The Constitution is still evolving and responding to the times, and only the future will tell the shape of things to come.
Reflecting on the Law
By Dr.Shad Sallem Faruqi,
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
EVER since the general election of March 2008, and especially after the constitutional temasyah in Perak, an animated debate is raging about the powers and position of the Malay Rulers.
History: Malay kingship existed as early as the first century and the powers of the Sultans were nearly absolute through much of history. During the colonial period these powers waned.
The decline began with the absorption of Malay kingdoms into the Federated Malay States of 1895 and the Federation of Malaya 1948.
The Merdeka Constitution of 1957 restored the honours and dignities of the Sultans but at the same time converted the Rulers to constitutional monarchs.
Save for a limited number of situations in which a margin of discretion is conferred, the federal and state Constitutions require the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Rulers to act on the advice of the elected political executive.
During the last 52 years things did not always work this way. In the 60s and 70s the influence of the Sultans on government and society was far greater than what the Constitution envisaged. History overshadowed the law.
The 80s and 90s saw several constitutional amendments to curb royal powers. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultans could be bypassed in the ordinary legislative process.
Royal immunities were abolished. If sentenced to more than one day of imprisonment, a Ruler could be removed from his throne unless pardoned by the Majlis Raja-Raja.
However, the spirals of history are at work again. Some sections of the population, including many members of the legal community, are beginning to view the Rulers as the last bastion against the political executive’s omnipotence.
In response to these popular sentiments and in order to recover ground that was lost in the 80s and 90s, the Conference of Rulers, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the state Rulers have lately shown tremendous assertiveness in a number of areas.
Leading examples relate to appointments to the superior courts, refusal to extend the tenure of a retiring Chief Justice, appointment of Chief Ministers in Perlis, Terengganu, Perak and Selangor after the March 2008 general election, refusal of premature dissolution of the Perak Assembly, dismissal of a Chief Minister and appointment of a new Chief Minister in Perak early this year.
A few weeks ago, in exercise of its powers under Article 38(2) to deliberate on questions of national policy, the Majlis Raja-Raja appointed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Patron of Universiti Sains Malaysia to keep the Conference informed of USM’s progress as an apex university.
Some of these royal assertions have raised eyebrows. Questions are being asked whether an activist monarchy is compatible with the letter and spirit of the Federal Constitution.
In this area the “glittering generalities” of the Constitution provide ample scope for a kaleidoscope of views.
Let us examine the constitutional canvass.
Constitutional monarchs: Article 71 and the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution require that all state Constitutions shall contain some “essential provisions”.
The most significant provision is that, except in relation to discretionary powers, all state Rulers “shall act in accordance with the advice of the Executive Council”.
The implication of this is that the state Rulers is not absolute monarchs. They are not expected to rule in person or to seek to control the day-to-day administration of government.
However, the Constitution is equally clear that Their Majesties are anointed with certain discretionary powers in critical areas.
Personal powers: All state Constitutions confer discretionary powers on the Rulers in relation to the following matters:
· Any function as Head of the Muslim religion or relating to Malay adat;
· The appointment of heir, consort, Regent, Council of Regency and Council of Succession;
· Appointments to Malay customary ranks, titles, honours and dignities; and,
· Regulation of royal courts and palaces.
In addition, there is a right to succeed to the throne in accordance with the Constitution of the state and without interference from the Federal Government.
Though immunities are abolished, some special treatment is still accorded. No one can sue or prosecute a Sultan without the Attorney-General’s consent. Cases will not be heard in ordinary courts but in a Special Court. The Majlis will nominate two out of five judges to the court. If a Sultan is convicted of a crime the Majlis can pardon him.
Political powers: Though the Sultans are above politics, federal and state Constitutions confer on them some monumentally important political discretions.
Under Article 38(6) of the Federal Constitution, all Sultans in their capacity as members of the Conference of Rulers may act in accordance with their wishes in the following matters:
· Proceedings relating to the election or removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong;
· Election of the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong;
· The advising on many key federal appointments;
· The giving or withholding of consent to any law altering the boundaries of a state;
· The giving or withholding of consent to any law affecting the privileges and position, honours or dignities of the Rulers;
· Agreeing or disagreeing to the extension of any religious acts, observances and ceremonies to the Federation as a whole; and,
· Appointment of members of the Special Court under Article 182(1).
Under section 1(2) of Part I of the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution and in various provisions of State Constitutions the Rulers are allowed to exercise personal judgment in the following matters:
· Appointment of a Mentri Besar;
· Withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the Assembly; and,
· The making of a request for a meeting of the Conference of Rulers.
Two of the above powers were exercised in Perak with telling effect a few weeks ago.
Under state Constitutions every Sultan has a prerogative to advise, to encourage and to warn. He can remonstrate and object to a proposed course of action. He can delay action on a matter referred to him. But after a reasonable time he must accede to advice.
Some state Constitutions confer additional discretionary powers. For example, the Laws of the Constitution of Kelantan invest His Royal Highness with personal powers in the matter of appointment of some officials (Article 13), appeals to the Sultan against decisions of any person (Article 25), and appointment of the State Service Commission (Article 61).
Legally, these discretionary powers are very broad. In actual practice, they are hemmed in by constitutional guidelines and by binding conventions that “supply the flesh to clothe the dry bones of the law”.
In sum, it can be stated that despite their overall role as constitutional heads who reign but do not rule; who are above politics; who supply the unifying and dignifying element of state Constitutions; the Malay Rulers have an undoubted residue of critical, discretionary powers whose actual ambit has not yet been authoritatively determined.
The Constitution is still evolving and responding to the felt necessities of the times. The British model of a largely ceremonial monarchy has not taken hold. Only the future will tell the shape of things to come.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi is Professor Emeritus at Universiti Teknologi MARA.
©The Star
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Unclear Limits of Discretion
An Avalanche of Legal Issues
Reflecting On the Law
By Dr.Shad Saleem Faruqi
Wednesday March 25, 2009
The legal skirmishes triggered by the four Perak assemblymen who defected have sullied the reputations of several hallowed institutions and opened up new legal frontiers where no Malaysian has up to now travelled.
THE four Perak Assemblymen who slithered down the treacherous slope of defections could not have anticipated the political and legal avalanche they have triggered.
The punches and counter-punches and the legal skirmishes over issues of procedure and substance are opening up new legal frontiers where no Malaysian has up to now travelled.
Several constitutional institutions, including the state’s Sultan, the Election Commission, the Attorney-General’s office, the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the State Speaker and the Secretary to the State Assembly, have become embroiled in the controversy and have had their good names sullied.
The judiciary has not been spared.
When the case first reached the courts, a Judicial Commissioner gave judgments that defy understanding. To have a Judicial Commissioner and not a senior High Court judge presiding over this novel constitutional case was indeed disappointing.
Hearings were not in open court but in chambers. The Speaker of the Perak Assembly was declared to be a public servant despite indisputable legal evidence that he is exempted from such a definition.
The Speaker was not allowed to be represented by private lawyers. He was not even allowed to represent himself!
There was an unbelievable ruling that no conflict of interest existed in the state legal adviser representing the unwilling Speaker against the state government!
These initial judicial missteps were fortunately corrected on appeal but they left a bad feeling and sullied the reputation of a hallowed institution whose resurgence we were all praying for.
Defections: As opposed to the stability of the American presidential system, governments in parliamentary democracies often rise and fall because of political defections.
Unfortunately, the right to disassociate and re-associate is part of the fundamental right to association under the Federal Constitution’s Article 10(1) (c) and the decision in Nordin Salleh (1992).
We need a constitutional amendment to Articles 10(1) and 48(6). There are eminent legal models available in other Commonwealth countries. MPs and Assemblymen who hop midstream should be required to vacate their seats and seek a fresh mandate from their constituency.
Dissolution: The right to refuse a premature dissolution is an undoubted constitutional discretion of the Sultan under Article 18(2) (b) and 36(2) of the Perak Constitution.
We have instances in Kelantan in 1977 and in Sabah in the 90s when requests by MBs for premature dissolution were politely turned down. Judicial authority in Datuk Amir Kahar (1995) confirms the non-reviewability of this discretion.
Even if it is argued that the Sultan was bound by constitutional convention to pay heed to the advice of the then beleaguered MB, it must be noted that constitutional conventions are not law. They are rules of political morality that are non-enforceable in a court: Government of Kelantan v Government of Malaya (1963).
Dismissal of MB: This poses more complex issues. Article 16(7) of the Perak Constitution implies that the Sultan has no power to dismiss an MB. An MB’s cessation of office must come about by resignation under Article 16(6):
“If the Menteri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then, unless at his request His Royal Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly, he shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council.”
The Sarawak case of Stephen Kalong Ningkan v Tun Abang Haji Openg & Tawi Sli (1966) ruled that lack of confidence may be demonstrated only by a vote of no-confidence in the Council Negeri. Factors outside the Council Negeri are irrelevant.
The High Court will have to decide whether to follow Ningkan or to distinguish it on many grounds, among them, that in Sarawak in 1966 the Assembly was in session when the Governor sacked Ningkan. In Perak, the Assembly was in adjournment and a vote on the floor was, therefore, not possible.
The High Court may also note that Article 16(6) does not make any explicit reference to a vote of no-confidence in the Assembly. It uses the words “confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly”.
The Privy Council in Adegbenro v Akintola (1963) and the Sabah High Court in Datuk Amir Kahar (1995) have held that factors other than a vote of no confidence can be taken note of in determining the question of confidence, and that there is no limitation to the consideration of factors outside the Assembly.
There was an additional complication. The Speaker of the Assembly declared that the hoppers had ceased to be members of the Assembly. With them excluded, Nizar disputed the loss of confidence and therefore refused to resign under Article 16(6).
In such a stalemate, did the Sultan have a residual, prerogative power to dismiss Nizar? In addition could His Highness rely on section 47 of the Interpretation Act that the power to appoint includes the power to dismiss? The court has to decide.
Appointment of MB: This is a discretionary function but is controlled and structured by constitutional guidelines. The Sultan has to appoint someone who, in his opinion, is likely to command the confidence of the State Assembly.
If there is a clear-cut leader with the requisite numbers, the discretion of the Ruler is merely nominal. But in an Assembly where no one has a clear majority, (a “hung Assembly”) the Sultan’s personal discretion acquires great significance.
In this case, the Sultan was obviously of the view that Zamri had the requisite numbers and therefore swore him in. The Sultan relied on face to face, separate interviews with the actors involved. The court will have to determine whether this manner of determination is legally justified.
Along with the above contentious issues there is a whole range of controversies that the Perak crisis has engendered.
Powers of Sultan: Can a Sultan be sued in the courts for his official acts? Is a threat to sue tantamount to sedition or treason?
Speaker’s powers: If open-dated resignation letters have no effect, as was determined in Datuk Ong Kee Hui v Sinyium (1983), can the Speaker still rely on them to declare that four Assembly seats have fallen vacant?
Is the Election Commission bound by the rulings of the Speaker on this point or can it decide on the issue independently?
The Speaker of an Assembly is indeed the master of proceedings and procedures in his Assembly, but does his power go so far as to declare seats vacant and to deprive members of their legal right to attend? Is his decision absolutely unimpeachable in any court?
In India, courts do not refrain from pronouncing on the validity of decisions in the House if human rights or constitutional issue are involved.
If the Assembly was not under prorogation but merely under adjournment, can the Speaker convene it on his own without an order from the Sultan?
Who must issue the summons, the Speaker or the Secretary to the Assembly? Does the Speaker have the power to dismiss a disobedient Assembly Secretary?
Privileges committee: The committee has undoubted powers to try members for contempt. But its decisions are not final and any recommendation to dismiss, suspend or discipline members must be confirmed by the Assembly.
Immunity of members: There is no legal bar to the Assembly meeting outside its official premises. The constitutional issue is whether those, including the police, who obstructed the Assembly from meeting are liable to punishment by the Assembly for contempt?
Likewise, are the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission guilty of serious breach of the privileges of the Assembly by questioning the Speaker and Privileges Committee members for their official conduct?
These are serious triable issues. Our answers to them must not be based on expediency or political partisanship but on well established principles of constitutional law.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr Shad Faruqi is Professor of Law at Universiti Teknologi MARA.
©Star
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Seeking Forgiveness
Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And ask forgiveness for your sin...'' [Muhammad, 47:19]
"And seek the forgiveness of Allah. Certainly, Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [An-Nisaa’, 4:106]
"And declare the freedom of your Rubb from imperfection beginning with His praise, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives.'' [An-Nasr, 110:3]
"For Al-Muttaqun (the pious) there are Gardens (Jannah) with their Rubb, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives). And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves. Those who say: `Our Rubb! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. (They are) those who are patient, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend (give the Zakat and alms in the way of Allah) and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night.'' [Al-‘Imran, 3:15-17]
"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [An-Nisaa’, 4:110]
"And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad (PBUH)) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.'' [Al-Anfal, 8:33]
"And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.'' [Al-‘Imran, 3:135]
The Qur'anic Ayat on the subject are many and well-known.
1869. Al-Agharr Al-Muzani (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: Ghain and Ghaim are two synonyms. They signify the spreading of the clouds. It refers in this Hadith to the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) was reciting the Names of Allah and remembering Him all the time. But sometimes due to being too busy in the affairs of the public or due to human needs, there was a pause in this eternal remembrance. Although such a pause was only momentary, this momentary pause was very much disliked by him; and considering it a slackness on his part, he prayed for forgiveness from Allah. In this there is an important lesson for us.
In spite of our many sins and negligence on our part, we do not turn to Allah and seek forgiveness; while, although our Prophet (PBUH) had all his past and future sins forgiven by Allah, he sought forgiveness very often.
1870. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "I swear by Allah that I seek Allah's Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.'' [Al-Bukhari].
1871. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith does not mean that Allah likes disobedience. But by this way of description, the aim is to emphasize the importance of seeking forgiveness from Allah. We know that every man commits sins. But Allah likes those people who, after committing a sin, do not stick to it, but right away seek forgiveness for their sins from Allah. They weep and express sorrow before Allah. By seeking forgiveness, a relationship with Allah is established between man and his Creator. So seeking forgiveness is a very good act.
