UNIT 2 SIN AND REPENTANCE IN RELIGIONS
Key Unit competence: Discuss the consequences of sins and the practice
of repentance in different religions
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 2
One evening, David was strolling about on the roof of his palace. From the
roof he saw a woman bathing; she was very beautiful. David inquired about
the woman and came to know that she was called Bathsheba, a wife of Uriah,
his soldier. Then, David sent messengers and took her to him. He made
unlawful sexual intercourse with her. Bathsheba turned to her house but she
had become pregnant.
Informed about that “unwanted” pregnancy, he brought Uriah back from the
battle and sent him to his own house so as to sleep with his wife. But Uriah
refused and remained with David’s servants. On the following day, David
invited Uriah to eat and drink with him; and Uriah got drunk. But, in the
evening Uriah did not go to sleep in his own house. The next morning, David
sent Uriah back to the battle field with a letter instructing to place him where
the defenders were strong. The chief-commander did so, and Uriah died.
Once Bathsheba had finished the mourning period, David married her and
bore him a son. But the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to tell him
that he had done what is evil in the sight of the Lord and he will be severely
punished for that. Then David say to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan answered David: “For his part, the Lord has removed your sin. You
shall not die, but since you have utterly rejected the Lord by this deed, the
child born to you will surely die.”
See 2 Samuel 11-12:1-14
1. Identify different sins committed in this scenario.
2. Discuss the source and consequences of sin using this scenario.
3. What do you think David would have done to please God after sinningagainst Him? Explain.
Every human being on earth has the experience of evil. He may have experienced
it as a victim or as the author. In both cases, the reality of evil is energetic and
destructive. The media constantly report murder, theft, corruption, sexual
abuses against young girls, and infidelity among couples among other cases of
evil. Though this happens in the sight of both believers and unbelievers, the evil
has different connotations depending on the nature of the law set to prevent
from it and punish evildoers. Generally, the term evil denotes every condition,
circumstance, or act that affect the happiness of peoples, whether physically,
emotionally, socially, politically or economically.
When evil occurs in the legal field, it is called a “crime” to denote the open or public
violation of the law which a society or state has framed for its own preservation
and the protection of its members. But sin differs from “crime” in this respect:
it may be in a system which knows no God, but without God there can be no
sin” (Upton, C. (1893). Dr. Fairbairn’s “Christ in Modern Theology”. The Jewish
Quarterly Review, 6 (1), 152-161). Thus, sin is “a deliberate transgression of
the law of God” (John A. Hardon. 1980. Modern Catholic Dictionary. DoubleDay & Company, INC. Garden City, New York, p. 507). This means that a sin is
committed whenever a person knows that something is contrary to the law of
God and then freely does the action anyway. For instance, what a foolish man
does cannot be considered as a sin because he does not have the full use of his/her intelligence and free will.
2.1.1. Meaning and nature of sin
Sin is old as humanity. In fact, people from all cultures have been asking
themselves about the origin of evil. In response, religions have tried to formulate
answers so as to make human life more meaningful. For the Abrahamic religions,
the enigma of evil is understood within the context of God’s plan of creation. Its
history refers to evil and sin just after creation (Genesis 3).
The plan of creation wells up from the surabondance of God’s love; a love that
brings order in the chaos, a love that creates man in God’s likeness, and that
settles Adam and Eve in a garden granted with all gifts. At this point, humanity
is at peace with God, other creatures and with themselves until an element
of disturbance and discord appears in a sphere originally characterized byharmony and unity. This element is called “sin”.
Meaning of sin
Sin is a transgression of a divine law, which can be natural or positive. This law
exists to guide human behaviors and consequently foster good relationships
between God and humanity and within human communities. Hence, sin does
not only oppose the divine law but also menaces the health or survival of the
relationships of a person and the community to God. Some scholars speak of
sin “less as an infraction of law than as betrayal of a relationship with God,
of freedom and the lack thereof experienced in turning from God” (Stephen J.
Duffy, “Sin” in The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, p. 889-890).
Men and women are called to become holy as their Creator is and pertake in
his happiness. For this, they have been given the law and grace. Holiness and
happiness consist in living according to the law and openness to grace. Sin is
that which is opposed to God’s character, that is, holiness, perfection, love.
– Nature of sin
The Abrahamic Religions believe in God as the Supreme being. His supremacy
goes with his perfection in all things including love and holiness. As their
Creator, God calls men and women or wants them to be holy as He is and love
each other as he loves them. Thus, holiness is the final goal or mark of humans.
Achieving not that goal is “sin”. Sin is sinful because it is unlike God. Religions,
specially Abrahamic ones, view sin as the infidelity of the divine initiative of
love. Essentially it is infidelity, refusal to enter and aintain covenant with God,
though this bond is the source of the happy life, prosperity and sustainable
development (Duffy: 892).
In the Scriptures, the word “het” which translates sin, signifies “missing the
mark” or “failing” and implies action that does not achieve its goal (Stephen
J. Duffy, “Sin” in The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, p. 890). Sin is
understood as incompletness for our wrongdoing is a measure of our distance
from what we are called to be – People of God for Jews, children of God in Christ
for Christians and faithfull servants/followers of God for Muslims.
To become who they are called and vowed to be, believers have been given laws
by God. For example, Jews have the Decalogue, Christians have the Law of Christ
which is rooted in the Decalogue – love of God and neighbour –and Muslims have
the Shariah. These laws are meant to guide human conducts which determine
the quality and the health of relationships with God and within the community.
In the Scriptures, sin presupposes a relationship secured by these obligations.
Words related to “pasa” focus on the relationship and on rupturing contractual
ties. Sin connotes here the breach of covenant between God and the chosen
people and the dissolution of community (Duffy: 891). Sin as a covenant breach
through violation of God’s law is less transgression than personal disloyalty,
infidelity to the covenant (igihango) that binds humanity and their Creator
and Savior. Sin becomes a trouble which implies sorrow, affliction. Concretely,
sinners are actually troublemakers for others, in the community and forthemselves.
2.1.2. Origin of sin
The root of sin lies in man’s heart. That is why sin is defined as “utterance, a deed,
or a desire contrary to the eternal law” ( St. Augustine, Contra Faustum 22:PL
42,418; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II,71,6). The question of the
origin of sin has been approached in the history of religions. Two approachesare distinguished: the psychological and the historical
The psychological origin
The psychological origin is the refusal to acknowledge the reality of God (Hosea
2:8; 4:1,6). Sin wells up from the evil heart (Jeremiah 7:24) as a deliberate,
willful act for which humans are accountable (Stephen J. Duffy, “Sin” in The New
Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, p. 891).
The historical origin
This approach asks the question of how sin can enter a world governed by
God’s saving power. The Hebrew Scripture does not provide solution. However,
it distinguishes the origin of evil from the origin of creatures. God is absolutely
good. Or God created good all that exists. So, creation is good. Therefore,
goodness is primordial; and sin came after to corrupt good creation. Sin enters
through the door of human choice. The Lord God gave them this order: “You are
free to eat from any of the trees in the garden except the tree of knowledge of
good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall
die” (Gen 2:16–17). Adam and Eve had a choice, and they chose not to obey God.2.1.3. Redemption from sin
Sin is the main obstacle on the journey to eternal happiness. Or, religions teach
that believers have the promise of the eternal happiness. So believers are
convinced that evil cannot triumph over good. Rather, they believe that God is
as faithful to his promise as Merciful and powerful that he has the remedy for
sins. This remedy is called “redemption”. Redemption is the only cure for of sin.
In the monotheistic Religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - redemption
is the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences. It may also be called
“deliverance” or “justification” or “remission” or “forgiveness”. Salvation is
considered to be caused either by the free will and grace of God or by personal
efforts through prayer, asceticism, or some combination of the two.
