106 — Repentance from Sins Before Supplication

It was previously noted that one of the great etiquettes of supplication is for the supplicant to precede his supplication by repenting to Allah, Glorious and Exalted, of every sin and misdeed. The accumulation and compounding of sins may be one of the reasons why a supplication goes unanswered, just as repentance, turning to Allah, and sincerity toward Him are among the reasons for acceptance and response. Hence Yahyā ibn Mu‘ādh al-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “When you supplicate, do not deem the response slow in coming when you have blocked its paths with sins.”1.

Sins have dire consequences and painful results in this world and the Hereafter. They cause blessings to depart and afflictions to descend. No blessing has ever been taken away from a servant except because of a sin, and no affliction has ever befallen him except because of a sin. As ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “No affliction descends except because of a sin, and none is lifted except through repentance.”2 Allah Most High says: “Whatever misfortune befalls you is because of what your own hands have earned—and He pardons much.” 3 He also says: “That is because Allah would never change a blessing He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves.” 4 Thus, Glorified is He, Allah informs us that He does not change the blessings He has bestowed upon anyone until that person changes what is within himself—replacing obedience to Allah with disobedience, gratitude to Him with ingratitude, and the means of attaining His pleasure with the means of incurring His wrath. When a person changes, his circumstances are changed accordingly, as a fitting recompense.