1872. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: We counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting: Rabb-ighfir li, wa tubb `alayya, innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Rahim. (My Rubb! Forgive me and pardon me. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning with compassion and Ever Merciful.'' [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: This Hadith tells us about the etiquette of praying to Allah. We should use the Names of Allah befitting our prayers, i.e., the Names of Allah signifying those Attributes of Allah which have a special concern with the subject of our particular prayer, i.e., while seeking forgiveness, His Names concerning His Attributes of forgiveness and kindness should be used. On the other hand, while praying for worldly matters, we should mention His Qualities of charity and bestowing gifts etc.
1873. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.'' [Abu Dawud].
Commentary: The chain of this narration is weak. Refer to `The Book of Weak Narrations' by Al-Albani, Vol. I, page 142, No.705.
1874. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who says: `Astaghfir ullah-alladhi la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayyumu, wa atubu ilaihi (I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance),' his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allah).'' [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidzi and Al-Hakim (on conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim for accepting Hadith)].
Commentary: When we say that this narration fulfills the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim; it means that its narrators are the narrators of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Secondly, in this selection those conditions have also been kept in view, which are the landmark of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
1875. Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The best supplication for seeking forgiveness (Syed-ul-Istighfar) is to say: `Allahumma Anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa Anta, khalaqtani wa ana `abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, a`udhu bika min sharri ma sana`tu, abu'u laka bini`matika `alayya, wa abu'u bidhanbi faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta. (O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon).' He who supplicates in these terms during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah; and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah.'' [Al-Bukhari].
1876. Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) finished his Salat (prayer), he would beg forgiveness three times [by saying, `Astaghfirullah' (3 times)] and then he would say: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-Salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram. (O Allah! You are the Bestower of security and security comes from You; Blessed are You. O Possessor of glory and honour).'' Imam Al-Auza`i (one of the subnarrators) of this Hadith was asked: "How forgiveness should be sought?'' He replied: "I say: Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah. I seek forgiveness from Allah).'' [Muslim].
Commentary: This Du`a' was a Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and it is highly recommended to recite it after Salat.
1877. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Prior to his demise, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to supplicate frequently: Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi; Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilaihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him. I beg forgiveness from Allah and I turn to Him in repentance.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: In general, asking of forgiveness all the time is necessary and commendable. But during the old age and the last days of one's life it is particularly very essential. In this way, the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) would also be followed.
1878. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: `O son of Adam! I shall go on forgiving you so long as you pray to Me and aspire for My forgiveness whatever may be your sins. O son of Adam! I do not care even if your sins should pile up to the sky and should you beg pardon of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with an earthful of sins and meet Me, not associating anything with Me in worship, I will certainly grant you as much pardon as will fill the earth.''' [At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: In this narration, there is good news for the sinners who do not stick to sins but rather repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. However numerous their sins may be, Allah will forgive all their sins. But there is a condition which they should fulfill, namely that they do not persist in what wrong they have done (3:135), as with persistence and repeatedly committing the sin, the act of seeking forgiveness becomes a futile act.
1879. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "O women folk! You should give charity and be diligent in seeking Allah's forgiveness because I have seen (i.e., on the Night of the Ascension to the highest heavens) that dwellers of the Hell are women.'' A woman amongst them said: "Why is it that the majority of the dwellers of Hell are women?'' The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. In spite of your lacking in wisdom and failing in religion, you are depriving the wisest of men of their intelligence.'' Upon this the woman asked: "What is the deficiency in our wisdom and in our religion?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Your lack of wisdom can be well judged from the fact that the evidence of two women is equal to that one man. You do not offer Salat (prayer) for some days and you do not fast (the whole of) Ramadan sometimes, it is a deficiency in religion.'' [Muslim].
Commentary:
1. In this narration, certain weaknesses of the female sex have been pointed out, which are natural and pertain to the woman's biology, psychology and embryology.
According to biologists, during and before menstruation, a female's thought process is affected. Similarly, her pulse and blood pressure are also altered. Females are also more prone to hysteria. For these reasons, the Qur'an has declared that when you have to appoint or choose witnesses among women, you should choose two in place of one man. Modern researches have proved this rule to be correct on the basis of biology, psychology and embryology.
Again we know that physically speaking, the female has been named as the weaker sex. For these reasons, females have been excused from earning their livelihood. For earning livelihood, one may have to go out and work hard. Women have been exempted from this duty because of their biological differences and other considerations of Shari`ah. Present-day women who are ignorant of Islam and modern researches are not prepared to accept these scientifically and religiously proved facts. The West claims equality between the sexes. But this equality has not been established so far. Today all the important posts are occupied by males and all the international policies are framed by them alone. Even matters pertaining to women are decided by them. They have mostly relegated them to the posts of workers, secretaries and stenographers for their sexual satisfaction and enjoyment. After a struggle for hundred years, their condition today proves that they are the weaker sex.
So, it is both beneficial and more respectful for her to limit herself to the sphere of action suggested for her by Islam. If she oversteps her sphere, she will certainly lose her female dignity and prestige, as has happened in the West. Her state and condition there is an eyeopener for all.
2. Women should request forgiveness from Allah very often and be generous in charity. They should not show ungratefulness to their husbands and should avoid backbiting and cursing others so that they may save themselves from Hell.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from Riyad-us-Saliheen, Book 19, Chapter 371, Seeking Forgiveness
© WPONLINE.ORG
"And ask forgiveness for your sin...'' [Muhammad, 47:19]
"And seek the forgiveness of Allah. Certainly, Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [An-Nisaa’, 4:106]
"And declare the freedom of your Rubb from imperfection beginning with His praise, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives.'' [An-Nasr, 110:3]
"For Al-Muttaqun (the pious) there are Gardens (Jannah) with their Rubb, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives). And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves. Those who say: `Our Rubb! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. (They are) those who are patient, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend (give the Zakat and alms in the way of Allah) and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night.'' [Al-‘Imran, 3:15-17]
"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [An-Nisaa’, 4:110]
"And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad (PBUH)) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.'' [Al-Anfal, 8:33]
"And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.'' [Al-‘Imran, 3:135]
The Qur'anic Ayat on the subject are many and well-known.
1869. Al-Agharr Al-Muzani (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: Ghain and Ghaim are two synonyms. They signify the spreading of the clouds. It refers in this Hadith to the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) was reciting the Names of Allah and remembering Him all the time. But sometimes due to being too busy in the affairs of the public or due to human needs, there was a pause in this eternal remembrance. Although such a pause was only momentary, this momentary pause was very much disliked by him; and considering it a slackness on his part, he prayed for forgiveness from Allah. In this there is an important lesson for us.
In spite of our many sins and negligence on our part, we do not turn to Allah and seek forgiveness; while, although our Prophet (PBUH) had all his past and future sins forgiven by Allah, he sought forgiveness very often.
1870. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "I swear by Allah that I seek Allah's Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.'' [Al-Bukhari].
1871. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith does not mean that Allah likes disobedience. But by this way of description, the aim is to emphasize the importance of seeking forgiveness from Allah. We know that every man commits sins. But Allah likes those people who, after committing a sin, do not stick to it, but right away seek forgiveness for their sins from Allah. They weep and express sorrow before Allah. By seeking forgiveness, a relationship with Allah is established between man and his Creator. So seeking forgiveness is a very good act.
1872. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: We counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting: Rabb-ighfir li, wa tubb `alayya, innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Rahim. (My Rubb! Forgive me and pardon me. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning with compassion and Ever Merciful.'' [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: This Hadith tells us about the etiquette of praying to Allah. We should use the Names of Allah befitting our prayers, i.e., the Names of Allah signifying those Attributes of Allah which have a special concern with the subject of our particular prayer, i.e., while seeking forgiveness, His Names concerning His Attributes of forgiveness and kindness should be used. On the other hand, while praying for worldly matters, we should mention His Qualities of charity and bestowing gifts etc.
1873. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.'' [Abu Dawud].
Commentary: The chain of this narration is weak. Refer to `The Book of Weak Narrations' by Al-Albani, Vol. I, page 142, No.705.
1874. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who says: `Astaghfir ullah-alladhi la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayyumu, wa atubu ilaihi (I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance),' his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allah).'' [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidzi and Al-Hakim (on conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim for accepting Hadith)].
Commentary: When we say that this narration fulfills the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim; it means that its narrators are the narrators of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Secondly, in this selection those conditions have also been kept in view, which are the landmark of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
1875. Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The best supplication for seeking forgiveness (Syed-ul-Istighfar) is to say: `Allahumma Anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa Anta, khalaqtani wa ana `abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, a`udhu bika min sharri ma sana`tu, abu'u laka bini`matika `alayya, wa abu'u bidhanbi faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta. (O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon).' He who supplicates in these terms during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah; and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah.'' [Al-Bukhari].
1876. Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) finished his Salat (prayer), he would beg forgiveness three times [by saying, `Astaghfirullah' (3 times)] and then he would say: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-Salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram. (O Allah! You are the Bestower of security and security comes from You; Blessed are You. O Possessor of glory and honour).'' Imam Al-Auza`i (one of the subnarrators) of this Hadith was asked: "How forgiveness should be sought?'' He replied: "I say: Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah. I seek forgiveness from Allah).'' [Muslim].
Commentary: This Du`a' was a Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and it is highly recommended to recite it after Salat.
1877. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Prior to his demise, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to supplicate frequently: Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi; Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilaihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him. I beg forgiveness from Allah and I turn to Him in repentance.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: In general, asking of forgiveness all the time is necessary and commendable. But during the old age and the last days of one's life it is particularly very essential. In this way, the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) would also be followed.
1878. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: `O son of Adam! I shall go on forgiving you so long as you pray to Me and aspire for My forgiveness whatever may be your sins. O son of Adam! I do not care even if your sins should pile up to the sky and should you beg pardon of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with an earthful of sins and meet Me, not associating anything with Me in worship, I will certainly grant you as much pardon as will fill the earth.''' [At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: In this narration, there is good news for the sinners who do not stick to sins but rather repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. However numerous their sins may be, Allah will forgive all their sins. But there is a condition which they should fulfill, namely that they do not persist in what wrong they have done (3:135), as with persistence and repeatedly committing the sin, the act of seeking forgiveness becomes a futile act.
1879. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "O women folk! You should give charity and be diligent in seeking Allah's forgiveness because I have seen (i.e., on the Night of the Ascension to the highest heavens) that dwellers of the Hell are women.'' A woman amongst them said: "Why is it that the majority of the dwellers of Hell are women?'' The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. In spite of your lacking in wisdom and failing in religion, you are depriving the wisest of men of their intelligence.'' Upon this the woman asked: "What is the deficiency in our wisdom and in our religion?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Your lack of wisdom can be well judged from the fact that the evidence of two women is equal to that one man. You do not offer Salat (prayer) for some days and you do not fast (the whole of) Ramadan sometimes, it is a deficiency in religion.'' [Muslim].
Commentary:
1. In this narration, certain weaknesses of the female sex have been pointed out, which are natural and pertain to the woman's biology, psychology and embryology.
According to biologists, during and before menstruation, a female's thought process is affected. Similarly, her pulse and blood pressure are also altered. Females are also more prone to hysteria. For these reasons, the Qur'an has declared that when you have to appoint or choose witnesses among women, you should choose two in place of one man. Modern researches have proved this rule to be correct on the basis of biology, psychology and embryology.
Again we know that physically speaking, the female has been named as the weaker sex. For these reasons, females have been excused from earning their livelihood. For earning livelihood, one may have to go out and work hard. Women have been exempted from this duty because of their biological differences and other considerations of Shari`ah. Present-day women who are ignorant of Islam and modern researches are not prepared to accept these scientifically and religiously proved facts. The West claims equality between the sexes. But this equality has not been established so far. Today all the important posts are occupied by males and all the international policies are framed by them alone. Even matters pertaining to women are decided by them. They have mostly relegated them to the posts of workers, secretaries and stenographers for their sexual satisfaction and enjoyment. After a struggle for hundred years, their condition today proves that they are the weaker sex.
So, it is both beneficial and more respectful for her to limit herself to the sphere of action suggested for her by Islam. If she oversteps her sphere, she will certainly lose her female dignity and prestige, as has happened in the West. Her state and condition there is an eyeopener for all.
2. Women should request forgiveness from Allah very often and be generous in charity. They should not show ungratefulness to their husbands and should avoid backbiting and cursing others so that they may save themselves from Hell.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from Riyad-us-Saliheen, Book 19, Chapter 371, Seeking Forgiveness
© WPONLINE.ORG
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Conditions of Repentance
Riyad - Us - Saliheen
Human is not free from sin and mistakes. Allah Swt is a Forgiver and when we sought his forgiveness and repent sincerely. The Scholars held that it is necessary for us to repent from every sin we have created. If the offense involves the Right of Allah SWT, not involving a human, then there are three conditions to be met in order that repentance be accepted by Allah:
1. Cease from committing the sin.
2. Regretted for committing it.
3. Resolve not to repeat it.
Any repentance that fails to meet any of these three conditions would not be considered sound. But if the sin involves a human’s right, it requires a fourth condition, i.e., to absolve oneself from such right. If it is a property, he should return it to its rightful owner. If it is slandering or backbiting, one should ask the pardon of the offended.
One should also repent from all sins. According to some scholars even if on repents from some, his repentance would still be accepted. However, he should endeavors to repent from all the sins. Scriptural proofs from the Al-Quran, and the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars support the incumbency of repentance.
Allah, the Exalted says:
· “And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful”. [An-Nur,24:31]
· “Seek the forgiveness of your Rabb, and turn to Him in repentance”. [Hud,11:3]
· “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!” [At-Tahrim,66: 8]
13. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “By Allah, I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.”[Al-Bukhari].
Commentary:
1. It is an inducement for seeking pardon and forgiveness. The Prophet (PBUH), whose past and future sins were forgiven, yet sought Allah’s forgiveness – more so about us, who tends to commit sins regularly, must seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah.
2. Sincere and ceaseless prayer for pardon is essential for the sins committed by us unintentionally could also be forgiven. The above Hadith lays great emphasis on seeking pardon.
14. Al-Aghar bin Yassar Al-Muzani (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Turn you people in repentance to Allah and beg pardon of Him. I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times a day”. [Muslim].
