O Negligent - Be Ready
About Repentance...
- Categories: Repentance -
All praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon him after whom there is no other prophet, Muhammad ibn Abdullah and upon his family and companions.
Know my noble Muslim brother that all the sons of Adam are sinners and the best amongst them sinners are the repentant. You are a sinner, and you commit lapses and slips, how many times has your tongue slipped, that you have backbit so and so, or that you have called him names, and how many times have your hands assaulted so and so wrongly, how many times have your eyes looked at what angers Allah, and how much more have you committed…?
Therefore, my dear brother Allah Almighty has enjoined to His slaves to repent, He has said: {And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful} [Surat An-Nûr: 31]
{...وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ} النور: 31
Transliteration: watooboo ila Allahi jameeAAan ayyuha almuminoona laAAallakum tuflihoona
And Allah almighty has said: {O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance!} [Surat At-Tahrîm: 8]
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا...} التحريم: 8
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo tooboo ilaAllahi tawbatan nasoohan
So, repentance is obligatory from every sin. Allah Almighty loves the repentant and He rejoices greatly over the repentance of His slave. Listen, may Allah protect you, to the description of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, of the rejoice of Allah over the repentance of His slave in the Hadith which was narrated by Abu Hamza Anas ibn Malik Al-Ansari, the servant of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He said: the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "Allah rejoices over the repentance of His slave more than the rejoicing of any one of you when he finds his lost thing in the desert." [Reported by Muslim].
«لله أشد فرحا بتوبة عبده من أحدكم إذا استيقظ على بعيره، قد أضله بأرض فلاة» رواه مسلم
In a narration by Muslim: "Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave when he repents to Him than of anyone of you who set out on a journey in a waterless desert and his camel ran away with the provision of food and drink on its back. And he got desperate of it. So he came upon a tree and sat under its shadow and as he was sitting (Having despaired of the camel) there came to him the camel, till that (camel) placed its nose string in his hand. He took its nose string and said, out of utter delight: O Allah You are my slave and I am Your lord. He made a mistake because of his overwhelming joy."
«لله أشد فرحا بتوبة عبده ، حين يتوب إليه ، من أحدكم كان على راحلته بأرض فلاة . فانفلتت منه . وعليها طعامه وشرابه . فأيس منها . فأتى شجرة . فاضطجع في ظلها . قد أيس من راحلته . فبينا هو كذلك إذا هو بها ، قائمة عنده . فأخذ بخطامها . ثم قال من شدة الفرح : اللهم ! أنت عبدي وأنا ربك . أخطأ من شدة الفرح» رواه مسلم
Allah is the greatest. What a great delight! By Allah it is a great joy which no one can behold. Imagine yourself in a desert where there is no one around you, no water, no food, no people, your camel has been lost with your food and drink on its back, you have been looking for it here and there in vain. You got despaired from life and sat under the shadow of a tree waiting for death. While you are in such a state you open your eyes to see the camel in front of you with its nose string hanging to the tree. Your food and drink are there. You took its nose string and shouted, out of extreme joy: "O Allah You are my slave and I am Your lord". You have made a mistake out of your utter delight but that you wanted to say: "O Allah You are my lord and I am Your slave."
Have you imagined my brother, such a joy! I think you would say, yes. Then know that the joy of Allah over the repentance of His slave is more and greater than the joy of this man over life after death.
This, if anything, shows the great generosity of Allah and His forgiveness. He rejoices over the repentance of the slave, not because of His need of our work and our repentance, Allah stands not in need of us; but for His love -Glory be to Him- for generosity and forgiveness.
Hasten my Muslim brother to repentance and know that Allah Almighty stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people repent for the faults committed from dawn till dusk and He stretches out His Hand during the day so that the people may repent for the faults committed from dusk to dawn. As in the Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim through Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "Allah, Glorified and Exalted, stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people repent for the fault committed from dawn till dusk and He stretches out His Hand during the day so that the people may repent for the fault committed from dusk to dawn. (He would accept repentance) before the sun rises in the west (before the Day of Resurrection)". [Reported by Muslim].
