Why do we delay repentance?

Repentance is ultimately the goal that we all seek. All sane people
are conscious of their numerous sins, and thosewho believe in Allaah
and His Messenger recognize that they will be held accountable for
their sins, and therefore desire to be free of the evil consequences
of their misdeeds. Islam offers man the ideal way by which he may be
released from the burdenof his sins.
The word Tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means 'to return'.In
an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has
prohibited and returningto what He, Almighty, hascommanded.
The subject of repentance is one that concerns all people who believe
in Allaah, and is vital for the Muslims to understand because our
salvation in the Hereafterdepends on our repentance to Allaah, as
Allaah commands (what means): "…And turn to Allaah in repentance, all
of you, that youmight succeed." [Quran 24:31]
Allaah also Says (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah loves those who are
constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." [Quran
2:222]
One may have a real intention to repent, but there may be some
obstacles to the path of repentance. If this is the case, then he
needs to actwithout hesitation and remove those obstacles to clear the
way to a happy soul.
The postponement of repentance may be the result of either a
deliberate desire to prolong the illicit pleasure derived from the
sin, or doubt on the part of an ignorant sinner whether or not Allaah
would accept his repentance.
However, we have to be certain that Allaah will guide us to success
and safeguard us against our malice. We also must be confident that
Allaah forgives our sins and thatHe, and only He, can judge us. It is
only His Judgement that is worthyof our worry and anxiety.So we should
fear Him only because sincere repentance removes all sins and
disobedience.
The door of repentance is always open, until...
The door to repentance isalways open and will not be closed in the
face of any repentant person, regardless of his sins. Expect this gate
to have two locks: death and the approach of the Day of Judgement. The
first was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Allaah accepts a slave's
repentance unless his death approaches." [At-Tirmithi]
The other was mentionedin the Hadeeth: "Whosoever turns to Allaah in
repentance before the sun rises in the West, Allaah will forgive him."
[Ahmad]
Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "But repentanceis not [accepted]
of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to
one of them, he says: 'Indeed, I have repented now,' or of those who
die while they are disbelievers..." [Quran 4:18]
O heedless soul! Hasten torepent before the knock of death sounds and
the time of repentance runs out. Do not get caught dying in a state of
disobedience to your Most Merciful Lord. Satan gives you long hope and
empty promises; he delays your repentance until your heart becomes as
callous as a rock by being adamant in sin anddisobedience, and you
would therefore meet your Lord in a wretched state. If the door of
repentance is closed to you, it will never open to you again.
What keeps us from repenting?
1. Taking sins lightly:
The problem with many of us today is that we do not fear Allaah, which
means that we do not think seriously about disobeying Him and
therefore fall into sin, without giving any real thought to it. Hence,
we should think about the statement which Ibn Mas'ood made: "A
believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he
is afraid may collapse on him, whereas the wicked person considers his
sins as flies passing over his nose which he just drives away like
this (and he waved his hand across his face toillustrate this)."
[Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet said: "Take caution against minor sins, because such sins
are like a group of people who temporarilysettled in the middle of a
valley. Then, they decided to make a fire,so each one of them brought
a stick until they were able to make it, so they baked their bread.
Thus, minor sins (when they accumulate) may destroy the one who
commits them." [Ahmad]
2. "What is the point? I will only end up doing it again"
Such an approach is the result of a misunderstanding. Indeed, one of
the conditions of repentance is having a real intention not to return
to the same sin. This, however, does not mean that Satan will never
tempt you to commit the same sin again. Thus, if you have failed
yourself, and you returned to the same sin, it does not mean that your
first repentance wasa lie. You should hasten to make additional
repentance, with a real intention not to return tothis sin, keeping in
mind that Allaah's mercy extends over everything.
3. "Allaah is forgiving, so let me sin"
When reminded of repentance and the hideousness of disobedience, some
people would respond that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. An
atheist once said in sarcasm: "You should commit as many sins as you
can because you are heading towardsthe Lord who is Most-Generous."
There is no doubt that such a view is complete ignorance of the
religion of Allaah, because Allaah's mercy is close to the righteous
and not to the wrongdoers.
4. "I am destined to be a sinner"
Some people may chooseto blame Al-Qadr (fate) for their sins. For
example, if you ask any of them, "Why do you notperform the Prayers?
Why do you not fast? Why do you drink or smoke? Why do you not repent
from your disobedience?" They would respond by saying:"This is
Allaah's Qadr" or:"I am doomed to do this."This is definitely a grave
misconception and an evasion of the truth. Believing in Al-Qadr does
not mean that one is destined to commit sins. It is true that Allaah
has written all human beings'deeds, good or bad, and only He knows the
unseen, but the believer is not forced to perform agood deed, nor is
he forced to commit any disobedience. Instead, hehas been granted the
ability to reflect, reason and then make a decisionfreely. Al-Qadr is
only responsible for the calamities and blessings that an individual
may confront because he can do nothing about them. For example, if a
couple were to marry and have three children, then this is their Qadr.
It is impermissible to fault Al-Qadr for our sins and disobedience
because doing so is akin to being in confrontation and showing
dissatisfaction with Allaah.
Repentance wipes out all sins, major and minor:
Being confused, some people may think that repentance is only required
for major sins. Itshould be noted that repentance from all sins is
obligatory.
Even the Prophet who was sinless, asked Allaah to forgive him on a
daily basis. The Prophet is reported to have said: "O people! Make
repentance to Allaah. I swear by Allaah that I make repentance to Him
more than seventy times every day." [Al-Bukhaari]
Therefore, we all need to fear Allaah, ask His forgiveness and be
aware that there is no sinthat is minor with persistence, and no major
sin with seeking Allaah's forgiveness (i.e. if the minor sin is
repeated many times it becomes a major one.) Thus, sincere repentance
wipes out all committed sins.
Never despair!
Someone might say: "I want to repent but my sins are too many ." But
Allaah Says what means: "Say: 'O my slaves who have transgressed
against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of
Allaah. Indeed, Allaah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the
Forgiving, the Merciful." [Quran 39:53]
Therefore, we should never lose hope or stop asking for Allaah's
forgiveness. Its importance is shown to us in the Hadeeth in which the
Prophet said: "O people! Turn to Allaah inrepentance and seek His
forgiveness, for I make repentance to Him a hundred times every day."
[Muslim]
Repentance is such a great act of worship that doing it can erase all
our sins altogether, as the Prophet said: "One who repents from sin is
like one without sin." [Ibn Maajah]