Twenty-Three Great Objectives of Building the House of Allah — Page 167
168 such that he cannot pay hundred rupees; in such a case that repentance is no repentance at all. To carry out all these four things we need to gain strength from our Creator, as abstinence from sin is not possible without help from Allah the Exalted. To repent after committing a sin is impossible without seeking help from Him. So far as determination is concerned, how can a man dare claim that without seeking strength from Allah the Exalted he can have the resolve and determination not to commit sin in future. God’s help, therefore, is required in this regard as well. And as far as remedying is possible, Divine help and strength is required for that as well. Thus, this help and strength is sought by seeking forgiveness from God Almighty. He who is a man of God considers his Lord the fountainhead of all powers and strength and finds no power within himself. Therefore, before starting any task, he turns to his Lord and seeks forgiveness, and says, O my Lord! You are the fountainhead and source of all powers and energies, bestow upon me the energy and aptitudes so that I totally abstain from evils and truly establish myself on virtues. In this sense seeking forgiveness comes first and repentance later as repentance is not at all possible without seeking forgiveness. The Promised Messiah as has shed light on this topic in great detail. He says: “ Istighf a r and Taubah are two [different] things. Istighf a r has precedence over Taubah for a certain reason. Istighf a r is the help and power which is sought from God and Taubah is standing on your own feet. It is the practice of God that when man