Like a traveler who stopped for a moment somewhere, just to rest and gather supplies, then continued on his way back to get to his destination. Such is the nature of human life on this earth, that each of us is essentially a traveler who was walking toward our true village, the eternal Hereafter.
So it is appropriate that we are prepared and armed with piety to our real life, the life that no death anymore after that, there is only happiness forever or vice versa: a long torment.
But have become flesh slipping into sin, when it is not man made but solely for the worship of Allah Ta'ala, carry out His commands and avoid His prohibitions. But when someone slips into the valley of disgrace, he should immediately return to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, leaving the fault and determined not to repeat such mistakes in the future. This is a great practice called to repentance.
Meaning of Repentance
Ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Utsaimin rahimahullah explains, "The meaning of repentance in language is back, while according to perngertian shar'ī repentance is returning from immoral to Allaah towards obedience to Him. And repentance of the greatest and most required is repentance from unbelief to faith.
Allah the Exalted says:
قل للذين كفروا إن ينتهوا يغفر لهم ما قد سلف
"Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist (from Unbelief repent), Allah will forgive the sins of those who have past." (Al-Anfal: 38)
Then the next level of repentance is repentance of sins is great, subsequent repentance of minor sins. And mandatory for any man to repent to Allaah from every sin. "(Syarhu Riyadhis Shalihin, 1/38)
Obligations Repent
Repent to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala commanded an obligation that Allah Ta'ala, as the word of his:
يا أيها الذين آمنوا توبوا إلى الله توبة نصوحا عسى ربكم أن يكفر عنكم سيئاتكم ويدخلكم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار
"O ye who believe, bertaubatlah to God by taubatan nashuhaa (repentance, pure). Hopefully your Lord will erase your mistakes and put you into Jannah flowing beneath the rivers. "(At-Tahrim: 8)
Also the word of Allah Ta'ala:
وتوبوا إلى الله جميعا أيها المؤمنون لعلكم تفلحون
"And Taubat you all to God, O believers that you prosper." (An-Nur: 31)
In the hadith of the Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam:
عن الأغر بن يسار المزني - رضي الله عنه -, قال: قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم -: ((يا أيها الناس توبوا إلى الله فإنى أتوب فى اليوم إليه مائة مرة)) رواه مسلم
From al-order bin Yasar radhiyallahu'anhu he said: The Messenger shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said, "O mankind, bertaubatlah to Allaah, verily I repent to Him one hundred times in a day." (HR. Muslim, no . 7034)
Al-Imam Ibn Qudaamah rahimahullah said, "The Ulama have agreed (ijma ') on the necessity of repentance, because of the deeds of sin can destroy the culprit and keep him away from Allah Ta'ala, then it is obligatory to avoid it immediately."
Thus, the obligation should be implemented with immediate repentance and should not be delayed, because all the commands of Allaah and His Messenger shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam must be implemented with immediate effect if there is no proof that allows the delay. Even the scholars explained that delaying repentance is a sin that needs repentance unto itself.
The terms of Repentance
First: Ikhlas
Let an repent with sincere intentions, are merely for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala and in order to gain His forgiveness, not because it wants to display to humans (riya '), or simply because of fear of the authorities, or other worldly interests. Because repentance to Allah Ta'ala is included worship must meet two requirements, namely sincere and mutaba'ah (modeled on the Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam).
Second: Regretting sin that has been done
Because regret honesty taubat someone, hence the Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said:
الندم توبة
"Remorse is repentance." (HR. Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim, classed as saheeh Ash-Shaykh al-Albani in Shohihut Targheeb, no. 3146, 3147)
Third: Leaving sin
Leaving sins including the most important condition of repentance, because it is evidence of true repentance is a person, then repentance is not accepted if it turns out he's still constantly committed such sins.
Al-Imam Al-Fudhail bin 'Iyad rahimahullah said, "Request for forgiveness without forsaking sin is repentance of the liars." (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9/3)
As for how to leave sin, if such obligations were abandoned; is to carry out that obligation. While sin committing haram, then it is obligatory to leave the unlawful act immediately and must not continue to do so even if only for a moment.
Fourth: Determined not to repeat the sin in the future
If in one's heart is still stored desire to return to that sin if the opportunity arises, it is not legitimate repentance.
Fifth: If sin in the form of injustice to another, then it should apologize and or restore the rights of others are taken in a way that vanity
As if someone ever berate other people, then let him ask for forgiveness to the person, or one who had stolen another man's treasure then let him apologize and return the property or ask for pardon.