15 Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) the servant of the Messenger of Allah narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Verily, Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave than a person who lost his camel in a desert land and then finds it (unexpectedly)”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another version of Muslim, he said: “Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: ‘O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Rabb’.He commits this mistake out of extreme joy”.
Commentary:
1. This Hadith also deals with the inducement and merit of repentance and pardon for sins. Allah is highly pleased with repentance.
2. One will not have to account for a mistake made unintentionally.
3. It is permissible to take an oath to stress on one’s pardon.
4. One can quote an instance for the purpose of understanding and elaboration.
16. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west”. [Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith confirms an essential attribute of Allah, i.e., the Hand which He stretches out anytime He wishes without drawing similarity to it, nor interpretation. Such was the attitude of the pious predecessors with regards to all of the essential Attributes of Allah. It is deduced from this Hadith that if one commits a sin during any hour of day or night, he should immediately seek the forgiveness of Allah as a result.
17. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him”. [Muslim].
Commentary:
Tawbah means returning to Allah from sins. When a person commits a sin, he goes away from Allah. When he repents, he returns to Allah and desires for being pardoned by Him, and getting near Him. This returning towards Him is Tawbah. When it is said that `Allah turns towards him’, it means that Allah accepts his repentance.
18. `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah accepts a slave’s repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)”. [At-Tirmidzi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan].
Commentary:
The word ghargharah means the stage when soul is about to leave the body and reaches the throat. In other words, the time when one suffers the agony of death.
Hadith Hasan means that Hadith the authenticity of which is connected without any technical defect. Their narrators, however, are next to those of Hadith Sahih. In the opinion of Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars), Hadith Hasan is also reliable as Hadith Sahih.
19. Zirr bin Hubaish reported: I went to Safwan bin `Assal (May Allah be pleased with him) to inquire about wiping with wet hands over light boots while performing Wudu’. He asked me, “What brings you here, Zirr?” I answered: “Search for knowledge”. He said, “Angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of joy for what he seeks”. I told him, “I have some doubts in my mind regarding wiping of wet hands over light boots in the course of performing Wudu’ after defecation or urinating. Now since you are one of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH), I have come to ask you whether you heard any saying of the Prophet (PBUH) concerning it?” He replied in the affirmative and said, “He (PBUH) instructed us that during a journey we need not take off our light boots for washing the feet up to three days and nights, except in case of major impurity (after sexual intercourse). In other cases such as sleeping, relieving oneself or urinating, the wiping of wet hands over light boots will suffice.” I, then, questioned him, “Did you hear him say anything about love and affection?” He replied, “We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in a journey when a bedouin called out in a loud voice, `O Muhammad.’ The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied him in the same tone, `Here I am. ‘I said to him (the bedouin), `Woe to you, lower your voice in his presence, because you are not allowed to do so.’ He said, `By Allah! I will not lower my voice,’ and then addressing the Prophet (PBUH) he said, `What about a person who loves people but has not found himself in their company.’ Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied, `On the Day of Resurrection, a person will be in the company of those whom he loves. ‘ The Messenger of Allah then kept on talking to us and in the course of his talk, he mentioned a gateway in the heaven, the width of which could be crossed by a rider in forty or seventy years”.
Sufyan, one of the narrators of this tradition, said: “This gateway is in the direction of Syria. Allah created it on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is open for repentance and will not be shut until the sun rises from that direction (i.e., the West) (on Doomsday)”. [At-Tirmidzi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan Sahih]
Commentary:
1. We learn from this Hadith that in ablution, it is permissible to wipe over light boots rather than washing the feet. It is called Mash. The period, in which Mash is intact, in case of travelers it is three days and three nights; while for the residents, it is one day and one night only. A precondition for it is that light boots should be clean and worn after full Wudu’. Ankles should also be covered. In case of breach of ablution, the wiping over the socks is sufficient, and there is no need for washing the feet. Wudu’ is invalidated by sleeping, call of nature and passing of wind. This is called Hadith Asghar. In the case of Hadith Akbar, which occurs because of coitus, menses and wet dream, washing of the whole body becomes obligatory. It means that the privilege of wiping over the light boots is also ended in this case, in the same way as it does after the expiry of period specified for it.
2. One should associate himself with the pious people so that he is counted among them. One also comes to know many other points from this Hadith which every intelligent person can understand with a little effort.
20. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said: “There was a man from among a nation before you who killed ninety-nine people and then made an inquiry about the most learned person on the earth. He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the negative and the man killed him also completing one hundred. He then asked about the most learned man in the earth. He was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the affirmative and asked, `Who stands between you and repentance? Go to such and such land; there (you will find) people devoted to prayer and worship of Allah, join them in worship, and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place.’ So he went away and hardly had he covered half the distance when death overtook him; and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of torment. The angels of mercy pleaded, ‘This man has come with a repenting heart to Allah,’ and the angels of punishment argued, ‘He never did a virtuous deed in his life.’ Then there appeared another angel in the form of a human being and the contending angels agreed to make him arbiter between them. He said, `Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered belonging to the land to which he is nearer.’ They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy collected his soul”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another version: “He was found to be nearer to the locality of the pious by a cubit and was thus included among them”. Another version says: “Allah commanded (the land which he wanted to leave) to move away and commanded the other land (his destination) to draw nearer and then He said: “Now measure the distance between them.’ It was found that he was nearer to his goal by a hand’s span and was thus forgiven”. It is also narrated that he drew closer by a slight movement on his chest.
Commentary:
1. One comes to know from this Hadith that the gate of Tawbah is open even for the worst of the sinners; and Allah forgives everyone provided he repents sincerely, the conditions for such repentance have already been discussed.
2. It is the duty of a religious scholar that while discussing a problem, he should keep in mind the psychological aspects of the questioner and adopt a policy which neither causes a change in the Injunction of Allah nor make the sinner reckless in his sins out of frustration.
3. When a situation warrants, angels appear in the form of men on Orders of Allah.
21. Abdullah bin Ka`b, who served as the guide of Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) when he became blind, narrated: I heard Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) narrating the story of his remaining behind instead of joining Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he left for the battle of Tabuk. Ka`ab said: “I accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in every expedition which he undertook excepting the battle of Tabuk and the battle of Badar. As for the battle of Badr, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims, when they set out, had in mind only to intercept the caravan of the Quraish. Allah made them confront their enemies unexpectedly. I had the honour of being with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the night of `Aqabah when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was dearer to me than participating in the battle of Badar, although Badr was more well-known among the people than that. And this is the account of my staying behind from the battle of Tabuk. I never had better means and more favourable circumstances than at the time of this expedition. And by Allah, I had never before possessed two riding-camels as I did during the time of this expedition. Whenever Messenger of Allah (PBUH) decided to go on a campaign, he would not disclose his real destination till the last moment (of departure). But on this expedition, he set out in extremely hot weather; the journey was long and the terrain was waterless desert; and he had to face a strong army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual position so that they should make full preparation for the campaign. And the Muslims who accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at that time were in large number but no proper record of them was maintained.” Ka`b (further) said: “Few were the persons who chose to remain absent believing that they could easily hide themselves (and thus remain undetected) unless Revelation from Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious (revealed relating to them). And Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out on this expedition when the fruit were ripe and their shade was sought. I had a weakness for them and it was during this season that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims made preparations. I also would set out in the morning to make preparations along with them but would come back having done nothing and said to myself: ‘I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like’. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) till the time of departure came and it was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out along with the Muslims, but I had made no preparations. I would go early in the morning and come back, but with no decision. I went on doing so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. Then I wished to march on and join them. Would that I had done that! But perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) whenever I went out, I was grieved to find no good example to follow but confirmed hypocrites or weak people whom Allah had exempted (from marching forth for Jihad). Messenger of Allah (PBUH) made no mention of me until he reached Tabuk. While he was sitting with the people in Tabuk, he said, `What happened to Ka`ab bin Malik?’ A person from Banu Salimah said: “O Messenger of Allah, the (beauty) of his cloak and an appreciation of his finery have detained him.’ Upon this Mu`adz bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) admonished him and said to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): “By Allah, we know nothing about him but good.’ Messenger of Allah (PBUH), however, kept quiet. At that time he (the Prophet (PBUH)) saw a person dressed in white and said, `Be Abu Khaithamah.‘ And was Abu Khaithamah Al-Ansari was the person who had contributed a Sa` of dates and was ridiculed by the hypocrites.” Ka`ab bin Malik further said: “When the news reached me that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was on his way back from Tabuk, I was greatly distressed. I thought of fabricating an excuse and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger the next day. In this connection, I sought the counsels of every prudent member of my family. When I was told that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was about to arrive, all the wicked ideas vanished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing but the truth could save me. So I decided to tell him the truth. It was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) arrived in Al-Madinah. It was his habit that whenever he came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two Raka’ah (of optional prayer) and would then sit with the people. When he sat, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him. They were more than eighty in number. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their insights to Allah, until I appeared before him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He then said to me, ‘Come forward’. I went forward and I sat in front of him. He said to me, `What kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, if I were to sit before anybody else, a man of the world, I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext or the other and I have a gifted skill in argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware that if I were to put forward before you a lame excuse to please you, Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me. In case, I speak the truth, you may be angry with me, but I hope that Allah would be pleased with me (and accept my repentance). By Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed so good means, and I never had such favourable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind.’ Thereupon, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘This man spoke the truth, so get up (and wait) until Allah gives a decision about you.’ I left and some people of Banu Salimah followed me. They said to me, `By Allah, we do not know that you committed a sin before. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) like those who stayed behind him. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would have sought forgiveness for you.’ By Allah, they kept on reproaching me until I thought of going back to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and retract my confession. Then I said to them, ‘Has anyone else met the same fate?’ They said, ‘Yes, two persons have met the same fate. They made the same statement as you did and the same verdict was delivered in their case.’ I asked, `Who are they?’ They said, ‘Murarah bin Ar-Rabi` Al-`Amri and Hilal bin Umaiyyah Al-Waqifi.’ They mentioned these two pious men who had taken part in the battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I was confirmed in my original resolve. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited the Muslims to talk to the three of us from amongst those who had stayed behind. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us changed and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned against us, and it was in fact the same atmosphere of which I was fully aware and in which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in this very state and my two friends confined themselves within their houses and spent (most of their) time weeping. As I was the youngest and the strongest, I would leave my house, attend the congregational Salat, move about in the bazaars, but none would speak to me. I would come to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as he sat amongst (people) after the Salat, greet him and would ask myself whether or not his lips moved in response to my greetings. Then I would perform Salat near him and look at him stealthily. When I finish my Salat, he would look at me and when I would cast a glance at him he would turn away his eyes from me. When the harsh treatment of the Muslims to me continued for a (considerable) length of time, I walked and I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatadah, who was my cousin, and I had a great love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not answer to my greeting. I said to him, `O Abu Qatadah, I adjure you in the Name of Allah, are you not aware that I love Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)?’ I asked him the same question again but he remained silent. I again adjured him, whereupon he said, `Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) know better.’ My eyes were filled with tears, and I came back climbing down the wall.
Human is not free from sin and mistakes. Allah Swt is a Forgiver and when we sought his forgiveness and repent sincerely. The Scholars held that it is necessary for us to repent from every sin we have created. If the offense involves the Right of Allah SWT, not involving a human, then there are three conditions to be met in order that repentance be accepted by Allah:
1. Cease from committing the sin.
2. Regretted for committing it.
3. Resolve not to repeat it.
Any repentance that fails to meet any of these three conditions would not be considered sound. But if the sin involves a human’s right, it requires a fourth condition, i.e., to absolve oneself from such right. If it is a property, he should return it to its rightful owner. If it is slandering or backbiting, one should ask the pardon of the offended.
One should also repent from all sins. According to some scholars even if on repents from some, his repentance would still be accepted. However, he should endeavors to repent from all the sins. Scriptural proofs from the Al-Quran, and the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars support the incumbency of repentance.
Allah, the Exalted says:
· “And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful”. [An-Nur,24:31]
· “Seek the forgiveness of your Rabb, and turn to Him in repentance”. [Hud,11:3]
· “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!” [At-Tahrim,66: 8]
13. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “By Allah, I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.”[Al-Bukhari].
Commentary:
1. It is an inducement for seeking pardon and forgiveness. The Prophet (PBUH), whose past and future sins were forgiven, yet sought Allah’s forgiveness – more so about us, who tends to commit sins regularly, must seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah.
2. Sincere and ceaseless prayer for pardon is essential for the sins committed by us unintentionally could also be forgiven. The above Hadith lays great emphasis on seeking pardon.
14. Al-Aghar bin Yassar Al-Muzani (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Turn you people in repentance to Allah and beg pardon of Him. I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times a day”. [Muslim].
15 Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) the servant of the Messenger of Allah narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Verily, Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave than a person who lost his camel in a desert land and then finds it (unexpectedly)”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another version of Muslim, he said: “Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: ‘O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Rabb’.He commits this mistake out of extreme joy”.
Commentary:
1. This Hadith also deals with the inducement and merit of repentance and pardon for sins. Allah is highly pleased with repentance.
2. One will not have to account for a mistake made unintentionally.
3. It is permissible to take an oath to stress on one’s pardon.
4. One can quote an instance for the purpose of understanding and elaboration.
16. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west”. [Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith confirms an essential attribute of Allah, i.e., the Hand which He stretches out anytime He wishes without drawing similarity to it, nor interpretation. Such was the attitude of the pious predecessors with regards to all of the essential Attributes of Allah. It is deduced from this Hadith that if one commits a sin during any hour of day or night, he should immediately seek the forgiveness of Allah as a result.
17. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him”. [Muslim].
Commentary:
Tawbah means returning to Allah from sins. When a person commits a sin, he goes away from Allah. When he repents, he returns to Allah and desires for being pardoned by Him, and getting near Him. This returning towards Him is Tawbah. When it is said that `Allah turns towards him’, it means that Allah accepts his repentance.
18. `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah accepts a slave’s repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)”. [At-Tirmidzi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan].
Commentary:
The word ghargharah means the stage when soul is about to leave the body and reaches the throat. In other words, the time when one suffers the agony of death.
