Islam Sin and redemption

[Seeker1066]

Peace to all here,
As a seeker and a Catholic I am interested in Sin and redemption within Islam. When one commits sins(Shirk?) in Islam how is forgiveness obtained from God? I ask because I know that I am a sinful man. I struggle to do right and avoid wrong but what remedy is there for times man falls?

Troy

[Donia]

Peace be to you.

Very good question as we all sin. It is unavoidable. Nobody is perfect so there will be many times when we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. In Islam there are different ways to seek forgiveness from Allah.
First step is to acknowledge your wrong (obviously)
Second to feel remorseful.
Third to ask forgiveness from Allah (offering a repentance prayer, taubah, supplication).. out of the hope that Allah will forgive us because Allah is the most merciful. Do not ever despair of the mercy of Allah.
Fourth if you find yourself becoming engaged in that act again or tempted towards it, leave it immediately.

There are different ways to seek forgiveness but the important thing is to seek it from Allah and Allah alone.

As far as shirk, I believe that is worshipping other than Allah. If you're a Muslim and you are committing shirk knowingly... then may Allah help that person.
However if you are not Muslim and you are committing shirk but want to revert to Islam and take your shahada, then you can be forgiven for that insha'Allah..
Please somebody correct me if I am wrong.
May Allah guide us all.

[Seeker1066]

Peace be to you.

Very good question as we all sin. It is unavoidable. Nobody is perfect so there will be many times when we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. In Islam there are different ways to seek forgiveness from Allah.
First step is to acknowledge your wrong (obviously)
Second to feel remorseful.
Third to ask forgiveness from Allah (offering a repentance prayer, taubah, supplication).. out of the hope that Allah will forgive us because Allah is the most merciful. Do not ever despair of the mercy of Allah.
Fourth if you find yourself becoming engaged in that act again or tempted towards it, leave it immediately.

There are different ways to seek forgiveness but the important thing is to seek it from Allah and Allah alone.

As far as shirk, I believe that is worshipping other than Allah. If you're a Muslim and you are committing shirk knowingly... then may Allah help that person.
However if you are not Muslim and you are committing shirk but want to revert to Islam and take your shahada, then you can be forgiven for that insha'Allah..
Please somebody correct me if I am wrong.
May Allah guide us all.

Thank you for your reply. One of the things I like most about Islam is that Allah is described as the Merciful.

Troy

[Woodrow]

Good Question Troy,

I will try to explain in Catholic terms. We offer a sincere Act of Contrition to Allaah(swt) and have full faith and trust in his Mercy.

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[Seeker1066]

Good Question Troy,

I will try to explain in Catholic terms. We offer a sincere Act of Contrition to Allaah(swt) and have full faith and trust in his Mercy.

Thank you for explaining. Repentance brings forgiveness from Merciful God.

Troy

[Uthman]

In Islam, there are four conditions of repentance (derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah) which have to be met, as mentioned by the scholars:

1. The person must immediately leave the sin (i.e. they cannot repent from the sin while they are doing it).
2. The person must feel guilt and remorse.
3. The person must make a firm intention never to commit that sin again.
4. If the sin relates to the rights of another human being, then that right must be returned. So for example, if the sin involved stealing from somebody, then that stolen item must be returned to them.

For the specific sin of Shirk (associating partners with Allah), I heard Sheikh Yasir Qadhi mention that a person should restate their Shahadah (testimony of faith).

You can find out more about repentance in Islam here.

[Seeker1066]

In Islam, there are four conditions of repentance (derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah) which have to be met, as mentioned by the scholars:

1. The person must immediately leave the sin (i.e. they cannot repent from the sin while they are doing it).
2. The person must feel guilt and remorse.
3. The person must make a firm intention never to commit that sin again.
4. If the sin relates to the rights of another human being, then that right must be returned. So for example, if the sin involved stealing from somebody, then that stolen item must be returned to them.

For the specific sin of Shirk (associating partners with Allah), I heard Sheikh Yasir Qadhi mention that a person should restate their Shahadah (testimony of faith).

You can find out more about repentance in Islam here.

Thank you for the answer. It is very very close to the Catholic idea of repentence. This should not be surprising since this comes from God who is one. I will check out the site you mentioned.

Peace to you,
Troy

[Woodrow]

Thank you for the answer. It is very very close to the Catholic idea of repentence. This should not be surprising since this comes from God who is one. I will check out the site you mentioned.

Peace to you,
Troy

Very true Troy. that is why I said it was similar to the Catholic sincere act of contrition. I believe the reason so many reverts to Islam are Catholics is because the teachings and practices of Islam are familiar to and understood by Catholics. There are no new beliefs to learn, simply the shedding of old errors.

[Al-manar]

Not only Repentance bring forgiveness from God but one should erase his bad deeds by doing the good ones....


Holy Quran 25:70
Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated
Unless he (1)repents, (2)believes, and (3)works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the sins of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,


1-Repent.

then

2-Believe.

then

3-work righteous deeds.

hence

4- Allah will substitute your bad record with a good one....


the same thing in another verse:

Holy Quran 11:114 And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night: For those things, that are good remove those that are evil: Be that the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord):

peace