The Nature of Repentance and Spiritual Purification
In Islamic ethics, the first step for a person to reach spiritual maturity is repentance. Imam Ghazali placed repentance as the first in the section on ways leading to salvation (Munjiyat) in his work “Ihya Ulum al-Din.” Repentance is when a servant becomes aware of their mistakes, feels deep remorse, and completely turns their face towards their Creator. Sufi scholars evaluate repentance in three stages: firstly, feeling deep regret in the heart, secondly, immediately abandoning sin and turning to divine commands, and thirdly, making a firm decision not to return to that sin again. Sins are obstacles that darken the heart and distance the servant from Allah’s mercy. Seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) with only the tip of the tongue, without abandoning sin, is actually not repentance but merely deceiving oneself.
Continuity in Repentance and Divine Mercy
For a believer who repents and turns to the right path, persevering on that path is as important as repentance itself. Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.) emphasizes that a believer who feels being dragged by mistakes should immediately turn away from those mistakes and focus on their afterlife. Allah knows the state of every servant who turns towards Him and surrounds them with His manifestations. However, it is essential for the servant to be sincere and genuine in their repentance. Sufi masters frequently remind us that insincere repentance will not benefit a person, and returning to the desires of the ego will lead a person back into disaster. It is not right to despair after mistakes; for true gnostics do not belittle even the smallest sin but immediately seek refuge in Allah’s door of forgiveness.
Rights of Others and True Salvation
Repentance is necessary not only for sins between a person and Allah, but also for injustices committed against people. It is one of the most challenging stages of repentance to be freed from the responsibility of unjustly taken possessions and violated rights (7, 8). The repentance of a person who has a right over them will not be considered complete unless they return the right to its owner or seek forgiveness. Spiritual travelers strive to make amends for all kinds of spiritual and material mistakes they have committed after entering the door of repentance. A servant who repents sincerely is purified from the stains of sin, as if newly born from their mother, and joins the ranks of Allah’s beloved and chosen servants.