Hadith Hasan means that Hadith the authenticity of which is connected without any technical defect. Their narrators, however, are next to those of Hadith Sahih. In the opinion of Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars), Hadith Hasan is also reliable as Hadith Sahih.
19. Zirr bin Hubaish reported: I went to Safwan bin `Assal (May Allah be pleased with him) to inquire about wiping with wet hands over light boots while performing Wudu’. He asked me, “What brings you here, Zirr?” I answered: “Search for knowledge”. He said, “Angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of joy for what he seeks”. I told him, “I have some doubts in my mind regarding wiping of wet hands over light boots in the course of performing Wudu’ after defecation or urinating. Now since you are one of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH), I have come to ask you whether you heard any saying of the Prophet (PBUH) concerning it?” He replied in the affirmative and said, “He (PBUH) instructed us that during a journey we need not take off our light boots for washing the feet up to three days and nights, except in case of major impurity (after sexual intercourse). In other cases such as sleeping, relieving oneself or urinating, the wiping of wet hands over light boots will suffice.” I, then, questioned him, “Did you hear him say anything about love and affection?” He replied, “We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in a journey when a bedouin called out in a loud voice, `O Muhammad.’ The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied him in the same tone, `Here I am. ‘I said to him (the bedouin), `Woe to you, lower your voice in his presence, because you are not allowed to do so.’ He said, `By Allah! I will not lower my voice,’ and then addressing the Prophet (PBUH) he said, `What about a person who loves people but has not found himself in their company.’ Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied, `On the Day of Resurrection, a person will be in the company of those whom he loves. ‘ The Messenger of Allah then kept on talking to us and in the course of his talk, he mentioned a gateway in the heaven, the width of which could be crossed by a rider in forty or seventy years”.
Sufyan, one of the narrators of this tradition, said: “This gateway is in the direction of Syria. Allah created it on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is open for repentance and will not be shut until the sun rises from that direction (i.e., the West) (on Doomsday)”. [At-Tirmidzi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan Sahih]
Commentary:
1. We learn from this Hadith that in ablution, it is permissible to wipe over light boots rather than washing the feet. It is called Mash. The period, in which Mash is intact, in case of travelers it is three days and three nights; while for the residents, it is one day and one night only. A precondition for it is that light boots should be clean and worn after full Wudu’. Ankles should also be covered. In case of breach of ablution, the wiping over the socks is sufficient, and there is no need for washing the feet. Wudu’ is invalidated by sleeping, call of nature and passing of wind. This is called Hadith Asghar. In the case of Hadith Akbar, which occurs because of coitus, menses and wet dream, washing of the whole body becomes obligatory. It means that the privilege of wiping over the light boots is also ended in this case, in the same way as it does after the expiry of period specified for it.
2. One should associate himself with the pious people so that he is counted among them. One also comes to know many other points from this Hadith which every intelligent person can understand with a little effort.
20. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said: “There was a man from among a nation before you who killed ninety-nine people and then made an inquiry about the most learned person on the earth. He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the negative and the man killed him also completing one hundred. He then asked about the most learned man in the earth. He was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the affirmative and asked, `Who stands between you and repentance? Go to such and such land; there (you will find) people devoted to prayer and worship of Allah, join them in worship, and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place.’ So he went away and hardly had he covered half the distance when death overtook him; and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of torment. The angels of mercy pleaded, ‘This man has come with a repenting heart to Allah,’ and the angels of punishment argued, ‘He never did a virtuous deed in his life.’ Then there appeared another angel in the form of a human being and the contending angels agreed to make him arbiter between them. He said, `Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered belonging to the land to which he is nearer.’ They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy collected his soul”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another version: “He was found to be nearer to the locality of the pious by a cubit and was thus included among them”. Another version says: “Allah commanded (the land which he wanted to leave) to move away and commanded the other land (his destination) to draw nearer and then He said: “Now measure the distance between them.’ It was found that he was nearer to his goal by a hand’s span and was thus forgiven”. It is also narrated that he drew closer by a slight movement on his chest.
Commentary:
1. One comes to know from this Hadith that the gate of Tawbah is open even for the worst of the sinners; and Allah forgives everyone provided he repents sincerely, the conditions for such repentance have already been discussed.
2. It is the duty of a religious scholar that while discussing a problem, he should keep in mind the psychological aspects of the questioner and adopt a policy which neither causes a change in the Injunction of Allah nor make the sinner reckless in his sins out of frustration.
3. When a situation warrants, angels appear in the form of men on Orders of Allah.
21. Abdullah bin Ka`b, who served as the guide of Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) when he became blind, narrated: I heard Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) narrating the story of his remaining behind instead of joining Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he left for the battle of Tabuk. Ka`ab said: “I accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in every expedition which he undertook excepting the battle of Tabuk and the battle of Badar. As for the battle of Badr, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims, when they set out, had in mind only to intercept the caravan of the Quraish. Allah made them confront their enemies unexpectedly. I had the honour of being with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the night of `Aqabah when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was dearer to me than participating in the battle of Badar, although Badr was more well-known among the people than that. And this is the account of my staying behind from the battle of Tabuk. I never had better means and more favourable circumstances than at the time of this expedition. And by Allah, I had never before possessed two riding-camels as I did during the time of this expedition. Whenever Messenger of Allah (PBUH) decided to go on a campaign, he would not disclose his real destination till the last moment (of departure). But on this expedition, he set out in extremely hot weather; the journey was long and the terrain was waterless desert; and he had to face a strong army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual position so that they should make full preparation for the campaign. And the Muslims who accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at that time were in large number but no proper record of them was maintained.” Ka`b (further) said: “Few were the persons who chose to remain absent believing that they could easily hide themselves (and thus remain undetected) unless Revelation from Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious (revealed relating to them). And Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out on this expedition when the fruit were ripe and their shade was sought. I had a weakness for them and it was during this season that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims made preparations. I also would set out in the morning to make preparations along with them but would come back having done nothing and said to myself: ‘I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like’. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) till the time of departure came and it was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out along with the Muslims, but I had made no preparations. I would go early in the morning and come back, but with no decision. I went on doing so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. Then I wished to march on and join them. Would that I had done that! But perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) whenever I went out, I was grieved to find no good example to follow but confirmed hypocrites or weak people whom Allah had exempted (from marching forth for Jihad). Messenger of Allah (PBUH) made no mention of me until he reached Tabuk. While he was sitting with the people in Tabuk, he said, `What happened to Ka`ab bin Malik?’ A person from Banu Salimah said: “O Messenger of Allah, the (beauty) of his cloak and an appreciation of his finery have detained him.’ Upon this Mu`adz bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) admonished him and said to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): “By Allah, we know nothing about him but good.’ Messenger of Allah (PBUH), however, kept quiet. At that time he (the Prophet (PBUH)) saw a person dressed in white and said, `Be Abu Khaithamah.‘ And was Abu Khaithamah Al-Ansari was the person who had contributed a Sa` of dates and was ridiculed by the hypocrites.” Ka`ab bin Malik further said: “When the news reached me that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was on his way back from Tabuk, I was greatly distressed. I thought of fabricating an excuse and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger the next day. In this connection, I sought the counsels of every prudent member of my family. When I was told that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was about to arrive, all the wicked ideas vanished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing but the truth could save me. So I decided to tell him the truth. It was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) arrived in Al-Madinah. It was his habit that whenever he came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two Raka’ah (of optional prayer) and would then sit with the people. When he sat, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him. They were more than eighty in number. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their insights to Allah, until I appeared before him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He then said to me, ‘Come forward’. I went forward and I sat in front of him. He said to me, `What kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, if I were to sit before anybody else, a man of the world, I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext or the other and I have a gifted skill in argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware that if I were to put forward before you a lame excuse to please you, Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me. In case, I speak the truth, you may be angry with me, but I hope that Allah would be pleased with me (and accept my repentance). By Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed so good means, and I never had such favourable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind.’ Thereupon, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘This man spoke the truth, so get up (and wait) until Allah gives a decision about you.’ I left and some people of Banu Salimah followed me. They said to me, `By Allah, we do not know that you committed a sin before. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) like those who stayed behind him. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would have sought forgiveness for you.’ By Allah, they kept on reproaching me until I thought of going back to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and retract my confession. Then I said to them, ‘Has anyone else met the same fate?’ They said, ‘Yes, two persons have met the same fate. They made the same statement as you did and the same verdict was delivered in their case.’ I asked, `Who are they?’ They said, ‘Murarah bin Ar-Rabi` Al-`Amri and Hilal bin Umaiyyah Al-Waqifi.’ They mentioned these two pious men who had taken part in the battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I was confirmed in my original resolve. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited the Muslims to talk to the three of us from amongst those who had stayed behind. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us changed and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned against us, and it was in fact the same atmosphere of which I was fully aware and in which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in this very state and my two friends confined themselves within their houses and spent (most of their) time weeping. As I was the youngest and the strongest, I would leave my house, attend the congregational Salat, move about in the bazaars, but none would speak to me. I would come to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as he sat amongst (people) after the Salat, greet him and would ask myself whether or not his lips moved in response to my greetings. Then I would perform Salat near him and look at him stealthily. When I finish my Salat, he would look at me and when I would cast a glance at him he would turn away his eyes from me. When the harsh treatment of the Muslims to me continued for a (considerable) length of time, I walked and I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatadah, who was my cousin, and I had a great love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not answer to my greeting. I said to him, `O Abu Qatadah, I adjure you in the Name of Allah, are you not aware that I love Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)?’ I asked him the same question again but he remained silent. I again adjured him, whereupon he said, `Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) know better.’ My eyes were filled with tears, and I came back climbing down the wall.
As I was walking in the bazaars of Al-Madinah, a man from the Syrian peasants, who had come to sell food grains in Al-Madinah, asked people to direct him to Ka`ab bin Malik. People pointed towards me. He came to me and delivered a letter from the King of Ghassan, and as I was a scribe, I read that letter whose purport was: `It has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Prophet (PBUH)) was treating you harshly. Allah has not created you for a place where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place; so come to us and we shall receive you graciously.’ As I read that letter I said: ‘This is too a trial,’ so I put it to fire in an oven. When forty days had elapsed and Messenger of Allah (PBUH) received no Revelation, there came to me a messenger of the Messenger of Allah and said, `Verily, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has commanded you to keep away from your wife.’ I said, `Should I divorce her or what else should I do?’ He said, `No, but only keep away from her and don’t have sexual contact with her.’ The same message was sent to my companions. So, I said to my wife: ‘You better go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case.’ The wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Hilal bin Umaiyyah is a senile person and has no servant. Do you disapprove if I serve him?’ He said, `No, but don’t let him have any sexual contact with you. ‘She said, ‘By Allah, he has no such desire left in him. By Allah, he has been in tears since (this calamity) struck him.’ Members of my family said to me, `You should have sought permission from Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in regard to your wife. He has allowed the wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah to serve him.’ I said, ‘I would not seek permission from Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for I do not know what Messenger of Allah might say in response to that, as I am a young man’. It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty days had passed since people boycotted us and gave up talking to us. After I had offered my Fajr prayer on the early morning of the fiftieth day of this boycott on the roof of one of our houses, and had sat in the very state which Allah described as: `The earth seemed constrained for me despite its vastness’, I heard the voice of a proclaimer from the peak of the hill Sal` shouting at the top of his voice: ‘O Ka`ab bin Malik, rejoice.’ I fell down in prostration and came to know that there was (a message of) relief for me. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had informed the people about the acceptance of our repentance by Allah after he had offered the Fajar prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my companions in order to give them the glad tidings. A man spurred his horse towards me (to give the good news), and another one from the tribe of Aslam came running for the same purpose and, as he approached the mount, I received the good news which reached me before the rider did. When the one whose voice I had heard came to me to congratulate me, I took off my garments and gave them to him for the good news he brought to me. By Allah, I possessed nothing else (in the form of clothes) except these garments, at that time. Then I borrowed two garments, dressed myself and came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) On my way, I met groups of people who greeted me for (the acceptance of) repentance and they said: ‘Congratulations for acceptance of your repentance.’ I reached the mosque where Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sitting amidst people. Talhah bin `Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me, shook hands with me and greeted me. By Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the Muhajirun besides him.” Ka`b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talhah. Ka`b further said: “I greeted Messenger of Allah (PBUH) with `As-salamu `alaikum’ and his face was beaming with pleasure. He (PBUH) said, `Rejoice with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave you birth. ‘I said: `O Messenger of Allah! Is this (good news) from you or from Allah?’ He said, `No, it is from Allah. ‘And it was common with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that whenever he was happy, his face would glow as if it was a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognized it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said, I have placed a condition upon myself that if Allah accepts my Tawbah, I would give up all of my property in charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)!’ Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, `keep some property with you, as it is better for you.’ I said, ‘I shall keep with me that portion which is in Khaibar’. I added: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of my truthfulness, and therefore, repentance obliges me to speak nothing but the truth as long as I am alive.” Ka`ab added: “By Allah, I do not know anyone among the Muslims who has been granted truthfulness better than me since I said this to the Prophet (PBUH). By Allah! Since the time I made a pledge of this to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I have never intended to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah would protect me (against telling lies) for the rest of my life. Allah, the Exalted, the Glorious, revealed these Verses:
‘Allah has forgiven the Prophet (PBUH), the Muhajirun (Muslim Emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (Muslims of Al-Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad (PBUH)) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful. And (He did forgive also) the three who did not join [the Tabuk expedition and whose case was deferred (by the Prophet (PBUH)) for Allah's Decision] till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that they might beg for His Pardon [repent (unto Him)]. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).” [At-Tawbah, 9:117,118].
Ka`ab said: “By Allah, since Allah guided me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who had told lies, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else, as He sent down the Revelation:
They will swear by Allah to you (Muslims) when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are Rijsun [i.e., Najasun (impure) because of their evil deeds], and Hell is their dwelling place - a recompense for that which they used to earn. They (the hypocrites) swear to you (Muslims) that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allah is not pleased with the people who are Al-Fa’siqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)”. [At-Tawbah, 9:95-96]
Ka`ab further added: “The matter of the three of us remained pending for decision apart from the case of those who had made excuses on oath before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he accepted those, took fresh oaths of allegiance from them and supplicated for their forgiveness. The Prophet (PBUH) kept our matter pending till Allah decided it. The three whose matter was deferred have been shown mercy. The reference here is not to our staying back from the expedition but to his delaying our matter and keeping it pending beyond the matter of those who made their excuses on oath which he accepted”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Another version adds: “Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out for Tabuk on Thursday. He used to prefer to set out on journey on Thursday.” Another version says: “Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to come back from a journey in the early forenoon and went straight to the mosque where he would perform two Raka`ah prayer. Afterwards he would seat himself there”.
Commentary:
This Hadith contains many aspects of warnings and advices, some of which are given below:
1. A Muslim should always speak the truth even if he has to face troubles and turmoil for it because the Pleasure of Allah lies in truth.
2. One must avoid at all costs the attitude of hypocrites because eventually one is ruined by it.
3. In spite of hardship and stringency, one must take part in Jihad.
4. For the admonition and exhortation of others, it gives justification for the economic boycott of even sincere Muslims who adopt wrong methods.
5. One must face with forbearance the difficulties which come in the way of Deen.
6. It is not praiseworthy that one gives in charity all the property he has. One must keep what is needed for the lawful needs.
7. It is lawful to give something by way of gift and reward to a person who congratulates in certain occasion or events enjoining happiness.
8. The ability to seek pardon is a gift from Allah for which one must express gratitude to Him.
9. Any promise that one makes must be kept, etc. etc.
22. Imran bin Al-Husain Al-Khuza`i (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman from the tribe Juhainah came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while she was pregnant from (Zina) adultery and said to him: “O Messenger of Allah! I have committed an offense liable to Hadd (prescribed punishment), so exact the execution of the sentence.” Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called her guardian and said to him, “Treat her kindly. Bring her to me after the delivery of the child.” That man complied with the orders. At last the Prophet (PBUH) commanded to carry out the sentence. Her clothes were secured around her and she was stoned to death. The Prophet (PBUH) led her funeral prayers. `Umar submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! She committed Zina and you have performed funeral prayer for her?” He replied, “Verily, she made repentance which would suffice for seventy of the people of Al-Madinah if it is divided among them. Can there be any higher degree of repentance than that she sacrificed her life voluntarily to win the Pleasure of Allah, the Exalted?”[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith highlights the following five points:
1. It confirms the validity of the punishment of Rajm for the adulterer, that is to say that he should be stoned to death.
2. The merit of sincere pardon.
3.The description of fear of Allah as well as of accountability on the Day of Resurrection by the Prophet’s Companions, and their preference for punishment of sins in this world rather than in the Hereafter.
4. It is permissible to perform the funeral prayer of one who has been guilty of major sins, provided he has not been taking them as lawful because in that case there is danger of disbelief...
5. A pregnant woman cannot be punished with Rajam until she gives birth to the child and the period specified for suckling the baby is completed.
23. Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
1. This Hadith deals with man’s greed and his lust for material wealth. Only the person who has a perfect Faith can save himself from it.
24. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Allah, the Exalted, smiles at two men, one of them killed the other and both will enter Jannah. The first is killed by the other while he is fighting in the Cause of Allah, and thereafter Allah will turn in mercy to the second and guide him to accept Islam and then he dies as a Shaheed (martyr) fighting in the Cause of Allah.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
1. Even the greatest sins, including those which one has committed before embracing Islam, are forgiven by repentance.
2. Smiling is also one of the Attributes of Allah, although we are unaware of the nature of it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from Riyad Us Saliheen, The Book of Miscellany, Chapter 2, Repentance.
©Holy Heart.
‘Allah has forgiven the Prophet (PBUH), the Muhajirun (Muslim Emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (Muslims of Al-Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad (PBUH)) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful. And (He did forgive also) the three who did not join [the Tabuk expedition and whose case was deferred (by the Prophet (PBUH)) for Allah's Decision] till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that they might beg for His Pardon [repent (unto Him)]. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).” [At-Tawbah, 9:117,118].
Ka`ab said: “By Allah, since Allah guided me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who had told lies, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else, as He sent down the Revelation:
They will swear by Allah to you (Muslims) when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are Rijsun [i.e., Najasun (impure) because of their evil deeds], and Hell is their dwelling place - a recompense for that which they used to earn. They (the hypocrites) swear to you (Muslims) that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allah is not pleased with the people who are Al-Fa’siqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)”. [At-Tawbah, 9:95-96]
Ka`ab further added: “The matter of the three of us remained pending for decision apart from the case of those who had made excuses on oath before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he accepted those, took fresh oaths of allegiance from them and supplicated for their forgiveness. The Prophet (PBUH) kept our matter pending till Allah decided it. The three whose matter was deferred have been shown mercy. The reference here is not to our staying back from the expedition but to his delaying our matter and keeping it pending beyond the matter of those who made their excuses on oath which he accepted”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Another version adds: “Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out for Tabuk on Thursday. He used to prefer to set out on journey on Thursday.” Another version says: “Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to come back from a journey in the early forenoon and went straight to the mosque where he would perform two Raka`ah prayer. Afterwards he would seat himself there”.
Commentary:
This Hadith contains many aspects of warnings and advices, some of which are given below:
1. A Muslim should always speak the truth even if he has to face troubles and turmoil for it because the Pleasure of Allah lies in truth.
2. One must avoid at all costs the attitude of hypocrites because eventually one is ruined by it.
3. In spite of hardship and stringency, one must take part in Jihad.
4. For the admonition and exhortation of others, it gives justification for the economic boycott of even sincere Muslims who adopt wrong methods.
5. One must face with forbearance the difficulties which come in the way of Deen.
6. It is not praiseworthy that one gives in charity all the property he has. One must keep what is needed for the lawful needs.
7. It is lawful to give something by way of gift and reward to a person who congratulates in certain occasion or events enjoining happiness.
8. The ability to seek pardon is a gift from Allah for which one must express gratitude to Him.
9. Any promise that one makes must be kept, etc. etc.
22. Imran bin Al-Husain Al-Khuza`i (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman from the tribe Juhainah came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while she was pregnant from (Zina) adultery and said to him: “O Messenger of Allah! I have committed an offense liable to Hadd (prescribed punishment), so exact the execution of the sentence.” Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called her guardian and said to him, “Treat her kindly. Bring her to me after the delivery of the child.” That man complied with the orders. At last the Prophet (PBUH) commanded to carry out the sentence. Her clothes were secured around her and she was stoned to death. The Prophet (PBUH) led her funeral prayers. `Umar submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! She committed Zina and you have performed funeral prayer for her?” He replied, “Verily, she made repentance which would suffice for seventy of the people of Al-Madinah if it is divided among them. Can there be any higher degree of repentance than that she sacrificed her life voluntarily to win the Pleasure of Allah, the Exalted?”[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith highlights the following five points:
1. It confirms the validity of the punishment of Rajm for the adulterer, that is to say that he should be stoned to death.
2. The merit of sincere pardon.
3.The description of fear of Allah as well as of accountability on the Day of Resurrection by the Prophet’s Companions, and their preference for punishment of sins in this world rather than in the Hereafter.
4. It is permissible to perform the funeral prayer of one who has been guilty of major sins, provided he has not been taking them as lawful because in that case there is danger of disbelief...
5. A pregnant woman cannot be punished with Rajam until she gives birth to the child and the period specified for suckling the baby is completed.
23. Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
1. This Hadith deals with man’s greed and his lust for material wealth. Only the person who has a perfect Faith can save himself from it.
24. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Allah, the Exalted, smiles at two men, one of them killed the other and both will enter Jannah. The first is killed by the other while he is fighting in the Cause of Allah, and thereafter Allah will turn in mercy to the second and guide him to accept Islam and then he dies as a Shaheed (martyr) fighting in the Cause of Allah.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
1. Even the greatest sins, including those which one has committed before embracing Islam, are forgiven by repentance.
2. Smiling is also one of the Attributes of Allah, although we are unaware of the nature of it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from Riyad Us Saliheen, The Book of Miscellany, Chapter 2, Repentance.
©Holy Heart.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Repentence
A. Allah SWT Says in The Qur’an:
· “O you who believe! Fear Allah as He is supposed to be feared and do not die unless you are (in the state of being) Muslims.” [Al-‘Imran, 3:102].
· “O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you and those before you.' O Mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate; and then caused many men and women to spring out from them. Fear Allah in Whose Name you plead with one another and respect the wombs that bore you. Certainly Allah is watching over you.'” [An-Nisa’ 4:1]
· “O you who believe! Fear Allah and speak the truth for Allah will reform for you your actions and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed acquired great success.” [Al-Ahzab, 33:70]
· “So repent all together, O you who believe so that you may acquire success.” [An-Nur, 24:31]
· “O you who believe! Repent towards Allah with sincere repentance.” [Surah Tahrim, 66: 8]
· “And that you ask your Lord to forgive you so that He may allow you to benefit a good benefit.” (Surah Hud,11: 3)
· “And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons mistakes.” [Surah Shura, 47: 25]
· “And whosoever repents after his inequity and reforms himself, then Allah will indeed return to him.” [Surah Maidah, 5: 39]
· “Why don't you return to Allah and ask Him to forgive you. Allah is Forgiving, and Merciful.” [Surah Al-Maidah, 5: 74]
· “Except those who repent, believe and do good deeds; for those Allah will exchange their sins for good deeds. Allah is extremely Forgiving and Merciful”. [Surah Al-Furqan,25: 70]
· For Allah is very Forgiving towards those who return to Him [Surah Al-Israa’, 17:25]
· He is the One Who has made the night and day to follow one another for those who wish to take heed and who wish to give thanks. [Surah Al-Furqan, 25:62]
B. Hadith
· Abu Hurairah RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'By Allah! I ask Allah for forgiveness and I repent each day more than seventy times.' [Bukhari]
· Aghar Ibn Yassar RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'People! Repent towards Allah and ask Him to forgive you. For I repent a hundred times a day.' [Muslim]
· Abu Musa Asha’ari RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'Allah extends His Hand (meaning Power) at night so that he can forgive the sinner of the day; He extends His Hand (Power) in the day so that He can forgive the sinner of the night. He will continue to do this until the sunrises from the West (Day of Judgment). [Muslim]
· Abu Hurairah RA said that the Prophet SAW said: "Whoever repents before the sunrises from the West. Allah will forgive him. [Muslim]
· Ibn Abbas and Anas Ibn Malik RA narrated that the Prophet SAW said: "If the son of Adam had one valley of gold, he would crave for two; his stomach cannot be filled except with dirt (of the grave) and Allah will forgive the one repents. [Bukhari and Muslim])
· Anas Ibn Malik RA says that the Prophet SAW said: 'When a servant of Allah returns to Him and repents, Allah is happier than a traveler who loses his mount which has all his belongings and provisions on it and then resorts to the shade of tree after losing all hope only to wake up and find his mount staring in his face, and then out of joy and happiness erroneously says: 'Allah You are my servant and I your Lord. ‘[Bukhari, Muslim]
· Abdullah Ibn Omar RA said that the Prophet SAW said: 'Allah accepts the repentance of His servant as long as he does not croak (on his deathbed)'. [At-Tirmidzi]
· A man asked Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud RA about repenting from a sin which he wanted to commit (but did not commit it). Abdullah turned away from the man and then turned towards him with his eyes weeping and said: 'Paradise has eight entrances, all of which open and shut except the entrance of Tawbah. This entrance has an angel guarding it so that it does not shut. So repent and do not despair.'
· Ibn Kathir RA said: 'This means an honest and resolute repentance such that He neglects past sins, allows the repenting person to gather himself such that it prevents him from any further infractions.' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir 4:391]
· Nawawi RA said: 'Repentance is compulsory for every sin. If it does not concern the right of any human being then it has three conditions: to give up the sin completely, to feel remorse and compunction and to resolve not to commit it again. If any of the three is missing the repentance will not be accepted.'
· 'To exonerate oneself from the person's right by giving him back his due or to ask for the person's pardon' [Riyadul Salihin: 17]
· Abu Sa’id Khudri RA said that the Prophet SAW said: 'There was a man before you who had committed 99 murders and then wanted to repent. So he inquired about the most knowledgeable person in the area and asked him if he could repent. The person said no, so the seeker murdered him as well and completed his 100. Then, he asked another wise person who informed him that he could repent and told him to leave the area in which he was living in and move to a place where people worshipped Allah. He started out on his journey; however, he died half way to his destination. So the angels of mercy and punishment argued over him. The angels of mercy said that he had repented and had made his way to the town. The angels of punishment said that he had never performed a good deed in his life. So an angel came to them in the form of a man and told them to measure the distance between the two places. They did so and found that he was actually closer to the destination than to his home.The angels of mercy claimed his case. [Bukhari and Muslim]
'Allah ordered the earth close to his destination to come closer to him and ordered the other part of the earth to become distant. Then they measured and they found that he was closer to his destination by a span and was forgiven.'
· Imran Ibn Hussain RA said that the Prophet SAW approached by a woman from the tribe of Juhaina who had become pregnant through adultery and who said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin that obligates Hadd (Islamic punishment) on me. So punish me!' Prophet SAW told her guardian to be kind to her and to bring her back after she had delivered the child. HE did so and then the Prophet SAW tied her clothes and enacted the punishment on her. Then he offered funeral prayers for her. Omar RA asked: 'Are you praying over her even though she has committed adultery?' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'She has repented so strongly that if it were distributed amongst seventy people of Medinah, it would accommodate them (that is, her reputation would be good enough for all of them). Can you find anyone better than her as she gave herself for Allah?' [Muslim]
· Buriadah Ibn Khusaib RA says a man named Maiz Ibn Malik RA came to the Prophet SAW and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I have wronged myself and I have committed adultery. I would like to be purified.' The Prophet SAW rejected his plea so he came back the next day and then again a third day. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered a ditch to be dug for him in which he was told to stand. He did so and he was stoned to death. (people formed two opinions about him one was that he had perished and that his sin had gotten the better of him; and the other was that no repentance was more sincere and truthful than his. The Prophet SAW said: 'He has repented with such repentance that if it were to be distributed amongst a whole nation, it would be enough for them.' [Muslim]
· 'A repenting person despises himself more and more as he realizes the seriousness of his sin. See how these people despised themselves to the point that they accepted death in order to show their displeasure at themselves.' [Tabsirah: 1:360]
· Ibn Qayyim RA said: 'if you were to see a repenting person, you would see weary eyelids early in the morning asking for forgiveness and listening to Allah's Command: 'Repent to Allah with a sincere repentance.'
· “O you who believe! Fear Allah as He is supposed to be feared and do not die unless you are (in the state of being) Muslims.” [Al-‘Imran, 3:102].
· “O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you and those before you.' O Mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate; and then caused many men and women to spring out from them. Fear Allah in Whose Name you plead with one another and respect the wombs that bore you. Certainly Allah is watching over you.'” [An-Nisa’ 4:1]
· “O you who believe! Fear Allah and speak the truth for Allah will reform for you your actions and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed acquired great success.” [Al-Ahzab, 33:70]
· “So repent all together, O you who believe so that you may acquire success.” [An-Nur, 24:31]
· “O you who believe! Repent towards Allah with sincere repentance.” [Surah Tahrim, 66: 8]
· “And that you ask your Lord to forgive you so that He may allow you to benefit a good benefit.” (Surah Hud,11: 3)
· “And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons mistakes.” [Surah Shura, 47: 25]
· “And whosoever repents after his inequity and reforms himself, then Allah will indeed return to him.” [Surah Maidah, 5: 39]
· “Why don't you return to Allah and ask Him to forgive you. Allah is Forgiving, and Merciful.” [Surah Al-Maidah, 5: 74]
· “Except those who repent, believe and do good deeds; for those Allah will exchange their sins for good deeds. Allah is extremely Forgiving and Merciful”. [Surah Al-Furqan,25: 70]
· For Allah is very Forgiving towards those who return to Him [Surah Al-Israa’, 17:25]
· He is the One Who has made the night and day to follow one another for those who wish to take heed and who wish to give thanks. [Surah Al-Furqan, 25:62]
B. Hadith
· Abu Hurairah RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'By Allah! I ask Allah for forgiveness and I repent each day more than seventy times.' [Bukhari]
· Aghar Ibn Yassar RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'People! Repent towards Allah and ask Him to forgive you. For I repent a hundred times a day.' [Muslim]
· Abu Musa Asha’ari RA heard the Prophet SAW said: 'Allah extends His Hand (meaning Power) at night so that he can forgive the sinner of the day; He extends His Hand (Power) in the day so that He can forgive the sinner of the night. He will continue to do this until the sunrises from the West (Day of Judgment). [Muslim]
· Abu Hurairah RA said that the Prophet SAW said: "Whoever repents before the sunrises from the West. Allah will forgive him. [Muslim]
· Ibn Abbas and Anas Ibn Malik RA narrated that the Prophet SAW said: "If the son of Adam had one valley of gold, he would crave for two; his stomach cannot be filled except with dirt (of the grave) and Allah will forgive the one repents. [Bukhari and Muslim])
· Anas Ibn Malik RA says that the Prophet SAW said: 'When a servant of Allah returns to Him and repents, Allah is happier than a traveler who loses his mount which has all his belongings and provisions on it and then resorts to the shade of tree after losing all hope only to wake up and find his mount staring in his face, and then out of joy and happiness erroneously says: 'Allah You are my servant and I your Lord. ‘[Bukhari, Muslim]
· Abdullah Ibn Omar RA said that the Prophet SAW said: 'Allah accepts the repentance of His servant as long as he does not croak (on his deathbed)'. [At-Tirmidzi]
· A man asked Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud RA about repenting from a sin which he wanted to commit (but did not commit it). Abdullah turned away from the man and then turned towards him with his eyes weeping and said: 'Paradise has eight entrances, all of which open and shut except the entrance of Tawbah. This entrance has an angel guarding it so that it does not shut. So repent and do not despair.'
· Ibn Kathir RA said: 'This means an honest and resolute repentance such that He neglects past sins, allows the repenting person to gather himself such that it prevents him from any further infractions.' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir 4:391]
· Nawawi RA said: 'Repentance is compulsory for every sin. If it does not concern the right of any human being then it has three conditions: to give up the sin completely, to feel remorse and compunction and to resolve not to commit it again. If any of the three is missing the repentance will not be accepted.'
· 'To exonerate oneself from the person's right by giving him back his due or to ask for the person's pardon' [Riyadul Salihin: 17]
· Abu Sa’id Khudri RA said that the Prophet SAW said: 'There was a man before you who had committed 99 murders and then wanted to repent. So he inquired about the most knowledgeable person in the area and asked him if he could repent. The person said no, so the seeker murdered him as well and completed his 100. Then, he asked another wise person who informed him that he could repent and told him to leave the area in which he was living in and move to a place where people worshipped Allah. He started out on his journey; however, he died half way to his destination. So the angels of mercy and punishment argued over him. The angels of mercy said that he had repented and had made his way to the town. The angels of punishment said that he had never performed a good deed in his life. So an angel came to them in the form of a man and told them to measure the distance between the two places. They did so and found that he was actually closer to the destination than to his home.The angels of mercy claimed his case. [Bukhari and Muslim]
'Allah ordered the earth close to his destination to come closer to him and ordered the other part of the earth to become distant. Then they measured and they found that he was closer to his destination by a span and was forgiven.'
· Imran Ibn Hussain RA said that the Prophet SAW approached by a woman from the tribe of Juhaina who had become pregnant through adultery and who said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin that obligates Hadd (Islamic punishment) on me. So punish me!' Prophet SAW told her guardian to be kind to her and to bring her back after she had delivered the child. HE did so and then the Prophet SAW tied her clothes and enacted the punishment on her. Then he offered funeral prayers for her. Omar RA asked: 'Are you praying over her even though she has committed adultery?' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'She has repented so strongly that if it were distributed amongst seventy people of Medinah, it would accommodate them (that is, her reputation would be good enough for all of them). Can you find anyone better than her as she gave herself for Allah?' [Muslim]
· Buriadah Ibn Khusaib RA says a man named Maiz Ibn Malik RA came to the Prophet SAW and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I have wronged myself and I have committed adultery. I would like to be purified.' The Prophet SAW rejected his plea so he came back the next day and then again a third day. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered a ditch to be dug for him in which he was told to stand. He did so and he was stoned to death. (people formed two opinions about him one was that he had perished and that his sin had gotten the better of him; and the other was that no repentance was more sincere and truthful than his. The Prophet SAW said: 'He has repented with such repentance that if it were to be distributed amongst a whole nation, it would be enough for them.' [Muslim]
· 'A repenting person despises himself more and more as he realizes the seriousness of his sin. See how these people despised themselves to the point that they accepted death in order to show their displeasure at themselves.' [Tabsirah: 1:360]
· Ibn Qayyim RA said: 'if you were to see a repenting person, you would see weary eyelids early in the morning asking for forgiveness and listening to Allah's Command: 'Repent to Allah with a sincere repentance.'
Repenting Person More Aware and Evasive Of Evil.
It patches up faults and identifies the devil's points of entry to the human heart. This makes the repenting person more aware and evasive of evil. The repenting person is embarrassed and is thus overcome with fear. He approaches the door of his Master with humbleness and apprehension.
· The repenting person has experienced both the good and bad aspects of life and has tasted its sweet and bitter fruits. He thus becomes sympathetic towards other sinners and does not look down upon them. [Ad-Ddhariat, 51: 341]
· Except those who repent; have faith and do good deeds, those Allah will change their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is Most Forgiving, and Merciful. [Surah Furqaan, 25: 70]
· Certainly We have given you a clear victory. [Surah Fath, 48: 1]
· Sa’id Ibn Musaiyib RA said that Allah will change the bad deeds of those who repent and convert them into good deeds (on the Scales) on the Day of Judgment. That repentance is itself a good deed. So the sinner changes his sin into a good deed. [Madarijul Salikeen 1:333]
· Repentance is to turn back to Allah from every sin. He is the Forgiver of sins and the One Who Accepts repentance. [Surah Muminun,23: 2]
· And I am the Oft-Returning and Merciful. (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:49)
The Repentance Which Allah Accepts
The repentance, which Allah accepts, is from those who commit sins out of ignorance and then repent very quickly.
· They are the ones to whom Allah returns; Allah is All Knowing and Wise. [Surah Nisaa, 4: 17]
· Resort to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes to you and then you will not be helped. And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you all of a sudden while you do not even realize (All this) lest any souls says: 'O how I regret my shortcomings regarding Allah while I was among those who scoffed.' Or lest a soul says: 'If only Allah had guided me, I would have been among the pious.' Or lest, one should say on observing the punishment; 'If only I could return so that I can be among those who do good deeds.' [Surah Az-Zumar, 39: 54-58]
· Until when death befalls upon one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me back so that I may do good deeds in those areas where I was lacking.' Never! This will be merely word, which he utters.' [Surah Al- Muminun, 23: 99:100]
· And a barrier will be present between them and their desires. [Surah Saba, 34: 54]
It patches up faults and identifies the devil's points of entry to the human heart. This makes the repenting person more aware and evasive of evil. The repenting person is embarrassed and is thus overcome with fear. He approaches the door of his Master with humbleness and apprehension.
· The repenting person has experienced both the good and bad aspects of life and has tasted its sweet and bitter fruits. He thus becomes sympathetic towards other sinners and does not look down upon them. [Ad-Ddhariat, 51: 341]
· Except those who repent; have faith and do good deeds, those Allah will change their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is Most Forgiving, and Merciful. [Surah Furqaan, 25: 70]
· Certainly We have given you a clear victory. [Surah Fath, 48: 1]
· Sa’id Ibn Musaiyib RA said that Allah will change the bad deeds of those who repent and convert them into good deeds (on the Scales) on the Day of Judgment. That repentance is itself a good deed. So the sinner changes his sin into a good deed. [Madarijul Salikeen 1:333]
· Repentance is to turn back to Allah from every sin. He is the Forgiver of sins and the One Who Accepts repentance. [Surah Muminun,23: 2]
· And I am the Oft-Returning and Merciful. (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:49)
The Repentance Which Allah Accepts
The repentance, which Allah accepts, is from those who commit sins out of ignorance and then repent very quickly.
· They are the ones to whom Allah returns; Allah is All Knowing and Wise. [Surah Nisaa, 4: 17]
· Resort to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes to you and then you will not be helped. And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you all of a sudden while you do not even realize (All this) lest any souls says: 'O how I regret my shortcomings regarding Allah while I was among those who scoffed.' Or lest a soul says: 'If only Allah had guided me, I would have been among the pious.' Or lest, one should say on observing the punishment; 'If only I could return so that I can be among those who do good deeds.' [Surah Az-Zumar, 39: 54-58]
· Until when death befalls upon one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me back so that I may do good deeds in those areas where I was lacking.' Never! This will be merely word, which he utters.' [Surah Al- Muminun, 23: 99:100]
· And a barrier will be present between them and their desires. [Surah Saba, 34: 54]
Signs for the Acceptance of Tawbah.
· The servant should be better after repentance than before. This means the repenting person should see whether or not he has increased his good deeds and decreased his bad deeds.
· Fear should accompany him all the time. He should not become complacent about Allah's anger.
· The servant should be better after repentance than before. This means the repenting person should see whether or not he has increased his good deeds and decreased his bad deeds.
· Fear should accompany him all the time. He should not become complacent about Allah's anger.
· He should remain alarmed with regret and fear
· He should become more humble and benefit from this state of mind by resorting to supplications of humility and servitude
Signs for Non-Acceptance of Tawbah.
· Weakness in the repenting person's resolve he remembers the pleasure in the sin and becomes preoccupied with it.
· The repenting person's certainty of the acceptance of his repentance so much so that he behaves as if he has been given immunity.
· The eyes do not cry, oblivion persists and the heart remains hard.
· The repenting person doesn't take the initiative to increase his good deeds. [Madarijul Salikeen 1:206]
· The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'If you do not commit sins, then Allah will dispose of you and replace you with people who commit sins and then asks for forgiveness so that He can forgive them.' [Muslim]
· Weakness in the repenting person's resolve he remembers the pleasure in the sin and becomes preoccupied with it.
· The repenting person's certainty of the acceptance of his repentance so much so that he behaves as if he has been given immunity.
· The eyes do not cry, oblivion persists and the heart remains hard.
· The repenting person doesn't take the initiative to increase his good deeds. [Madarijul Salikeen 1:206]
· The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'If you do not commit sins, then Allah will dispose of you and replace you with people who commit sins and then asks for forgiveness so that He can forgive them.' [Muslim]
Benefits of Investigating Sins.
· The servant should acknowledge the Might & Destiny of Allah to understand that his sins occurred because of His Ordinance
· The servant should realize that only Allah is Perfect and that he is a merely a creation that is weak and dependant;
· The servant should be grateful to Allah for covering his sin and not exposing it and He does this despite His Power and despite His Observance of the sin. This is a testimony to His Grace and Magnanimity.
· The servant should appreciate Allah's Generosity and Forbearance in accepting his repentance and excuse because He is quite capable of dealing with him and his sin with His Justice and this would be very tragic.
· The servant should realize his dependency on Allah's Protection and Assistance in doing good deeds.
· The servant should know that Allah has complied His Proof against him; that the servant can no longer ask through his actions and Allah forgives most sins without even mentioning them
· When the servant understands all these parts, he will not be quick to retaliate and take reprisals against those who are malicious towards him. He will follow the example of his Lord and forgive the mistakes of others and even be kind to them, just as Allah is Kind to him even after all his sins
· When the servant observes his shortcomings and His Lord's Kindness, he will see all Bounties of Allah as being great. This benefit alone will be more than enough to treasure
· The servant should refrain from finding faults in other people and instead should become pre-occupied in reforming his own mistakes and sins.
· The servant should acknowledge the Might & Destiny of Allah to understand that his sins occurred because of His Ordinance
· The servant should realize that only Allah is Perfect and that he is a merely a creation that is weak and dependant;
· The servant should be grateful to Allah for covering his sin and not exposing it and He does this despite His Power and despite His Observance of the sin. This is a testimony to His Grace and Magnanimity.
· The servant should appreciate Allah's Generosity and Forbearance in accepting his repentance and excuse because He is quite capable of dealing with him and his sin with His Justice and this would be very tragic.
