Tawbah (repentance) is regretting a wrong, asking Allah's forgiveness and firmly resolving not to commit any sin again. The two voluntary rakats prayed to seek forgiveness after a sin are called the prayer of repentance. But what did the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) say about it?

Salatut Tawbah, the prayer of repentance, is proven by hadith. When a wrong has been committed, one should repent and also pray two rakats seeking forgiveness; the hadith calls this the prayer of repentance.

The Prophet said: "When a servant commits a sin, then performs ablution well, stands and prays two rakats and asks Allah's forgiveness for the sin, Allah certainly forgives him." He then recited this verse as proof: "Those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins, and who forgives sins but Allah? And they do not knowingly persist in what they have done. Their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in for ever. How excellent is the reward of those who do (good)." (Surah Al-Imran: 135-136) (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzaimah, Bayhaqi)

In another hadith the Prophet said: "Whoever performs ablution well, then stands and prays two or four rakats, obligatory or not (Sunnah or nafl), bowing and prostrating well, and then asks Allah's forgiveness, he is forgiven." (Tabarani, Mu'jam)

Allah has also directed His servants in several verses to repent to Him and ask His forgiveness:

• "O believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove your misdeeds and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will shine before them and on their right, and they will say: 'Rabbana atmim lana nurana waghfir lana, innaka ala kulli shai'in qadir', our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; You have power over all things." (Surah Tahrim: 8)
• "Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed." (Surah Nur: 31)

Allah mentions repentance in many verses of the Quran, describes its importance and merit, and declares the many blessings it brings, so that believers ask Allah's forgiveness often through repentance.

Praying two rakats after performing ablution well, following repentance to Allah, is the prayer of repentance. Through it Allah forgives His servant and grants Paradise as a blessing.

Believers should therefore not stop at verbal repentance, but after repenting perform ablution well, pray two rakats with the intention of seeking forgiveness, and make a special repentance to Allah.

May Allah grant the Muslim ummah the ability to perform ablution and pray the two rakats of the prayer of repentance when they repent, and to act on the hadith. Ameen.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.