Tawba (Sufism)

In the moment of repentance one weans one's self from sin. One who is loved by God can thereby truly repent, repent of his thought of repentance, turning towards God and regretting past actions which kept him away from God. Of three forms, the first is that of general believers in God and implies fear of divine retribution, seeking of favour from God or regret for disobedience; the second is of spiritualists and lovers of God who seek God's love in repentance of their sins; and the third is that of those who repent their individual will and seek annihilation of self in God. This last is the state of those who start out on the spiritual path. Further, Shaykh Fariduddin refers to six kinds of repentance when attachment to worldly things is left behind and the individual comes to love God in a life of perfect asceticism: (1) Tawba-i dil, repentance of the heart, implying removal of worldly desires from the heart and allowing direct communion with God. (2) Tawba-i zaban, of the tongue, referring to the attitude of silence adopted when recollecting the names of God. (3) Tawba-i chasm, of the eye, when the eyes are closed to forbidden things. (4) Tawba-i gosh, of the ear, when there is listening only to the names of God. (5) Tawba-i pa, of the feet, when movement towards evil is repented. (6) Tawba-i nafs, of the carnal soul, when lust, passion and sensual desires are repented. In addition there are three more, repentance of present, past and future prohibited deeds - tawba-i hal, tawba-i madi, tawba-i mustaqbil.

The first stage in a systematic account of the various stations of the Sufi spiritual path, and also in the path to sainthood of the Naqshbandiyya order. According to Shaykh Abu Sa'id ibn Abi'l-Khayr, this is the third of 40 stations or maqamat the Sufi must possess for his journey on the path of Sufism to be acceptable.