How to become good

A person should not be discouraged even if he had committed several mistakes in his life. After the darkness of the night, the light of the sun will come. Every sunset is a preparation for the sunrise. We must not lose hope. A life which had been blackened and shattered by sins can be turned into a new life and everything can be rectified.

Firstly, we should make Taubah. This means that we should ask Allah for forgiveness for the past sins with a remorseful heart. Then, we should make a firm decision not to ever return to the past sin and to turn a new page. We should try our best to seek the forgiveness of those who have been affected by our mistakes. We should pay off our debts too. If the creditor had passed away, then we should give the money back to the creditor’s heirs. If we do not know his heirs, then we should give that money in Sadaqah instead. We should make up the Salaah and the Roza that we had neglected in the past too. However, we should not stress ourselves out and worry about these debts. We should make a firm intention to make them up and start accomplishing them little by little. Allah Ta'ala will help us in completing them with ease within short lapse of time.

We should be punctual on the 5 times Salaahs in Jamaat in the Masjid (for the menfolk), spend some time reading the Qur'an and preserve our eyes, ears and mouth. This is a prescription for becoming a good slave and coming close to Allah Ta'ala. One does not require a certificate or a diploma to achieve this. Everyone can do it, but we should have the will and sincerity. These are the preliminary things that should be accomplished. The amount can also be increased gradually.

[English version of "Couma vine bon" – Al Jamiat Vol.8 No.3]