Returning to Allah Man lives an existence parallel with imperfection. By his very nature he is prone to misperceive reality, make inadequate assumptions, and act in inappropriate ways that leads to sin. Misquidance, however, is not common among all of God’s creatures. Animals and plants have a more passive nature than man and have no conscious awareness of life. For example, plants exist off simple reproductive and survival systems while animals run exclusively off instincts and some limited capacity for choice. Both of them by their nature make few mistakes and are not prone to misperceive their environments. Humans are a completely different breed; some say the second highest form of life next to God. They are a sophisticated creature with complex anatomical systems, instincts, and a high mental capacity that still eludes the world’s great thinkers today. Our problems lie not in our instincts but in our perception of how and when to gratify these instincts. Any number of negative life experiences can turn a natural instinctual urge into a prison of guilt and addiction. For example, the natural instinct of reducing uncomfortable feelings can led to drug addiction or alcoholism while the instinct of reproduction can lead to infidelity. The main objective of God’s preaching through the mouths of the Prophets (p.b.u.t.) is guidance. His attempt was to teach us how to gratify ourselves according to natural disposition. Despite this guidance some mistakes and sins are expected. Repentance is the tool used to return man to God after succumbing to sin. Repentance is a gift from God given exclusively to man; animals and plants cannot participate. Such a wonderful gift is not always used by the world despite its most Gracious nature. As a matter of fact, little of world ever participates in such a wonderful act because self-improvement and success are distorted for personal and cultural reasons. From Ibn ‘Abbass (R.A.) who said that Allah’s Messenger (p.b.u.h.) said: There is no believing servant except that he has sin which he commits from time to time, or a sin in which he persists in and does not abandon until he leaves this world. Indeed the Believer was created as one who is frequently tried and tested, who often repents (then forgets. He he is admonished he accepts the admonition. (at- Tabaraanee in al-Mu’jamul Kabeer)
