AL-BAQARAH (The Cow) - 14

“Then Adam learned certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance…” (2:37)

 

According to the blessed Companion Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), these phrases which Allah Ta’ala taught Adam (peace be upon him) to repent with are just the same which the Holy Qur’an cites in a different place;

 

 

…رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ (۷:۲۳)

 

"Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers." (7:23)

 

The Arabic word for repentance is ‘Taubah’ which means ‘a return’. In Shariah’s terminology, Taubah signifies a combination of three things;

 

(a) For the past, acknowledging one’s sin as a sin, being ashamed of it and feeling remorseful. 

 

(b) In the present, giving up the sin altogether. 

 

(c) for the future, making up one’s mind firmly never to indulge in it again. 

 

If any one of these three elements is missing, the Taubah is not complete.