Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, Allah the Almighty (swt) states, “O you who have believed! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow…”[i]
In the hadith I have recited, the Messenger of Allah (saw) says, “He who repents is like him who has committed no sin.”[ii]
Dear Believers!
What is required of humans is that they be always inclined toward what is good and pleasant. They lead a life in line with the Almighty Allah’s (swt) commands and prohibitions. They are, nevertheless, sometimes drawn into sins, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Because they are predisposed to both good and evil, by nature. The gift of repentance that Allah the Almighty (swt) has bestowed on His servants is a gateway to grace and hope for being cleansed of sins.
Dear Muslims!
Repentance entails holding our own selves to account and expressing real and heartfelt remorse for our sins. It requires refraining from harping on wrongs and sins and demonstrating a will to avoid them in the future. It means promising not to succumb to our lusts and desires. Repentance is about cleaning the rust from our hearts tainted by sins. It is about rejuvenation and a fresh and clean beginning. It is about demanding our Almighty Lord’s (swt) love and pleasure.
Dear Believers!
Our Lord Almighty (swt), Who is al-Sattar, al-Rahim and al-Rahman, calls on us to repent as follows,
“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.”[iii]
Therefore, let us not only repeat the words of repentance but really believe them and turn to our Lord, al-Tawwab. Let us cleanse our hearts and souls by sincere and nasuh repentance and deepen our bond with our Lord (swt). Let us repent with remorse and tears for failing to be the slaves that He (swt) requires of us.
[i] Tahrim, 66/8.
[ii] Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 30.
[iii] Nur, 24/31.
FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMİİ “REPENTANCE: THE WILL TO PURIFY ONESELF OF SINS“.(PDF)