Expiation
Whilst sincere repentance to Allah along with the other above conditions is enough for the repentance to be valid, for certain sins, acts of expiation have been prescribed by Allah. This is usually due to severity of the sin or because the sin was against a person or people who have certain rights as a result of the nature of the sin.
Examples of some of the sins which require expiation are:
-
Theft - property must be returned to the owner (or next of kin) if known, or donated to the poor
-
Destroying someone's honour - take steps to restore it e.g. correct false accusations, lies etc
-
Intentionally violating the compulsory fast - if food or drink was consumed the day must still be completed and repeated entirely later. If it was due to intercourse that the fast was violated, then the person must either free a slave, fast for two consecutive months or feed sixty poor persons.
-
Deliberate hunting during Hajj (pilgrimage) - buy and sacrifice a domestic animal equivalent to the one hunted, or fed the poor to the equivalent value, or fast the number of days equal to the number of people who could have been fed from the equivalent animal
-
Accidental murder - Diyah (blood money) must be paid to the deceased's family (unless they choose to remit it), along with freeing a believing slave; or if unable to, two continuous months fasting.
-
Legal punishment - for crimes such as murder, rape and adultery, death is the punishment prescribed by Islamic criminal law, which will act as expiation for the sin if the Muslim accepts that seeking Allah's forgiveness.
By the person expiating for their sin in this life, then that it is their punishment. If however, they don't expiate for their sin, and sincerely repent and Allah forgives them, then they will no longer be held accountable for that sin. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
"Whoever commits a sin in this world and is punished for it, Allah is too just to punish His slave a second time. Whoever commits a sin in this world then Allah conceals that and forgives him, Allah is too generous to go back to something that He has forgiven."
(Hadith)
| << Previous | Next >> |
Contact us with your
feedback or questions