• Redemption in Judaism
Jews believe that God entered into a Covenant with humanity through his
chosen people, Israel. This covenant entails just conducts towards God and
the neighbour. Jews believe that whenever they violated the covenant, that is
they sinned through breaking divine laws, they had to face bitter consequences
such as exiles, slaveries, domination by foreigner powers, droughts, etc. In such
situations, Israel came to know that they believe in a God who saves from sin
and its effects that is, slavery both physical or spiritual.
There are prayers for redemption and there are benedictions in which God is
praised as the redeemer of Israel. There are anxious prayers for deliverance
from affliction and stress and there are expressions of confident hope and evenassurance that redemption will be fulfilled
The Psalmist sings,
Out of the depths, I call to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my cry!
May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, keep accounts of sins,
Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness
And you are revered (Psalm 130:1-4).
In the Jewish history, redemption may follow repentance of the sinner
(Deuteronomy 30:1-3) or precedes it whereby God redeems the people when
they are still immersed in sin (Ezekiel 36). Normally, Redemption is both
spiritual and physical; it requires and implies change, conversion. As such,
redemption is a process. In Judaism, the redemption is characterized by the
following process:
– A result from sin but it is initiated by God who intervenes to save his
people.
– Redemption is achieved through personal efforts to overcome sin and
also through God’s interventions.
– Redemptive process come results in the re-establishment of the
kingdom of God on earth, that is, harmonious relationships withoneself, God and others.
• Redemption in Christianity
In Christianity, redemption is an element of salvation and deliverance from sin.
Redemption is purely a grace, and not a merit. This means that one does not do
anything for redemption because it is obtained by the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ for all.
The redemptive process in Christianity is understood from the purpose of
creation. God created mankind so that they share in his eternal happiness.
There was a state of serenity in the paradise until sin occurs into the society
through the disobedience and pride of Adam and Eve. The sin brought about
many consequences including death. This sin turned humanity away the Source
of their life. This is the situation that brought in the need for redemption; that
is the restoration of the lost union or reconciliation with God. The process of
reconciliation engages two parts: God and the sinner.
– God never gives up his sinful children because of their sin; rather he is
always waiting for them or searching them as it is stated in the Gospel
(Luke 15: 8-32).
– An individual exercises his/her free will to recover from the fall.
• One can make a pro-redemptive response by accepting to
transform his follies through his repentance. “I shall get up and go
to my father and I shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you” (Luke 15:18).
• One can also make a counter-redemptive response by shutting
himself to the process like Judas in the Gospel.
– An individual who repents from his sins is forgiven because God is love,
and does not hold bitterness and revenge. On the cross, Jesus cried,
“Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). In that forgiveness asked by the
Just man on the cross, the sinner who repents is accepted, forgiven and
restored in life and peace by God (Badru D Kateregga & David W Shenk.
1985. Islam and Christianity: A Muslim and a Christian n Dialogue.
Daystar. Ibadan).
In short, Christians believe that God frees people from sin and its consequences
which include physical enslavements, psychological discrepancies and spiritual
blindness. The personal effort is required to make the grace of redemption
effective. This effort can be:
– Following the example of Jesus, who was a man like us except sin
– Receiving God’s graces through sacraments, rituals and practices
such as reading and reflection of the Word of God, ascetic practices,charitable works, selfless service, silence and meditation
– Striving to love and even loving their enemies;
– Forgiving and forgiving even those who sin against them.
Redemption in Islam
In the Islam, redemption or salvation is understood as referring to the rescue
from sin and its consequences. It offers deliverance from fires of hell which is the
consequence of sin. Contrary to Christianity, Islam teaches that human beings
are born without sin and are naturally inclined to worship God alone (without
any intermediaries). To retain this state of sinlessness humankind must only
follow God’s commandments and strive to live a righteous life. However, Islam
recognises that human beings are also given freewill and are thus capable of
making mistakes and committing sins; they are even capable of committing
great evil. Redemption is therefore required because humankind is imperfect
and in need of God’s forgiveness and love And whenever their imperfection
leads them to fall in sin, human beings experience the need of redemption of
God, the Merciful. In such situation, Muslims are guided as follows,
“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks God’s
forgiveness, he will find God Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 4:10)
“And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to
Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength
to your strength, so do not turn away as criminals, disbelievers in the
Oneness of God.” (Quran 11:52)
Muslims believe that sin pushes them away from the mercy of God; however
sincere repentance brings a person back to God. Thus, the redemptive process
in Islam all consists in repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness. In other
words, no matter what sins a person may have committed if he resolutely turns
to God, seeking forgiveness his salvation is assured.
