You will never be the same
This subject is of immense importance for transforming the human self after its fall. Yes, the human self can fall. That is a clear manifestation of weakness of the human self which has been clearly captured in the following Quranic text:
"And Allah wants to lighten for you (your difficulties) and mankind was created weak".
Quran 4:28
Yes, man is weak in diverse ways. He is weak and limited in his intellect; he is weak in his physique; and he is weak in his moral self and he can thus commit deviant acts which bring him pain and worry.
This segment deals with issues relating to revival of the human self after its fall; a fall that can cause his destruction; a fall that has the potency of introducing an element of hopelessness into the human and thus rendering it incapable of having a grip over the inner dictates of self and it's outward dispositions.
Undoubtedly, this is a destructive condition and the self has to be salvaged. Salvaging the self means that it is being given new life and potency through a process of transformation; a transformation that gives us the confidence to opine that the fallen self shall be the same again after going through it. That is the truth that gives hope and life to the lifeless.
WHAT DO I MEAN?
What do I mean by transforming fallen self? Simply, the fallen self can be transformed and given new life through repentance.
The Arabic word for "repentance" is "Al-Tawbah," which linguistically means "going back" to something and protecting the self from facing the consequences of his/her bad deeds. And, at the empirical and theological level, it means "the pursuit of return to Allah, the Almighty, with a firm resolve to do what He wishes and abstain from what He has made prohibited". Sometimes, it is referred to as the knowledge of the consequences associated with any bad deed.
The word "al-taaeb", which is the subject form of "Al-Tawbah", connotes someone who has returned to Allah, the Almighty, after being swayed by his wanton desires, whims and caprices. In simple terms, therefore,"Al-Tawbah" (repentance) implies total abstention from sin and transgression of any form against the Almighty Allah. I have stated, time and again, that repentance are of two kinds in respect of the sins committed.
First, there are sins directly committed against the Creator and second, there are sins committed against the servants of Allah, the Almighty. In both situations, certain conditions will have to be met.
In respect of sins against the Creator, the following conditions apply:
• expression of deep regret for the bad act committed;
•expression of vow to abstain from the bad act;
•expression of vow to abstain from the bad act;
•and concrete abstention from the bad act.
In respect of sins committed against a servant of Allah, the Almighty, the above-mentioned conditions apply in addition to the following all-important, crucial but difficult condition:
Seeking pardon from the one that the sin has been committed against and returning of anything that is due the person. Yes, this condition is crucial because it directly affects the dignity and honour of the person affected. Additionally, it is difficult because seeking pardon from one person one has sinned against is delicate and exposes one to shame. It is against this background that people should guard against offending others.
To be continued
The writer is a Theologian/Educationist.