«إن الله عز وجل يبسط يده بالليل ، ليتوب مسيء النهار . ويبسط يده بالنهار ، ليتوب مسيء الليل . حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها» رواه مسلم
That is the reason our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to turn to Allah with repentance and ask Him for forgiveness a lot. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." [Reported by Al-Bukhari].
«والله إني لأستغفر الله وأتوب إليه في اليوم أكثر من سبعين مرة» رواه مسلم
And in another Hadith by Muslim: "O people seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day."
«يا أيها الناس توبوا إلى الله فإني أتوب في اليوم إليه مائة مرة» رواه مسلم
Know my dear brother that by repenting to your Lord you gain three great benefits which are:
The first benefit: obeying the command of Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and in obeying them there is all good and happiness in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
The second benefit: following the way of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He used to repent to Allah one hundred times daily. In following the way of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, we obtain the love of Allah. Allah Almighty has said: {Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur’ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you} [Surat Al-'Imrân: 31]
{قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ...} آل عمران: 31
Transliteration: Qul in kuntum tuhibboona Allaha faittabiAAoonee yuhbibkumu Allahu
The third benefit: the forgiveness and expiation of sins and replacing them with merits. Allah Almighty has said: {And those who invoke not any other ilâh (god) along with Allâh, nor kill such person as Allâh has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse - and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. (68). The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; (69). Except those who repent and believe (in Islâmic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allâh will change their sins into good deeds, and Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful} [Surat Al-Furqân: 68-70].
{وَالَّذِينَ لا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ وَلا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا (68) يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا (69) إِلا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا} الفرقان: 68-70
Transliteration: Waallatheena la yadAAoona maAAa Allahi ilahan akhara wala yaqtuloona alnnafsa allatee harrama Allahu illabialhaqqi wala yaznoona waman yafAAal thalika yalqa athaman (68) YudaAAaf lahu alAAathabu yawma alqiyamati wayakhlud feehi muhanan (69) Illa man taba waamana waAAamila AAamalan salihan faolaika yubaddilu Allahu sayyiatihim hasanatin wakana Allahu ghafooran raheeman
After you have learned my repentant brother the virtue of repentance, and after knowing that Allah loves those who repent, and that our Prophet who is the best of people, the most pious and the most fearing of Allah, nevertheless, he excessively turned to Him in repentance and asked Him for forgiveness. What about you, O poor and weak, heedless negligent and wasting: is it not time for you to repent? Is it not time for you to return? Do you not miss the Paradise of Allah? Do you not miss being neighbors with the beloved Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?
And work for the House of eternity, Radwan is its keeper
The neighbor is Ahmed and the Most Merciful is its builder
Its land is gold, musk is its mud
Saffron is the weed growing therein
Ahmed is its middleman and Allah is the vendor
Gabriel calls out around it
Who would buy the house with Paradise
By one rak'ah in the darkness of the night.
And know, may Allah protect you, that repentance has conditions, by which repentance is not accepted unless it meets these conditions. If the act of disobedience is between the slave and Allah the Almighty, and that it does not relate to the right of a human being it has three conditions:
The first condition: to refrain from committing the sin immediately.
The second condition: to regret committing it.
The third condition: to determine never to return to it.
If one of these conditions is missed repentance will not be accepted. And if the sin relates to a human being the conditions of repentance are four, these three...
And the fourth: to restore the rights of its owner if he can, if it is money or the like he should return it to him, if it was backbiting or slandering he should ask for his forgiveness, and if he could not do that he should pray for him and give charity on his behalf.
And know my repentant brother that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has shown that there is a kind of people that Allah will not forgive. Beware of being one of them, we seek refuge in Allah. In the Hadith reported by Al-Bukhri, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "all the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people)." [Reported by al-Bukhari].