In the redemptive process, in Islam, the individual plays a central role for he or
she is the one to expiate himself his/her sin through repentance, prayers, fasts,
sharing wealth with the poor and other charitable works. Although, redemption
can be achieved through personal expiation, others may also intercede for their
brother or sister.
In short, redemption is achieved through:
– Being of sincere faith and doing virtuous actions according to the
Shariah.
– Avoiding actions that would lead to the loss of faith in Allah according
to the Shariah
– Sincere repentance and turning to a merciful God in repentance if any
sin is committed.
– Carrying out other good deeds, such as prayer and charity, forredemption.
Every sin despises the commandment of love of God and of the neighbour.
However, some sins are bigger than others considering their matter,
circumstances, intention of the author and consequences on the relationshipwith God and others. Categories of sins vary following religions.
2.2.1. Judaism
According to Jewish beliefs, human being are born free of sin. Nevertheless,
individuals are endowed with the capacity to choose between good and evil. It
is thus the use of that capacity which can bring about sin. A sin is a sin when
it strays away from making good, correct choices. Committing transgressions
against laws or ommiting not to act when a situation calls for it, affects God, theother and oneself. There are three kinds of sin in Judaism:
Sin agaist God: e.g.: idolatry, making a promise and fail to keep it, etc.
– Sin against another person: e.g.: stealing from them, killing, lying,
harming, etc.
– Sin against oneself: e.g.: addiction, despair, suicide, etc.
2.2.2. Christianity
The Christian tradition distinguishes original sin and actual sin. The latterincludes mortal sins and venial sins.
– Original sin
God is good and as such he could not create mankind with the sinful state. This
state was characterized by qualities including immortality and the happiness
of the paradise all grounded in the union with God. However, mankind was
created with the possibility to sin due to the gift of freedom he was endowed
with. And, the first humans actually chose to reject God and oppose him through
disobedience. The sin they committed was personal at their own level but it
was also original sin for the following reasons:
– It was committed by the first humans, that is, the ancestors of all
mankind.
– Its consequences – referred to by the term “fall” - namely the mortal
and sinful state, would affect both the parents and all subsequent
generations.
– Every human sin is of the same nature as the first sin of Adam and Eve.
– The effect of the first sin serves as the best measurements of the evil
character of all sin.
The original sin is then described as an infection which propagates itself from
father to son through the act of generation, which being an act of organic trouble
caused by the sin, is a sin itself and determines the transmission ipso facto of
the sin to the new creature.
The original sin is nothing but the sin of the first humans, resulting in the fallen
condition into which all are born. It is the “reverse side” of the Good News that
Jesus is the Savior of all men that all need salvation and that salvation is offeredthrough Christ (CCC no 389).
– Actual sin
This is simply the violation of the divine law. It consists of evil acts, whether of
thought, word or deed. The Bible gives examples of sin: “immorality, impurity,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts
of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies,
and the like (Galatians 5: 19-21). The actual sin can be mortal (death-dealing)
or venial (slight) sin.
• Mortal sin
The mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s
law; it turns man away from God. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must
together be met: grave matter, committed with full knowledge and deliberate
consent.” (CCC 1857). According to Christianity, seven mortal sin are the
following, pride, greed, gluttony, lust, sloth, anger and envy
The grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments: “Do not kill, do not
commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, Honor
your father and your mother.” (Mark 10:19). The gravity of sins is more or
less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who
is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a
stranger (CCC 1858).
• Venial sin
Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. One
commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the
standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a
grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. Venial
sin weakens charity however it does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace,
friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.(CCC 1863).
