forgiveness is a complete course of action as mentioned above, not just uttering words from our mouth. A dire and urgent need; the first and the foremost step for Touba, is for us, as Muslim Ummah, to identify what we did wrong, where our Emaan is lacking and what is it that we are seeking the forgiveness for?
[Quran Surah Al-Ma’idah; Surah # 5, Ayah # 39; 5:39] But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
However as per the very clear guidelines from Quran, there are few instances where our ‘Touba’ will not be accepted. For instance, “Touba’ is not for those, who keep on seeking forgiveness without any genuine repentance, who haven’t identified where they have gone wrong, who continue to do the misdeeds, who have no intention of correcting their mistakes; who turn their backs to the commandments of God as per Quran, who keep on seeking forgiveness, but their only action is to utter the words of Mughfirah and Touba from their tongues only with no real action/repentance behind those words.
[Quran Surah An-Nisa’; Surah#4, Ayah # 18; 4:18] But repentance is not of those who do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “Indeed, I have repented now,” or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.
[Quran Surah Al-Isra’, Surah#17; Ayah#8; 17:8] [Then Allah said], “It is expected, that your Lord will have mercy upon you. But if you return, We will return. And We have made Hell, for the disbelievers, a prison-bed.”
These are indeed challenging and sad times; and a reflection of Azaab-e-Illahi! The solution for the current times is following God’s Message (Quran), genuine repentance, rectification, reaffirmation of our Emaan and righteous deeds in accordance with clear guidelines from Quran. ‘Touba’ is not the words that we utter from our mouth, it’s a complete process given by Quran, which is to identify what we have done wrong; rectify our wrong doings; make a firm commitment to ourselves and Allah never to repeat the wrong doings again; refocus and re-strengthen our Emaan and stay on the right path and do righteous deeds. Then and only then our ‘Touba’ can be accepted and we can be forgiven by Allah.