«كل أمتي معافى إلا المجاهرين» رواه البخاري
An example of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin at night and then he comes in the morning, and says, ‘O so-and-so, I have done such-and-such (evil)’, we seek refuge in Allah. So, O dear brother, you should repent now. Yes, now before it is no time for repentance. The time for repentance is limited after which Allah will never accept repentance. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "Allah will accept the repentance of His slave unless he gurgles". [Made good by Al-Albani].
«إن الله يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يغرغر» حسنه الألباني
And gurgle means that the soul has reached the throat which happens at the time of dying. Allah Almighty has said: {And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent;"} [Surat An-Nisâ': 18].
{وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الآنَ...} النساء: 18
Transliteration: Walaysati alttawbatu lillatheena yaAAmaloona alssayyiati hatta itha hadara ahadahumu almawtu qala innee tubtu alana
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "He who seeks repentance (from the Lord) before the rising of the sun from the west (before the Day of Resurrection), Allah will accept his repentance" [Reported by Muslim].
«من تاب قبل أن تطلع الشمس من مغربها تاب الله عليه» رواه مسلم
So what makes you know, O brother, the time when death will come to you! And when will you die! You may not make it to the night; rather you may not finish reading this flyer. Hasten O brother, hasten to repent. May Allah make me and you from those who repent.
O soul woe to you, repent to Allah and gain
A righteous deed perhaps Allah will mercy me.
Stories of the repentant
Abu Sa'id Sa'd ibn Sanan al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the most learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the most learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people who worship Allah. Go and worship Allah along with them, and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him. There was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitent and remorseful to Allah. The angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being. They made him between them –as a judge. He said: measure between the two lands and to which he has drawn nearer; it is his land. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of his soul." [Reported by Muslim].
«كان فيمن كان قبلكم رجل قتل تسعة وتسعين نفسا . فسأل عن أعلم أهل الأرض فدل على راهب فأتاه فقال : إنه قتل تسعة وتسعين نفسا . فهل له من توبة ؟ فقال : لا . فقتله . فكمل به مائة . ثم سأل عن أعلم أهل الأرض فدل على رجل عالم . فقال : إنه قتل مائة نفس . فهل له من توبة ؟ فقال : نعم . ومن يحول بينه وبين التوبة ؟ انطلق إلى أرض كذا وكذا . فإن بها أناسا يعبدون الله فاعبد الله معهم . ولا ترجع إلى أرضك فإنها أرض سوء . فانطلق حتى إذا نصف الطريق أتاه الموت . فاختصمت فيه ملائكة الرحمة وملائكة العذاب . فقالت ملائكة الرحمة : جاء تائبا مقبلا بقلبه إلى الله . وقالت ملائكة العذاب : إنه لم يعمل خيرا قط . فأتاه ملك في صورة آدمي . فجعلوه بينهم . فقال : قيسوا ما بين الأرضين . فإلى أيتهما كان أدنى ، فهو له . فقاسوه فوجدوه أدنى إلى الأرض التي أراد . فقبضته ملائكة الرحم» رواه مسلم
In a narration in the authentic book of Hadith: "he was nearer by a span to the righteous land; so he was made one of its people." [Reported by Muslim].
«فكان إلى القرية الصالحة أقرب منها بشبر. فجعل من أهلها» رواه مسلم
And in another narration in the authentic book of Hadith: "so Allah has revealed to this land (the evil one) to draw farther, and to this land (land of piety) to draw nearer." [Reported by Muslim].
«فأوحى الله إلى هذه: أن تباعدي، وإلى هذه: أن تقربي» رواه مسلم
And: "measure the distances between his body and the two villages. So he was found to be one span closer to the village (he was going to). So he was forgiven." [Reported by Al-Bukhari].
«قيسوا ما بينهما ، فوجد إلى هذه أقرب بشبر ، فغفر له» رواه البخاري
And in a narration: "and so he has drawn his chest towards it (the land of piety)." [Made authentic by Al-Albani].