2.2.3. Islam
In Islam, some sins are more heavier than others; and major and minor sins are
identified. The major sins are those which can be punished by the fires of hell
at the day of Judgement. For Muslims, for whom the earthly life is just a prelude
to life after death, sins are categorized in great sins and little ones. According to
Lislam pour les Nuls (2008), sins are ranked in four levels of importance:
– First level
The greatest sins are unbelief in God (kufr) and idolatry which consists in
associating other things to God, or worshipping many gods. These sins are
often considered as unforgivable and can take someone in hell for eternity, or
thanks to the grace of God, for long time.
– Second level
Sins against life and family. Example: murder, adultery, etc.
– Third level
Sins regarding unlawful acquisition of goods. The sins of the second and third
levels may take a Muslim in the hell at its first level which is the painfull for
some times. However, whoever would have shown himself a sincere believer
during his lifetime, he will end up being welcomed in heaven.
– Fourth level
This category comprises all other remaining sins including alcohol
consummation and lying. Though they are also considered as sins, Muslims
believe that they impede them from heaven.
Sin refers to the transgressions of divine laws. Those laws have been
summarized by religious leaders and Prophets namely Jesus as the love of God
and neighbours. Love requires a relationship and implies healthy, harmonious,
and strong ones. Love brings about life, harmony, unity, joy, trust, respect, and
happiness in relationships. Lacking love weakens a relationship and even can
rupture it. More concretely, opposing the law of love for God and neighbour
turns from God and neighbour and takes away all that they are for us and can
give us. Simply, sin consists in opposing love in us for God, for others and evenfor ourselves.
2.3.1. Consequences of sin on vertical relationsConsequently, sin corrupts relationships with God and with others and with
ourselves. As such, it bears pervasive consequences on vertical (with God) and
horizontal relationships (with others).
Sin opposes love in us for God. However, God is the source of life and eternal
happiness. So, sin distorts life and happiness in God here on earth and in the
life to come. The following is an outline of the consequences of sin on vertical
relationships:
– The wage of sin is the spiritual death (Genesis 3:8-19; Romans 6:23;
Ezekiel 18:20). God is the creator of all that exists. So, all life depends
on Him. As sin breaks the vital relationship with the Creator, it causes
death for those whose life totally depends on God.
– Sin separates one from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Far away from God, man is
unhappy. True happiness, peace and the fullness of life come from God.
– Sin will keep one from going to Heaven (Revelation 21:8). Man has been
created to pertake in eternal happiness which dwells in God in heaven.
When one commits sin, he or she chooses to reject God and his gifts.
– Mankind does not have the full control of nature (weather, rain, sun, etc.)
though they are the stewards. When their activities harm nature, they
sin against God and consequences follow, through the environmental
crisis.
– Human nature cannot do all things by itself. For instance, they may
invent medicines, but they are unable to heal. Therefore, human
nature needs God’s grace whithout which they may not make some
achievements. The refusal of the grace, that is sin, keeps one from not
developping.
2.3.2. Horizontal relations
Sin opposes love in us for others. Or we are social beings. In other words human
beings achieve their fulfilment in community. Sin restricts one to live as if he or
she does not need other to be himself/herself or happy. The following are some
consequences of sin on horizontal relationships:
– Sins against the love of the neighbour damages relationships at the
interpersonal level and the community level as well. For instance,
murder causes a loss of an individual’s life but also it affects those
whose lives depends on the departed (orphans, widows, etc.)
– Sins affect harmony and unity with the society. For example, theft
causes insecurity within communities.
– Sins keep individuals and community from true development because
they disturb peace which is the major condition for development. For
example, a society with many criminals spends much time and money
on settling their cases instead of spending them on development
projects like health, education, infrastructures, etc.
– Sin brings other sins. For example, in the case of a murder, people may
think of revenge; where goods are unfairly distributed, social injustices
such as corruption may multiply.
– Sins make negatively impact human rights. For example, in the cas
defenceless, hepless and even hopeless. For example, the case of adultery
allows one of the spouses to claim for divorce (Matthiew 19:10-12).