Danger act wrongdoers
Injustice to other people is a great sin that resulted in major bankruptcies on the Day of Judgment. Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said:
أتدرون ما المفلس. قالوا المفلس فينا من لا درهم له ولا متاع. فقال إن المفلس من أمتى يأتى يوم القيامة بصلاة وصيام وزكاة ويأتى قد شتم هذا وقذف هذا وأكل مال هذا وسفك دم هذا وضرب هذا فيعطى هذا من حسناته وهذا من حسناته فإن فنيت حسناته قبل أن يقضى ما عليه أخذ من خطاياهم فطرحت عليه ثم طرح فى النار
"Do you know who the person is bankrupt?" They answered, "People who go bankrupt are people who do not (again) have the dinar and treasure". So the Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said, "Those who broke from my ummah is the one who came (towards Allah Ta'ala) on the Day of Resurrection with (carrying reward) prayer, fasting, zakat, but when in the world he once chided fulan, accused and-so, so and so eat up the property and bled so and so, so and so beat. Then diambillah goodness he ever did to be given to the people who ever he zalimi. Until, when goodness-goodness discharged before countered his dzalim, then the fault of the people he had the zalimi against him, then he is thrown into hell. "(HR. Muslim, no. 6744)
Sixth: Repentance must be on time
If an individual is willing to repent after the time was over, then repentance will not be accepted by Allah Ta'ala. The time of receipt for every human repentance before death is coming for her. Allah the Exalted says:
وليست التوبة للذين يعملون السيئات حتى إذا حضر أحدهم الموت قال إني تبت الآن ولا الذين يموتون وهم كفار أولئك أعتدنا لهم عذابا أليما
"And that repentance is not given to those who do evil until when death comes to one of them, (then) he said:" Verily I repent now ". And not (also accepted repentance) of people who die as disbelievers, for them have We have prepared a painful punishment. "(An-Nisa ': 18)
While the time of the receipt of repentance for the whole human being is for the sun had not risen from the west. Rasulullah shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said:
إن الله عز وجل يبسط يده بالليل ليتوب مسىء النهار ويبسط يده بالنهار ليتوب مسىء الليل حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها
"Allah 'Azza wa Jalla stretched out His hand at night in order to repent wrongdoers at noon. And spread his hands in daylight in order to repent wrongdoers at night, (this continues to happen) until the sun rises from the west. "(HR. Muslim, no. 7165)
Seventh: Explain the truth
If the offender is a sin or the inviting callers to the sin it is obliged to explain to the community (especially to his followers) that it was a mistake or error. Similarly, if his form proofing hide, then it is obligatory for him to explain the truth.
Based on the word of Allah Ta'ala:
إن الذين يكتمون ما أنزلنا من البينات والهدى من بعد ما بيناه للناس في الكتاب أولئك يلعنهم الله ويلعنهم اللاعنون * إلا الذين تابوا وأصلحوا وبينوا فأولئك أتوب عليهم وأنا التواب الرحيم
"Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down in the form of descriptions (clear) and guidance, after we explain it to mankind in the Book, they were cursed by Allah and cursed (also) by all (creatures) that can be cursed , except those who have repent and make amends and explain (the truth), then against them that I accept the repentance and I am the Oft repentance, Most Merciful "(Al-Baqarah: 159-160]
Underestimate Dangers of Dosa
This is one barrier repentance, that is, when someone underestimate sin which he did because it was considered as a minor sin. Precisely when one considers trivial deeds-vice to Allaah then he had fallen on a great sin, because he underestimated the sin is a major sin form.
And even small sin if done continuously, it will be a great sin, as the essence of a vast ocean just a collection of water droplets that could become big waves. Thus the little sins, when assembled in a person undoubtedly will destroy it. Rasulullah shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam said:
إياكم ومحقرات الذنوب, كقوم نزلوا في بطن واد فجاء ذا بعود, وجاء ذا بعود حتى أنضجوا خبزتهم, وإن محقرات الذنوب متى يؤخذ بها صاحبها تهلكه
"Beware of minor sins, (due to the small sins that) like a people who go down in a valley and each person carries the branches of firewood, which in turn can make a fire until they could cook their bread. Thus the little sins, when assembled in a person will inevitably destroy it. "(HR. Thabrani, classed as saheeh Ash-Shaykh al-Albani in Ash-Shohihah, no. 3102)
So everybody should we hasten to repent to Allah Ta'ala, especially when we do not know when we will be called by Allah Ta'ala and goodbye to the life of this world, to be held accountable for all our actions.
And let someone despair of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta'ala sin no matter how great she is doing, because the essence of a good servant is not never sinned at all, but the servants of Allah Ta'ala is best man when he sin, he always repent to Allah Ta'ala. As word of the Prophet shallallahu'alaihi wa sallam:
كل بني آدم خطاء, وخير الخطائين التوابون
"Each child adam always do wrong, and the best of those who err are constantly repent." (HR. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, dihasankan Ash-Shaykh al-Albani in Shohihut Targheeb, no. 3139)