· The servant should realize his dependency on Allah's Protection and Assistance in doing good deeds.
· The servant should know that Allah has complied His Proof against him; that the servant can no longer ask through his actions and Allah forgives most sins without even mentioning them
· When the servant understands all these parts, he will not be quick to retaliate and take reprisals against those who are malicious towards him. He will follow the example of his Lord and forgive the mistakes of others and even be kind to them, just as Allah is Kind to him even after all his sins
· When the servant observes his shortcomings and His Lord's Kindness, he will see all Bounties of Allah as being great. This benefit alone will be more than enough to treasure
· The servant should refrain from finding faults in other people and instead should become pre-occupied in reforming his own mistakes and sins.
Categories of Repentance
First Category.
A person who remains firm on his repentance until he dies and who makes up for his sin and doesn't knowingly think about repeating the act except for those moments which no human has any control over. This is consistent and constancy in repentance and those who observe it are among those who race and excel in goodness. This repentance is known as sincere repentance and the person's soul is known as the tranquil soul:
O Tranquil Soul! Return back to Your Lord while you are both pleased and (with whom Allah) is pleased. Enter into the ranks of My Servants and enter into Paradise.' [Surah Fajar, 89:30]
Second Category
A repenting person who is true to this repentance in most areas of obedience and abstains from major sins. However, he falls victim to sins not because of any intention or lack of resolve but due to circumstances. Whenever he commits a sin, he always reprimands his soul and regrets the error. This is the reprimanding or critical soul because it always criticizes itself for its blunders. Those who abstain from major sins and from immoral acts except for minor acts about them. Your Lord is Vast in Forgiveness [Surah Najam, 53:32]
Third Category
The servant who repents and continues to act accordingly except that he is overcome with passion sometimes and then commits a sin. However, he does not forsake obedience in other areas of life and stays away from sins in general. He takes care of his soul by repenting all the time. This soul is responsible for his actions and will be asked accordingly: And there are others who acknowledge their sins and adulterate good deeds with bad. It is hoped that Allah will forgive them. [Surah Tawbah, 9: 103]
Fourth Category
A person who repents and then out of addiction goes back to committing sins without repenting again and without any compunction. This person is among those who persist in sin; his soul frequently commands him towards evil thus his death is prone to be one of severe consequences. If he dies in a state of Tawhid (believing in the Oneness of Allah) then he may be delivered from Hell, albeit after awhile. For some hidden reasons, he maybe even forgave completely.
We gave the Scripture to those whom We chose among Our servants. Some of them raced towards goodness; another group was moderate, while yet others were unjust towards themselves. [Surah Fatir, 35: 32]
Whoever doesn't repent, he is among the unjust. [Hujuraat, 49:11]
Certainly Allah likes those who repent and those who diligently seek purity [Al-Baqarah, 2:222]
What is wrong with you that you do not appreciate the Greatness of Allah even though He has created you in stages? [Surah Nur, 24:13-14]
Every soul shall taste death, and then you will be given your reward on the Day of Judgment. [Al-‘Imran, 3:185]
No soul knows what he will earn tomorrow, nor does any soul know on which soil he will die. [Luqman, 31:34]
O man! You strive hard towards your Lord until you will meet Him. [Inshiqaaq, 84:6]
Coin for them an example for life of this world: it is like water that We send down from the sky and then it becomes mixed with the vegetation of the earth which then becomes stubble that is scattered by the wind. Allah is capable of everything. [Surah Kahfi, 18:45-46]
O mankind! The Promise of Allah is true so do not let the life of this world beguile you; nor should the beguiler (Satan) deceive you about Allah. [Surah Fatir, 35:5]
Ibn Abbas RA said: 'On the Day of Judgment, the world will be presented in the form of an ugly, old, pale and toothless woman. She will appear in front of people who will be asked who she is. They will seek refuge in Allah from any association with her. Then, they will be told 'She is the world over which you fought and broke off family relations. She is the world over which you envied and hated each other and then deceived each other.' She will be flung into Hell and she will say; 'O my Lord! Where are my followers? Where are my parties?' Allah will order her followers and parties to be joined with her.'
Allah is not unjust with them; however they are unjust to themselves. [Surah Nahl, 16:32]
First Category.
A person who remains firm on his repentance until he dies and who makes up for his sin and doesn't knowingly think about repeating the act except for those moments which no human has any control over. This is consistent and constancy in repentance and those who observe it are among those who race and excel in goodness. This repentance is known as sincere repentance and the person's soul is known as the tranquil soul:
O Tranquil Soul! Return back to Your Lord while you are both pleased and (with whom Allah) is pleased. Enter into the ranks of My Servants and enter into Paradise.' [Surah Fajar, 89:30]
Second Category
A repenting person who is true to this repentance in most areas of obedience and abstains from major sins. However, he falls victim to sins not because of any intention or lack of resolve but due to circumstances. Whenever he commits a sin, he always reprimands his soul and regrets the error. This is the reprimanding or critical soul because it always criticizes itself for its blunders. Those who abstain from major sins and from immoral acts except for minor acts about them. Your Lord is Vast in Forgiveness [Surah Najam, 53:32]
Third Category
The servant who repents and continues to act accordingly except that he is overcome with passion sometimes and then commits a sin. However, he does not forsake obedience in other areas of life and stays away from sins in general. He takes care of his soul by repenting all the time. This soul is responsible for his actions and will be asked accordingly: And there are others who acknowledge their sins and adulterate good deeds with bad. It is hoped that Allah will forgive them. [Surah Tawbah, 9: 103]
Fourth Category
A person who repents and then out of addiction goes back to committing sins without repenting again and without any compunction. This person is among those who persist in sin; his soul frequently commands him towards evil thus his death is prone to be one of severe consequences. If he dies in a state of Tawhid (believing in the Oneness of Allah) then he may be delivered from Hell, albeit after awhile. For some hidden reasons, he maybe even forgave completely.
We gave the Scripture to those whom We chose among Our servants. Some of them raced towards goodness; another group was moderate, while yet others were unjust towards themselves. [Surah Fatir, 35: 32]
Whoever doesn't repent, he is among the unjust. [Hujuraat, 49:11]
Certainly Allah likes those who repent and those who diligently seek purity [Al-Baqarah, 2:222]
What is wrong with you that you do not appreciate the Greatness of Allah even though He has created you in stages? [Surah Nur, 24:13-14]
Every soul shall taste death, and then you will be given your reward on the Day of Judgment. [Al-‘Imran, 3:185]
No soul knows what he will earn tomorrow, nor does any soul know on which soil he will die. [Luqman, 31:34]
O man! You strive hard towards your Lord until you will meet Him. [Inshiqaaq, 84:6]
Coin for them an example for life of this world: it is like water that We send down from the sky and then it becomes mixed with the vegetation of the earth which then becomes stubble that is scattered by the wind. Allah is capable of everything. [Surah Kahfi, 18:45-46]
O mankind! The Promise of Allah is true so do not let the life of this world beguile you; nor should the beguiler (Satan) deceive you about Allah. [Surah Fatir, 35:5]
Ibn Abbas RA said: 'On the Day of Judgment, the world will be presented in the form of an ugly, old, pale and toothless woman. She will appear in front of people who will be asked who she is. They will seek refuge in Allah from any association with her. Then, they will be told 'She is the world over which you fought and broke off family relations. She is the world over which you envied and hated each other and then deceived each other.' She will be flung into Hell and she will say; 'O my Lord! Where are my followers? Where are my parties?' Allah will order her followers and parties to be joined with her.'
Allah is not unjust with them; however they are unjust to themselves. [Surah Nahl, 16:32]
Fear of Allah
· You who believe! Fear Allah as he is supposed to be feared and do not die unless you are in the state of submission. [Al-‘Imran, 3:102]
· You who believe! Fear Allah who has created you from a single soul and then created from that its mate and then from them disseminated many men and women. Fear Allah in whose name you plead with each other and respect your relatives. Allah is forever a guardian over you. [An-Nisa’, 4:1]
· You who believe! Fear Allah and speak truth for He will improve your actions for you and forgive your misgivings. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger has indeed attained great success. [Surah Ahzab, 33:70-71]
· Certainly you were adverse to this (moment of death), so now that We have raised the curtains from you, your sight is sharp and keen. [Surah Qaaf, 50:22]
· Do not fear them, but rather fear me if you are indeed believers. [Al-‘Imran, 3:175]
· Me alone should you fear. [Al-Baqarah, 2:40]
· Those who become apprehensive out of His fear they are the ones who race in goodness and win (Surah Al-Muminun:57-61)
· He who fears his Lord's rank will have two gardens in Paradise [Surah Rahman, 55:46]
· And as for he who fears the rank of his Lord and prevents himself from desires, Paradise is certainly his abode. (An-Naziaat, 79:40)
· Say O (Muhammad): I fear the punishment of a tremendous day, if I disobey Him. (Surah Al Anaam , 6 :15)
· And warn by means of it (Quran,) those who fear their resurrection in front of their Lord ( Al-An'am, 6:51)
· And those who keep ties with those whom Allah has ordered and fear their Lord and dread the evil accountability. [Ra'ad, 13:21]
· They fear a day in which their hearts and eyes will turn (out of bewilderment) [Nur, 24:37]
· Hassan Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) says: 'What do you think of a day when people will stand on their feet for 50,000 years without having a bite to eat, a drop to drink until their necks will break from thirst and their stomachs will burn out of hunger. Then they (the disobedient) will turn to Hell and drink from a fountain whose water will be boiling and whose heat will be scorching. [Ihya:4/500]
· Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'People will perspire so much on the Day of Judgment that the perspiration will penetrate seventy feet into the ground and bridle them until it reaches their ears. [Bukhari & Muslim]
· Nu’man Ibn Basher (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: 'The person who will be given the least amount of punishment on the Day of Judgment will have two pieces of coal placed in his instep from which his brain will boil. He will think that there is nobody under greater punishment even though he will be receiving the lightest punishment. ([Bukhari & Muslim]
· All praise is due to Allah who has relieved us of grief. [Fatir, 35:34]
· A barrier is made between them and their desires. [Saba, 34:54]
· Is it not time for the believers for their hearts to soften out of the remembrance of Allah (Al-Hadid, 57:160)
· When all of a sudden, they will have iron collars and chains around their necks, and they will dragged into Hell and then burnt in the fire. [Ghafir, 40:71]
· Do those who perpetrate crimes think that We shall make them the same as those who believe and do good deeds? [Jathiyah, 45:21]
· He who fears Allah, Allah will instill his fear in the hearts of all creation. He who does not fear Allah, Allah will instill the fear of everything in his heart. [Bahjatul Majalis and Unsul Majalis: 1/379]
· And whatever they couldn't even imagine, will become clear to them. [Zumar, 39:47]
· Soon the wrongdoers will now which turn they will take. [Shu'ara, 26:228]
The Signs of the Fear of Allah
· The tongue informs us; if we talk evil, backbite and engage in gossip, it shows that there is very little concern. We should engage our tongues in the remembrance of Allah, in recitation of Qur'an and in circles of knowledge.
· In the heart we should expel hatred, enmity and jealousy and replace them with well wishing and care for Muslims.
· We should be careful of what we put in our stomachs
· Our eyes should not wander off to look at Haram objects
· We should not extend our hands for Haram purposes
· Our feet should not walk towards Haram places
· We should be concerned in our good deeds that we don't perform them for anyone else except Allah.
Reason for Fearing Allah
· Fear of death before repenting
· the fear of not living up to one's repentance & breaking one's promise
· the fear of not being able to fulfill Allah's obligations
· the fear of losing one's softness in the heart & its hardening
· the fear of losing consistency
· the fear of allowing temptations to dominate
· the fear of Allah making oneself responsible for doing good deeds because of conceit
· the fear of becoming arrogant and egotistical due to the abundance of bounties
· the fear of being distracted from Allah by other creation
· the fear of being led to an evil ending through excessive bounties
· the fear of being punished early (in this world)
· the fear of being disgraced at the time of death
· the fear of being beguiled by the glitter of this world
· the fear of Allah revealing one's secret in one's state of oblivion
· the fear of being stamped with a bad death at the time of death
· the fear of the pangs of death
· the fear of the questions of Munkar and Naker in the grave
· the fear of the punishment of the grave
· the fear of the horrors of the horizon (at the time of resurrection)
· the fear of the awe during the presentation in front of Allah
· the fear and the shame of being naked (at the time of resurrection)
· the fear of being questioned about every little thing in life
· the fear of the bridge (over Hell) and its sharpness
· the fear of the fire; its chains and its torment
· the fear of being deprived of Paradise, the Eternal and everlasting kingdom and abode
· The fear of being deprived of seeing Allah's tremendous visage.
· The jurist of Samarkand says that the person who does one good deed should be weary of four things (imagine what a person who commits a sin should be afraid of):
· The fear of not being accepted because Allah says: Allah only accepts from those who fear. (Al-Maidah, 5:27)
· The fear of showing off, for Allah says: They have been instructed to worship Allah sincerely, religion is for him Alone. (Al-Bayinah, 98:5)
· the fear of preserving the good deed because Allah says: Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times its reward (Al-An’am, 6:161)
· The fear of being deserted in performing good deeds, for Allah says: My reconciliation (with good) is only through Allah; it is upon Him that I trust and it is to Him that I resort. (Hud, 11:88) (Where one doesn't know whether one will be given the opportunity to perform good deeds or not).