But this situation not only brings about psychological suffering to both
the husband and the wife but also children are affected in a terrible
way as a result of the breaking of marriage.– Etc.
2.3.3. Consequences of sins on oneself
Sin opposes love in us for even ourselves. In fact, sin may result in physical
damage to one’s body, mind and emotion. Some consequences of sin on oneself
are as follow:
– Sin brings about physical, psychological, mental and spiritual sufferings.
For example, one may live in a sinful state (like prostitution, killing
many people, etc.) for long time and ends up loosing the meaning of
life to the extent of madness.
– Sin makes one lose his or her right place in the community. For example,
one may have committed sins and he or she will never be entrusted
with social responsibility any more.
– Sin brings about lack of self-confidence. In fact, sins definitely lead to
guilt and shame even those committed in secrecy.
– Sin causes distrust. When Adam and eve committed sin, their reaction
was to hide from each other and from God (Genesis 3:7-8).
In almost all religious movements, the realization of sin, that is, a transgression
against God, has led followers to always trying to realign with a religiously
correct set of moral standards. This process of alignment is called “repentance”,
or “penitence” or “penance”.
Repentance is an attitude that motivates believers to resist evil and sin and to
undo the harm done by sin. Because of the understanding of God and his laws in
religions, repentance is differently understood and practiced in each religiousmovement
2.4.1. Meaning of Repentance in Abrahamic Religions
As sin wells up from the evil heart, its cure touches the heart as well. This
healing process, called “conversion” generally begins with repentance, that is,
the disposition of heart by which one repents of one’s sins and is converted to
God (John A. Hardon. 1980. Modern Catholic Dictionary. Double-Day & Company,INC. Garden City, New York, p. 413).
• Repentance in Judaism
In Judaism, the process of repentance is referred to by two words: “racham”
(read nakham), to mean “to regret, to be sorry”, and “schwb” (shoob), to mean
“to turn, to return”. The process of repentance itself is called “Teshuvah”, which
translates “returning”. It aims at building and maintaining relationships and
friendships in time. The fundamental features/conditions of Teshuvah are:
– Self-examination;
– recognition of failures against God’s laws,
– exhibition of a sincere remorse for the breach of good behavior,
– request for forgiveness and reparation as much as possible,
– the quest for self-renewal in such a way to be helpful to another humanbeing.
• Repentance in Christianity
Christians are followers of Jesus Christ. The latter began his ministry by calling
people to repentance (Matthew 4:17; Marc 6:12). In the New Testament,
repentance is referred to as “metanoia”, which means to change one’s mind.
Repentance is a Change of Mind resulting in a Change of Action. In Christianity,
repentance is understood in connection with the doctrines of creation, original
sin and Salvation by Jesus Christ:
– Christians believe that God created the world and established norms
to govern it.
– Through the gift of free will, humans transgress those norms.
– Jesus Christ alone has provided redemption from human sinfulness.
– Christian life, therefore, is basically penitential: Christians freely
acknowledge their sinfulness and their dependence on Jesus.
Penance or repentance in Christianity is closely related to liturgical celebrations
such as the sacrament of penance (or of reconciliation) and other penitential
rituals. The fundamental features/conditions of repentance in Christianity are :
– Contrition or sorrow for one’s sin.
– Confession of sins either to the minister (e.g.: a priest) or to the
community (public confession as done in some protestant churches.
– Reparation for sins, that is, to undo harm done to and by others.
Reparation should be both motivated by justice (what is due to God andGod s punishment of sin) and charity (toward ourselves and others).