«فنأى بصدره نحوها» صححه الألباني
Abu Nujaid 'Imran ibn Al-Husain Al-Khaza'i, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that a woman from Juhaina came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: O Messenger of Allah, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has called her guardian and said: "Treat her well, and when she delivers bring her to me". He did accordingly. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, pronounced judgment about her and her clothes were tied around her and then he commanded and she was stoned to death. He then prayed (funeral prayer) over her (dead body). Thereupon 'Umar said to him: O Messenger of Allah, you offer prayer for her, whereas she had committed adultery! Thereupon he has said: "She has made such repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found anything better than this that she has sacrificed her life for Allah Almighty?" [Reported by Muslim].
«أن امرأة من جهينة أتت نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهي حبلى من الزنى. فقالت: يا نبي الله! أصبت حدا فأقمه علي. فدعا نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وليها. فقال: "أحسن إليها. فإذا وضعت فائتني بها" ففعل . فأمر بها نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. فشكت عليها ثيابها. ثم أمر بها فرجمت. ثم صلى عليها. فقال له عمر: تصلي عليها؟ يا نبي الله ! وقد زنت . فقال: "لقد تابت توبة لو قسمت بين سبعين من أهل المدينة لوسعتهم. وهل وجدت توبة أفضل من أن جادت بنفسها لله تعالى؟"» رواه مسلم
So my young brother:
Have you remembered the spoiler of pleasures, and the disperser of groups and of boys and girls?
Have you remembered the day when you are from the dwellers of graves?
Have you remembered parting with family, neighbors, friends, money, and lands?
Have you remembered the narrowness of the grave and its darkness?
Have you remembered its desolateness and its agony?
Have you remembered the torment of the grave and its types?
Have you remembered its snakes, scorpions and worms?
Have you remembered the brave bald (bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes) and its great stature?
Have you remembered the beating of the iron rod of the unabashed immoral accompanied by the humiliation?
Have you remembered the interrogation of the two angels in the grave?
Have you remembered if you would be led to the right answer or that you would be told: "Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quran)."?
Have you remembered the rest and the provision, and the Garden of Delights (Paradise) in the grave?
O brother, prepare an answer for the question, a true answer, a true sincere not a hypocrite one. 'Awn ibn Abdullah used to say in his crying over his sins: “Woe to my soul; is there anything where I did not disobey my Lord?”
Woe to me! But I have disobeyed Him by His grace with me.
Woe to me! From a sin: its lustrous desire has vanished, its consequence has stayed.
Woe to me! How can I forget death and that it does not forget me?
Woe to me! If on the Day of Judgment I am being withheld from my Lord.
Woe to me! How can I be negligent and He never neglects me?
Or how can I enjoy my living and the heavy day is behind me? Or how can my sorrow not be prolonged, while I do not know what is to be done with me?
Or how can my love be intense for a house which is not mine?
Or how can I be united to it while in other than it there is my settlement?
Or how can my desire for it maximize while just a little of it is enough for me?
Or how can I prefer it while it has hurt those who preferred it before me?
Or how can I not hasten to my work before my door of repentance is closed?
Or how can I intensely be fond of what will depart and separate from me?
O young man: beware of putting it off to repent or relying on forgiving and forgiveness. Beware of saying: I am still in my youth and I will repent when I get older. Death does not know an old man or a young man, not a man nor a woman, nor rich nor poor, nor a prince or a minister.
Say to the heedless to prepare *** it is inevitable that death will come
Time has worn out the youth *** what has passed cannot be restored
Or is not the sinner afraid *** of Whose oppression is the most
A day to survey the position *** where misfortunes are unimaginable
So why the boy keeps playing *** while it is very serious
Forever the time to his family *** is in labor and fatigue
O you hoping to live eternally *** while the sharp death is reaping
And death goes back and forth *** to the one hoping for living
Strutted in the guise of bliss *** and before him is a grave and a coffin
Life is shortened every day *** and then hopes are prolonged
May Allah awaken us and you from this heedlessness, and may He remind us of death and what comes after it, and may He inspire us to thank and praise Him for His blessings, He is Most Generous Who does not reject His slave.
