Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother in Islam,

I use to pray taubah after Magrib prayers 2 rakaat and after Isya prayers 2 rakaat of Taubah prayers. Am I wrong in doing this. How do Prophet Mohamad s.a.w does his taubah prayers 

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Answer:

Taubah prayers

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely nothing in the established and authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) called the ‘salaat-ut0Taubah’; and when the Messenger of Allah (saws) has not given or assigned a particular name for a prayer, it does not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to give or assign a name to it from himself!

The acceptance of one’s sins and shortcomings in the Cause of Allah, the condition of one’s hearts, the fear of standing to give a full accounting of one’s deeds in the Tribunal and Majestic Presence of the Lord All-Mighty on that Tumultuous Day of Judgment….that fear of the Lord Most High’s accounting is what inspires one to turn back to their Lord and seek His forgiveness.

Thus, the conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.

Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.

Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.

Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54: (O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136: Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71: The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54: When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Man is prone to transgression and sin every breathing moment of his life, and it is only proper and fitting that a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, constantly turns back to His Lord and seeks His forgiveness. There is absolutely no harm if one wishes to do a good deed like offering prayers, or fast, or do any good deed before one seeks forgiveness from their Lord. What is of paramount importance is that one is sincere and constant in turning back to their Lord seeking His Mercy and His Forgiveness; it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.319 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."

One can only imagine the need for constantly turning back to Allah and seeking His forgiveness from the above narration of the Noble Prophet (saws) who said that he (saws) sought forgiveness from His Lord more than seventy times a day! This state and humility and fear of the Noble Prophet (saws) is even more significant because The Lord Most Gracious had already chosen him (saws) and purified him of sin! One can only imagine that if one who is purified from sins turns back to His Lord more than seventy times a day, how many times should we, whose multitude and accumulation of sins would easily fill the expanse that exists between the heavens and the earth…..how many times should one amongst us turn back to our Lord and seek His Forgiveness??

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan