Answered by Shaykh Gibril F Haddad
Could you please advise the best method of repentance for the following:
1) Adultery 2) Drinking alcohol
Wa `alaykum as-Salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh:
There is no legal punishment (hadd) for these offenses in our time. However, the following four are required:
– Desisting from those offenses once and for all (iqla`).
– Remorse for having committed them (nadama).
– Resolve not to return to them (`azm).
– Repayment of any rights that were violated through them (huquq).
It is advisable to avoid the places where one committed these offenses as well as the people with whom they were committed.
It is advised that the last thing one does in such a place before leaving it is a good deed so that it will witness to that effect on Qiyama.
It is advised to do tawassul and salawat on the Prophet, upon him peace, due to the hadith where he says: “If so-and-so hade come to me I would have made istighfar for him…”
In addition, any pious act such as sadaqa is encouraged, as good deeds erase bad ones.
Please advise of particular dhikr that you know of and the amount also duas and how many nawafil should be offered.
Wudu’, two rak`as, and istighfar as per the hadith:
“No-one sins then gets up, does ablution, prays two rak`ats, and asks Allah forgiveness except Allah forgives him.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad.
Does the hadith below cover major sins, as the above are major sins?
Yes.
RasulAllah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said, ‘If a person has sins equivalent to the foams of the sea and pebbles on a desert, Allah’s mercy is so encompassing that He will forgive every sin.’ In another narration, it is mentioned that Allah will speak secretly to one of His slaves on the day of Qiyamat and remind him of all his sins. After the person will confess his sins, Allah will say to him, ‘I concealed your faults in the world, today too, I will conceal your faults. Go in Jannah, I have forgiven you.’
Wa `alaykum as-Salam,
Hajj Gibril
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GF Haddad