• Repentance in Islam
Islam means submission to God’s will as it is codified in the Islamic law. These
laws are meant to guide relationships between Muslims and God or relationships
among people. Repentance is as crucial as obligatory in Islam, because sin is
considered as disobedience of divine laws lead away from God. The Arabic word
for repentance, is tawbah, literally means, to return. Repentance is understood
as referring to humans returning to God away from sins while God in return
turns to the sinner in acceptance of the repentance. Repentance is defined as
“Going back from desire to sin, with the determination of not returning to it,
in exaltation of Allah and out of fear of his punishment” (The Great Ottoman
Hanafi, al-Bariqa fi Sharh al-Tariqa). The fundamental features/conditions of
repentance in Islam are as follows:
– To desist from committing sin/leaving the sin
– To feel sorry for committing sin/remorse over having committed the
sin
– To decide not to ever recommit sin again/resolve never to return to the
sin If the sin involves a human s right, a fourth condition is required
– To absolve oneself from such right by making it up to the indvidual
who was wronged by your action/return the rights or property one
wrongly took
Repentance in Islam is grounded in the belief that Allah is Merciful; thus, no sin
is too great to repent for ... or little for that matter.
In conclusion, genuine repentance touches three dimensions in Judaism,Christianity and Islam:
– Mind: repentance changes one’s mind (metanoia) and begins to think
differently.
– Heart: repentance makes one feeling sorrow and begins to feel
differently.– Body: repentance turns one’s body and begins to do things differently
2.4.2. Steps of genuine repentance
Repentance is a process that leads the person from the sinful state to the holy
state of God. As a process, a certain number of steps must be made so as to feel
reconciled with God, others and self. The major stages are : regret, confession
and asking forgiveness. In his sermon Hopeful Sorrow (2012), Mae Gbson Wall,identified seven steps of repentance,
a. Culpability : acknowledging to ourselves that not only did we do the thing
that was hurtful, but that we are at fault. It doesn’t count if it includes the
words, “they made me do it.”
b. Remorse: feeling bad about what we have done.
c. Confession: bringing the mistakes into the open in acceptance of ouselves
as miserable which is very pre-requisite for the self-transformation” of
repentance (Psalm 51:3-4).
d. Apology: seeking forgiveness, acknowledging the hurt we have caused
and being are openly sorry to have done so. It is a plea to accept us as
the remorseful person we are now rather than to reject us as the hurtful
person we were before.” (Psalm 51:7-10).
e. Restitution/reparation: trying to undo the wrong that was done to the
extent that it is possible. (Ps 51:13). “To harm someone is to incur a moral
debt,” says Newman, “and it must be repaid in the same currency.” When
that is not possible, we must make the best effort we can.
f. Soul reckoning: turning inward to address our harmful behavior at its
roots. What caused us to behave this way? We look to the past in order
to create a different future. We cannot mend ourselves if we don’t first
understand what caused us to break
g. Transformation which encompasses both an inner reorientation and a
change in outward behavior. The ultimate test of true transformation is if,in the same circumstance, we can resist repeating our behavior
2.4.3. Effects of genuine repentance
There is repentance because of sin and its bitter consequences. Sin destroys
relationships with God, community, others and with oneself. Without health
relationship, life diminishes in the human being to the extent he or she
dies. Therefore, repentance aims at bringing about reconciliation as reestablishment of relationships on which the whole life depends. A genuine
process of repentance - that is, whith a contrite and sincere heart, and religious
disposition definitely results in reconciliation with God, community and others
and all its fruits.
Some of the fruits of repentance include:
– The restoration of the sinner in God’s grace and in his friendship.
– A true spiritual resurrection. Sin is the right way to death. Repentance
is that journey from death to life, that is resurrection.
– Restoration of dignity. Humankind has been created in the likeness of
God who is good and perfect. Or sin is evil and distorts our dignity.
True repentance restores it.
– Blessings of life of the children of God and of the servants of God.
– Peace and serenity of conscience. The consequences of sin are not only
spiritual, but also psychological and social. Genuine repentance brings
about peace of mind and peace at the world.
– Strong spiritual consolation. Sin is hurtful and desperate. With
repentance one recovers hope and creativity.
– Re-establishment of fraternal communion with community.
– Individual and community development. A genuine repentance totally
transforms the sinner’s mind, and behavior. Transformation and
development are correlative concepts.
– Re-insertion in the community and retrieval of human rights
– The happiness of being forgiven (la joie du pardon).