Before I conclude with you, it is as if that you are wondering: what is the price that I hope for; what is my retribution if I repent to Allah and turn to Him? I say to you: the price is Paradise?
In the two authentic books of Hadith, from the Hadith of Abu Huraira: the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "Allah Glorified and Exalted has said: "I have prepared for My righteous slaves (bounties in Paradise) that the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard and no human heart has ever perceived them".
«قال الله تبارك وتعالى: أعددت لعبادي الصالحين: ما لا عين رأت، ولا أذن سمعت، ولا خطر على قلب بشر» رواه البخاري
And in the authentic book of Hadith from Anas Ibn Malik: the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "A place in paradise as small as a bow or a footprint is better than all the world and whatever is on its surface." [Reported by Al-Bukhari].
«ولقاب قوس أحدكم، أو موضع قدم من الجنة، خير من الدنيا وما فيها» رواه البخاري
And in the authentic book of Bukhari from the Hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: "a place in paradise as small as that occupied by the whip of one of you is better than the world and whatever is on its surface;" [Reported by Al-Bukhari].
«موضع سوط في الجنة خير من الدنيا وما فيها» رواه البخاري
Ibn al-Qayyim said: how can we appreciate a house that Allah has built by His Hand and has made it the abode of His beloved; He has filled it with His mercy, glory and pleasure?
If you ask about its land and soil they are: musk and saffron.
If you ask about its roof it is: the Throne of the Most Merciful.
If you ask about its clay it is: the fragrant musk.
If you ask about its stones they are: pearls and jewels.
If you ask about its construction it is: a brick of silver and a brick of gold.
If you ask about its trees, there is no tree within but has its stem of gold and silver, not of wood and lumber.
If you ask about its fruit, it is softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
If you ask about its leaves, they are as best as the thin delicate suits.
If you ask about its rivers, they are rivers of milk of which the taste never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure).
If you ask about their food, it is fruit that they may choose, and the flesh of fowls that they desire.
If you ask about their drink, it will be mixed with Tasnîm (it is a spring whereof drink those nearest to Allah), ginger and camphor.
If you ask about their vessels, they are the vessels of gold and silver as clear as crystal.
If you ask about the capacity of its doors, between the two wings is the distance of forty years walk.
If you ask about its shade, wherein there is a single tree, the fast persistent rider will take a hundred years and will not be able to cross it.
If you ask about its capacity, the lowest rank of its dwellers will march in his kingdom and thrones, his palaces and gardens for two thousand years.
If you ask about its tents and domes, the one tent is made of a hollow pearl; it has sixty miles of these tents.
If you ask about the clothing of its dwellers, it is silk and gold.
If you ask about their brides and their wives, they are the young full-breasted (mature) maidens of equal age, in whose organs runs the water of youth. Roses and apples are what the cheeks wear, and the pomegranate is the content of the breasts; the organized pearl is what inside their mouth, and delicacy and gentleness are held by the waists, the sun escapes from the beauties of her face, and the lightning glows if she smiled.
If you ask about their age, they are maturely young of equal age.
If you ask about beauty, have you seen the sun and the moon? What do you think of a woman when laughing in the face of her husband, she lights up Paradise by her laugh. When she sings, O what a thrill of the eyes and ears; when she amuses and entertains, O how lovely is this entertainment and amusement. When she kisses there is nothing more delicious than kissing, and if she surrendered, there is nothing tastier or better than that surrender.
Come on to the Gardens of Eden, they are
your first home and they have the camp
But we are the captives of the enemy
Do you think we would go back to our homelands, and be safe
May Allah guide me and you to repent and make us from His slaves who turn to Him in repentance. He is All-Hearer, and Responsive...
Prepared by: Khaled Al Freij
Dar Ibn Khuzaymah