YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad) The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey. What is Repentance? Man, by nature, has been created weak. To err is only human and man commits wrongdoings repeatedly. The solution to this in God’s court is known as Repentance. Repentance is to turn around in regret and express remorse after wrongdoing, resolving to reform oneself. In this connection, a verse from the Quran says: Believers, turn to God in sincere repentance. Your Lord may well forgive your bad deeds and admit you into gardens watered by running streams. (66: 8) What is the right method of Repentance? A verse from the Quran says: But God undertakes to accept repentance only from those who do evil out of ignorance and those who repent soon after. God turns towards such people with mercy; He is all knowing and all wise. (4: 17) According to this verse of the Quran, the right method of repentance is the one that is done without any delay. Repentance done later on is not the correct method. God, the Creator, has endowed man with a faculty known as conscience. As soon as man commits a sin, his conscience is aroused. He feels a deep remorse for the wrong committed. But this remorse does not remain at that level eternally. Initially, this remorse is intense and painful, but slowly it weakens. If repentance is delayed further, this feeling of remorse disappears completely and the strong motivation for reform will fade away. He will be aware of the wrong committed, but he will not feel the need to reform himself. If earlier, his was a case of a live conscience; with delay, his conscience will become lifeless. How should one introspect after making a mistake? When you make a mistake, the process of introspection begins with admitting your error. Without this confession, true self-correction cannot