©Umm Nurah
· You who believe! Fear Allah as he is supposed to be feared and do not die unless you are in the state of submission. [Al-‘Imran, 3:102]
· You who believe! Fear Allah who has created you from a single soul and then created from that its mate and then from them disseminated many men and women. Fear Allah in whose name you plead with each other and respect your relatives. Allah is forever a guardian over you. [An-Nisa’, 4:1]
· You who believe! Fear Allah and speak truth for He will improve your actions for you and forgive your misgivings. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger has indeed attained great success. [Surah Ahzab, 33:70-71]
· Certainly you were adverse to this (moment of death), so now that We have raised the curtains from you, your sight is sharp and keen. [Surah Qaaf, 50:22]
· Do not fear them, but rather fear me if you are indeed believers. [Al-‘Imran, 3:175]
· Me alone should you fear. [Al-Baqarah, 2:40]
· Those who become apprehensive out of His fear they are the ones who race in goodness and win (Surah Al-Muminun:57-61)
· He who fears his Lord's rank will have two gardens in Paradise [Surah Rahman, 55:46]
· And as for he who fears the rank of his Lord and prevents himself from desires, Paradise is certainly his abode. (An-Naziaat, 79:40)
· Say O (Muhammad): I fear the punishment of a tremendous day, if I disobey Him. (Surah Al Anaam , 6 :15)
· And warn by means of it (Quran,) those who fear their resurrection in front of their Lord ( Al-An'am, 6:51)
· And those who keep ties with those whom Allah has ordered and fear their Lord and dread the evil accountability. [Ra'ad, 13:21]
· They fear a day in which their hearts and eyes will turn (out of bewilderment) [Nur, 24:37]
· Hassan Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) says: 'What do you think of a day when people will stand on their feet for 50,000 years without having a bite to eat, a drop to drink until their necks will break from thirst and their stomachs will burn out of hunger. Then they (the disobedient) will turn to Hell and drink from a fountain whose water will be boiling and whose heat will be scorching. [Ihya:4/500]
· Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'People will perspire so much on the Day of Judgment that the perspiration will penetrate seventy feet into the ground and bridle them until it reaches their ears. [Bukhari & Muslim]
· Nu’man Ibn Basher (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: 'The person who will be given the least amount of punishment on the Day of Judgment will have two pieces of coal placed in his instep from which his brain will boil. He will think that there is nobody under greater punishment even though he will be receiving the lightest punishment. ([Bukhari & Muslim]
· All praise is due to Allah who has relieved us of grief. [Fatir, 35:34]
· A barrier is made between them and their desires. [Saba, 34:54]
· Is it not time for the believers for their hearts to soften out of the remembrance of Allah (Al-Hadid, 57:160)
· When all of a sudden, they will have iron collars and chains around their necks, and they will dragged into Hell and then burnt in the fire. [Ghafir, 40:71]
· Do those who perpetrate crimes think that We shall make them the same as those who believe and do good deeds? [Jathiyah, 45:21]
· He who fears Allah, Allah will instill his fear in the hearts of all creation. He who does not fear Allah, Allah will instill the fear of everything in his heart. [Bahjatul Majalis and Unsul Majalis: 1/379]
· And whatever they couldn't even imagine, will become clear to them. [Zumar, 39:47]
· Soon the wrongdoers will now which turn they will take. [Shu'ara, 26:228]
The Signs of the Fear of Allah
· The tongue informs us; if we talk evil, backbite and engage in gossip, it shows that there is very little concern. We should engage our tongues in the remembrance of Allah, in recitation of Qur'an and in circles of knowledge.
· In the heart we should expel hatred, enmity and jealousy and replace them with well wishing and care for Muslims.
· We should be careful of what we put in our stomachs
· Our eyes should not wander off to look at Haram objects
· We should not extend our hands for Haram purposes
· Our feet should not walk towards Haram places
· We should be concerned in our good deeds that we don't perform them for anyone else except Allah.
Reason for Fearing Allah
· Fear of death before repenting
· the fear of not living up to one's repentance & breaking one's promise
· the fear of not being able to fulfill Allah's obligations
· the fear of losing one's softness in the heart & its hardening
· the fear of losing consistency
· the fear of allowing temptations to dominate
· the fear of Allah making oneself responsible for doing good deeds because of conceit
· the fear of becoming arrogant and egotistical due to the abundance of bounties
· the fear of being distracted from Allah by other creation
· the fear of being led to an evil ending through excessive bounties
· the fear of being punished early (in this world)
· the fear of being disgraced at the time of death
· the fear of being beguiled by the glitter of this world
· the fear of Allah revealing one's secret in one's state of oblivion
· the fear of being stamped with a bad death at the time of death
· the fear of the pangs of death
· the fear of the questions of Munkar and Naker in the grave
· the fear of the punishment of the grave
· the fear of the horrors of the horizon (at the time of resurrection)
· the fear of the awe during the presentation in front of Allah
· the fear and the shame of being naked (at the time of resurrection)
· the fear of being questioned about every little thing in life
· the fear of the bridge (over Hell) and its sharpness
· the fear of the fire; its chains and its torment
· the fear of being deprived of Paradise, the Eternal and everlasting kingdom and abode
· The fear of being deprived of seeing Allah's tremendous visage.
· The jurist of Samarkand says that the person who does one good deed should be weary of four things (imagine what a person who commits a sin should be afraid of):
· The fear of not being accepted because Allah says: Allah only accepts from those who fear. (Al-Maidah, 5:27)
· The fear of showing off, for Allah says: They have been instructed to worship Allah sincerely, religion is for him Alone. (Al-Bayinah, 98:5)
· the fear of preserving the good deed because Allah says: Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times its reward (Al-An’am, 6:161)
· The fear of being deserted in performing good deeds, for Allah says: My reconciliation (with good) is only through Allah; it is upon Him that I trust and it is to Him that I resort. (Hud, 11:88) (Where one doesn't know whether one will be given the opportunity to perform good deeds or not).
©Umm Nurah
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Forgiveness for All Previous Sins
Description: A person need not despair from the mercy of God in regards to the sins one may have committed in their life, for indeed God, The Most Forgiving and Merciful, is able to forgive all sins.
When someone reverts to Islam, God forgives all of his previous sins and evil deeds. A man called Amr came to the Prophet Muhammad SAW, and said, “Give me your right hand so that I may give you my pledge of loyalty.” The Prophet SAW stretched out his right hand. Amr withdrew his hand. The Prophet SAW said: “What has happened to you, O Amr?” He replied, “I intend to lay down a condition.” The Prophet SAW asked: “What condition do you intend to put forward?” Amr said, “That God forgives my sins.” The Prophet SAW said: “Didn’t you know that converting to Islam erases all previous sins?” [Narrated in Sahih Muslim, no.121, and Mosnad Ahmad, no.17357.]
After converting to Islam, the person will be rewarded for his or her good and bad deeds according to the following saying of the Prophet Muhammad SAW: “Your Lord, Who is blessed and exalted, is most merciful. If someone intends to do a good deed but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he does do it, (a reward of) ten to seven hundred or many more times (the reward of the good deed), will be recorded for him. And if someone intends to do a bad deed but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he does do it, a bad deed will be recorded against him or God will wipe it out.” [Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, no.2515, and Sahih Muslim, no.131.]
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from the islam-guide.com; Published in Islam Religion on 08 Mar 2006 - Last modified on 1 Apr 2008
When someone reverts to Islam, God forgives all of his previous sins and evil deeds. A man called Amr came to the Prophet Muhammad SAW, and said, “Give me your right hand so that I may give you my pledge of loyalty.” The Prophet SAW stretched out his right hand. Amr withdrew his hand. The Prophet SAW said: “What has happened to you, O Amr?” He replied, “I intend to lay down a condition.” The Prophet SAW asked: “What condition do you intend to put forward?” Amr said, “That God forgives my sins.” The Prophet SAW said: “Didn’t you know that converting to Islam erases all previous sins?” [Narrated in Sahih Muslim, no.121, and Mosnad Ahmad, no.17357.]
After converting to Islam, the person will be rewarded for his or her good and bad deeds according to the following saying of the Prophet Muhammad SAW: “Your Lord, Who is blessed and exalted, is most merciful. If someone intends to do a good deed but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he does do it, (a reward of) ten to seven hundred or many more times (the reward of the good deed), will be recorded for him. And if someone intends to do a bad deed but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he does do it, a bad deed will be recorded against him or God will wipe it out.” [Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, no.2515, and Sahih Muslim, no.131.]
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from the islam-guide.com; Published in Islam Religion on 08 Mar 2006 - Last modified on 1 Apr 2008
Forgiveness Despite Repeated Sins
Daud Matthews
May Allah guide all of us to the truth , and help us to serve Him , amen, ya Rabbal A’lamin.
Concerning forgiveness, Allah emphasizes His generosity and kindness, in that He forgives whoever repents to Him from whatever evil they commit:
“If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks God's forgiveness, he will find God Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Surah An-Nisa, 4: 110]
Ibn Abbas commented about this verse saying that Allah informs His servants of His forgiveness, forbearing generosity and expansive mercy. So, whoever commits a sin, whether major or minor, ‘but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’ even if his sins were greater than the heavens, the earth and the mountains.
It is also narrated by Ahmad that Abu Bakar said that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
‘No Muslim commits a sin and then performs ablution, prays two raka’ahs and begs Allah for forgiveness for that sin, but He forgives him.’
If a believer makes mistakes, and we all do, we have to offer sincere repentance to be entitled to forgiveness. In Islam, sincere repentance is known as Tawbah. This requires us to;
• Recognize and admit we have made a mistake
• Ask forgiveness from Allah and if the sin was against a person, we have to ask forgiveness from that person also
• We try to atone for the sin we have done if possible, by for example, returning money if we had stolen it
• We make the intention never to do the sin again
We are told many times in the Qur’an that Allah is the Oft-returning, Most Merciful. We understand from this that Allah is waiting for us to turn to Him in sincere repentance. If we are sincere, then Allah will have mercy on us.
We are also advised to ‘follow a bad deed with a good deed’. This means, as soon as we realize we have done something wrong, we should immediately try to do something good.
We should try to maintain the five times daily prayer, solat. This builds our relationship with Allah. During the prayer we recite the Fatihah in which we ask Allah for guidance. In a hadith Qudsi (conversation between Allah and His Prophet which is not part of Qur'an), it is explained that the prayer is divided into two parts, part is for Allah and part is for the worshipper. Allah promises to give the worshipper what s/he asks for – guidance! It is also necessary to read the Qur’an to understand and implement this guidance from Allah in our daily lives.
Both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record the hadith of Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told about the man who killed ninety-nine people. Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper, among the Children of Israel, whether he could repent. This worshiper told him no! So, he killed him, thus, completing one hundred. Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent. He said: ‘What is stopping you from repenting?’
Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped. He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. So Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns, and the place where he died. Whichever (town) he was closer to, when he died, was the one to which he belonged. They found he was closer to the town he was heading for. Thus, the angels of mercy took him. It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself - towards that town - while Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away.
On the other hand, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said that some of the people of shirik (associating partners with Allah) killed many people and committed zina, (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent. they came to Muhammad (pbuh) and said: ‘What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation (way of making amends) for what we have done.’ Then, the following verses were revealed:
“Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.(But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for God will change the evil of such persons into good, and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,” [Surah Al-Furqan, 25 : 67 – 70]
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.” [Surah At-Tawbah,9 : 53 – 54]
We can understand from what has been said here that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah, even if their sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive.
“Know they not that God doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity, and that God is verily He, the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful?” [Surah At-Tawbah, 9: 104]
While we are still able to perform actions, it is never too late to turn to Allah. When we do, we should try to live as Muslims, that is, fulfilling all out obligations as Muslims. As our iman (faith) increases, so our knowledge, understanding and practicing of Islam improves, insya’ Allah.
®Islam online
May Allah guide all of us to the truth , and help us to serve Him , amen, ya Rabbal A’lamin.
Concerning forgiveness, Allah emphasizes His generosity and kindness, in that He forgives whoever repents to Him from whatever evil they commit:
“If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks God's forgiveness, he will find God Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Surah An-Nisa, 4: 110]
Ibn Abbas commented about this verse saying that Allah informs His servants of His forgiveness, forbearing generosity and expansive mercy. So, whoever commits a sin, whether major or minor, ‘but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’ even if his sins were greater than the heavens, the earth and the mountains.
It is also narrated by Ahmad that Abu Bakar said that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
‘No Muslim commits a sin and then performs ablution, prays two raka’ahs and begs Allah for forgiveness for that sin, but He forgives him.’
If a believer makes mistakes, and we all do, we have to offer sincere repentance to be entitled to forgiveness. In Islam, sincere repentance is known as Tawbah. This requires us to;
• Recognize and admit we have made a mistake
• Ask forgiveness from Allah and if the sin was against a person, we have to ask forgiveness from that person also
• We try to atone for the sin we have done if possible, by for example, returning money if we had stolen it
• We make the intention never to do the sin again
We are told many times in the Qur’an that Allah is the Oft-returning, Most Merciful. We understand from this that Allah is waiting for us to turn to Him in sincere repentance. If we are sincere, then Allah will have mercy on us.
We are also advised to ‘follow a bad deed with a good deed’. This means, as soon as we realize we have done something wrong, we should immediately try to do something good.
We should try to maintain the five times daily prayer, solat. This builds our relationship with Allah. During the prayer we recite the Fatihah in which we ask Allah for guidance. In a hadith Qudsi (conversation between Allah and His Prophet which is not part of Qur'an), it is explained that the prayer is divided into two parts, part is for Allah and part is for the worshipper. Allah promises to give the worshipper what s/he asks for – guidance! It is also necessary to read the Qur’an to understand and implement this guidance from Allah in our daily lives.
Both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record the hadith of Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told about the man who killed ninety-nine people. Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper, among the Children of Israel, whether he could repent. This worshiper told him no! So, he killed him, thus, completing one hundred. Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent. He said: ‘What is stopping you from repenting?’
Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped. He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. So Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns, and the place where he died. Whichever (town) he was closer to, when he died, was the one to which he belonged. They found he was closer to the town he was heading for. Thus, the angels of mercy took him. It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself - towards that town - while Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away.
On the other hand, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said that some of the people of shirik (associating partners with Allah) killed many people and committed zina, (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent. they came to Muhammad (pbuh) and said: ‘What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation (way of making amends) for what we have done.’ Then, the following verses were revealed:
“Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.(But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for God will change the evil of such persons into good, and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,” [Surah Al-Furqan, 25 : 67 – 70]
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.” [Surah At-Tawbah,9 : 53 – 54]
We can understand from what has been said here that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah, even if their sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive.
“Know they not that God doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity, and that God is verily He, the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful?” [Surah At-Tawbah, 9: 104]
While we are still able to perform actions, it is never too late to turn to Allah. When we do, we should try to live as Muslims, that is, fulfilling all out obligations as Muslims. As our iman (faith) increases, so our knowledge, understanding and practicing of Islam improves, insya’ Allah.
®Islam online
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)