Tawwab: An attribute of God
- Updated On Monday, 26 May 2014
- Written by Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali
- Editor Kawther Rahmani
- Supervisor Sayyed Roohullah Musavi
- Published on Friday, 21 January 2011
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- Hits: What does Tawwab (an attribute of God) mean?
Tawbah literally means return. When it is used for human beings, it means repentance. When someone repents, it means that he is returning back to God and is trying to restore his relation with God which was affected and/or harmed as a result of his sins. However, the Quran speaks of God's return as well. According to the Quran, our repentance is surrounded by two 'returns' from God. As for a sinful person whose relation with God is damaged, it is God Himself who first initiates reconciliation by inviting His servant to return and by making his heart soft. Then after the servant feels really remorseful and repents, God, the Almighty, embraces him with mercy and forgives him. This quality is mentioned 11 times in the Quran. One of these times is mentioned below: "...and to the three who were left behind. When the earth became narrow for them with [all] its expanse, and their own souls weighed heavily on them, and they knew that there was no refuge from God except in Him, then He returned toward them so that they might repent. Indeed, God is the All-Returning, the All-Merciful" (9:118).