Hojjatoleslam Alavi Tehrani said: "If someone who has repented from a sin does not understand that he has repented, it is not repentance. That is, they should notice the change in his lifestyle."
According to Ashura News, quoted by Mehr News Agency, the month of Ramadan is one of the most virtuous months of the year and the month of God's hospitality. In this month, the doors of divine grace and mercy are opened and everyone enjoys spiritual blessings at God's banquet. After the months of Rajab and Sha'ban, Ramadan is a prelude to self-improvement and spiritual preparation, avoiding sins and getting closer to God. Fasting, which has been made obligatory on Muslims from the beginning to the end of this month, also provides the spiritual preparation of the soul to be in a position of seeking forgiveness and cleansing from sins. Therefore, Muslims try to benefit as much as possible from its virtues by staying up all night, reciting the Quran, feeding and breaking the fast, giving charity and fasting.
The Holy Prophet of Islam says about the month of Ramadan and the forgiveness of sins in this month: "The month of Ramadan is called by this name because it burns sins." He also said, "O people! May the month of God come upon you with blessings, mercy and forgiveness, a month that is superior to all months in the sight of God, and whose days are superior to all days, whose nights are superior to all nights, and whose hours are superior to all hours. It is a month in which you are invited to God’s feast and are blessed by Him. Your souls glorify Him in it, your sleep is in it, your deeds are accepted in it, and your supplications are answered in it. It is the best of hours in which God looks with mercy upon His servants.”
Laylat al-Qadr is one of the nights that is superior to a thousand months, and the angels descend on this night by God’s permission and determine all the destinies of the servants throughout the year. And the existence of this night in this blessed month is a divine blessing and gift to the nation of the beloved Prophet of Islam (PBUH). The fate of a person for a year (life, death, sustenance, etc.) is determined based on the merits and grounds that they themselves have created. On such a night, a person can come to his senses and evaluate his actions for a year and, by providing the appropriate grounds, determine the best fate for himself.
The virtues listed in this month undoubtedly belong to those who have understood its truth and put it into practice with their actions, words, and deeds as recommended, and while all members and organs are far from sin and haram, they take steps on the path of self-improvement with sincerity, trust, and recourse to the Ahl al-Bayt in the field of acting on the divine commands and the rules of the Quran. The effect of this month can be such that it leaves traces of it in the soul and spirit throughout life and in other months.
In order to benefit as much as possible from the blessings of this month and to step on the path of self-improvement and self-purification, Hojjat-ul-Islam Seyyed Mohammad Baqir Alavi Tehrani has referred to the manners of entering the blessed month of Ramadan in a series of lectures.
If we want to avoid being a lowly person and reaching the status of a target and not being seen by God, we must avoid sin. Imam Baqir (AS) says: There is no distance between a sinful person and repentance unless this person is immersed in the life of this world. Prophet Jesus (AS) said: The thought of sin is like the smoke of a fire that blackens the air. That is, sin itself is like a fire that burns, but the thought of sin is like smoke.
We said that repentance consists of three components: the first component is knowledge. Until a person becomes aware of the ugliness of sin, even if he repents, he has no survival. The second component is firm determination. That is, he should not think about sin and instead think about making up for it and taking practical action. The third component is the state of regret and remorse. Instead of being happy during the time of sin, he should punish himself with sadness.
Imam Sajjad (AS) said: Undoubtedly, God loves a sad heart. Hazrat Dawud said to God, "O God, You have commanded me to purify my face, body, and feet with water. With what shall I purify my heart?" God said: With sadness. The state of sadness is actually the purification of the heart. So, he should do deeds that will make up for the past wrong deeds.
Another point is perseverance in the state of repentance, although it is difficult to be careful, but when we fall down again, let us not despair of God's mercy, as they say, if repentance fails a hundred times, come back. Repentance means a change in the way of life, that is, if I lived according to sin until now, from now on I will not live according to sin. This change must have an outcome so that others can understand.
The Prophet said to his companions: Do you know who is a repentant person? They said: We do not know. He said that when a sinful servant repents but does not make up for his sins, that is, he does not change his sitting and standing, his type of food, his friendship with his friends, his worship does not increase, his chest does not become spacious, he does not become a giver (he does not become a person of kindness and forgiveness), his desires do not decrease, he does not control his tongue, he does not give his food to others, he is not a repentant person. Whoever perseveres in these 10 things is a repentant person.
In another hadith, the Imam says: If someone repents from a sin and people do not understand that he has repented, it is not repentance. That is, they should notice the change in his lifestyle. This narration does not mean hypocrisy, but in the eyes of people, there should be a difference between the behavior of believers and sinners. A young man came to Imam Sadiq (AS) and said: If someone commits a sin and then repents, will God forgive him? The Imam said: Yes. He asked again: Will God forgive him? The Imam said: He will definitely forgive him. He asked the third time: Will God really forgive him? He said: God will definitely forgive him. Then he lowered his head and said: If God forgives, what should I do with his shame? But before this shame, if there is a trace of sin, we must eliminate the trace of sin.
God said: O you who have believed, repent to God. This is in the field of action. In Surah Taha, verse 82, He said: I am the Forgiver for the one who repents. That is, he has erased the act of sin by repentance, but he wants to erase the effect of sin by God's forgiveness.
When verses 16 and 17 of Surah Al-A'raf were revealed, Iblis said: I will attack man from four sides: front, right, left, and back. The angels said: O Allah, this man is oppressed. He is attacked from four sides, so what is the way of salvation? God said: There is a way of salvation from two other sides. The first side is above (this is why we raise our hands during prayer and supplication). The second side is below, and that is when we prostrate, when God loves His servant very much.
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