Atoning For Sins in Islam
A person who committed sinful act feels very ashamed, thinking always about the way he would have to face God on the Day of Judgment. He wonders what he should do in order to atone for what he did.
The fact that this person thinks in this way proves that he has good consciousness of what he did and what he should do. It tells us that he has regretted what he did and he does not wish to do it again. This tells in his favor. Sinful actions are of two types: the first carry mandatory punishment, which is specified either in the Qur’an, or in the Sunnah; and the second has no specified punishment. The first type include four certain offences, but many scholars include two or three more, so as to make the total seven offences at most.
The four are adultery, theft, accusing chaste women of adultery and highway robbery. The other three are theft, waging war against the Muslim states and apostasy. No other offence carries a specified punishment, except for murder which carries the capital punishment, but the immediate relatives of the victim may, if they choose, pardon the offender.
Even in the case of offences that carry mandatory punishment, Islam prefers that the offender follows the alternative course, which is to repent and make amends. The Prophet, peace be upon him, says:
“If you do any of these offences and are duly punished for it in this life, the punishment atones for it. If you keep it between you and God, then it is up to God to either forgive or punish you on the Day of Resurrection.”
This means that repentance is the key to what one should do after committing any sin. Repentance means acknowledgement of one’s error, genuine regret for having committed it and a firm resolve not to do it again. If one truly repents of one’s sins and prays to God for forgiveness, then God accepts one’s repentance He has promised that and God’s promises always come true.
We have to add here that if the sinful action a person commits involves something due to other people, he should restore to them what is rightfully theirs. Thus a person who commits theft should combine his repentance with returning what he has stolen. A person who slanders another in front of a group of people should contact those people and put the record straight to them, speaking well of the person whom he had slandered.
The reader has told me of the offense the person concerned committed. The advice to that person is to genuinely repent and seek God’s forgiveness. There is no need for the action the reader suggests, because it does not prove anything. He only needs to be certain of not committing the same action again, and to do as much of good works as he can.
Observing Good Manners in All Situations
Edited by Adil Salahi
Question
I have noticed that many people here do not cover their mouths when sneezing, coughing or yawning. I have been brought up in an environment which teaches that covering one’s mouth is necessary in all these situations, and that one must resist the yawn if possible. Please comment.
Answer
Covering one’s mouth when sneezing, coughing or yawning is recommended. That people may omit it shows that they are lax about observing the Sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has taught us all good manners, in all situations. Following his example is the best option, whether he makes an order or a recommendation.
Whether it is possible to resist the yawn is another matter, because yawning suggests that one is sleepy, and the best thing to do in this case is to go to sleep. If one cannot, then one may avoid yawning by getting himself alert again, through washing one’s face, moving about a little and perhaps taking a cup of tea or coffee.
AB Withheld62@yahoo. com "For to us will be their return; then it will be for us to call them to account." (Holy Quran 88:25-26)
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