To My Repentant Brother
Since 2012-11-29
{Say: O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful} [Az-Zumar 39:53].
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All the praises and thanks be to Allah and peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger and upon his family and companions.
My Muslim brother: know that when the slave of Allah wants to return to Him in repentance, he will find Him hearing his voice and forgiver for his slips.
O you who have lavished in sins... O you who have been ruined by acts of disobedience...
Where are you from the gate of your Lord Almighty?
Where are you from the mercy of the Forgiver of sins?
Where are you from the Acceptor of the repentant?
Where are you from the Setter of the humbled repentant sinners?
{Say: O ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh: verily, Allâh forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful} [Az-Zumar 39:53].
{قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ} الزمر: 53
Transliteration: Qul ya AAibadiya allatheena asrafoo AAala anfusihim la taqnatoo min rahmati Allahi inna Allaha yaghfiru alththunooba jameeAAan innahu huwa alghafooru alrraheemu
My Muslim brother: a sane person must not despair of the mercy of Allah Almighty. He must not say I have great sins; however great the sin is, it is not greater than the mercy of Allah.
Hasten My Muslim brother: hasten to achieve the mercy of Allah from the gate of repentance. Know that such gate never closes until the soul reaches the throat (death).
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said “Allah accepts the repentance of the servant unless he gargles” [Reported as good by Al-Albani].
«إن الله يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يغرغر» حسنه الألباني
O you disobedient, have mercy upon yourself. Do not be among the negligent from the mercy of the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Brother: is it not from the happiness of the repentant that Allah Almighty has said: {Truly, Allâh loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers).} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:222].
{...إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ} البقرة: 222
Transliteration: inna Allaha yuhibbu alttawwabeena wayuhibbu almutatahhireena
Brother: is it not from the happiness of the repentant that Allah is pleased by the repentance of the repentant and the returning of the sinners? Repentance... Repentance... The gate is open and your Lord Almighty stretches His Hands at day and night to accept the repentant and to forgive the sinners.
Know my Muslim brother: that repentance has many virtues with Allah. He has prepared them for us, He has given us the glad tidings about them and has urged us to return and resort to Him.
Among such virtues is that Allah eliminates the sins of the repentant. Allah Almighty has said: {O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)} [Surat At-Tahrîm 66:8].
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ...} التحريم: 8
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo tooboo ilaAllahi tawbatan nasoohan AAasarabbukum an yukaffira AAankum sayyiatikum wayudkhilakum jannatin tajree min tahtiha alanharu
Repentance is also a reason to achieve the Love of Allah Almighty, which is, my brother, the greatest aim to be achieved by the righteous. This who is beloved by Allah wins His pleasure and honoring. Allah Almighty has said: {Truly, Allâh loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers).} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:222].
{...إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ} البقرة: 222
Transliteration: inna Allaha yuhibbu alttawwabeena wayuhibbu almutatahhireena
In addition, repentance is the key for every success. Allah Almighty has said: {And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.} [Surat An-Nûr 24:31].
{...وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ} النور: 31
Transliteration: watooboo ila Allahi jameeAAan ayyuha almuminoona laAAallakum tuflihoona
My Muslim brother: the greatest disaster that befalls this who wishes to repent is “the procrastination of repentance”. He says “I will repent”, “I will abandon sins”, “I will repent after some time”. This is the barrier of repentance that prevents people from returning to Allah Almighty in repentance. How ugly this barrier that prevents the disobedient from repentance is.
Brother: how long will you be flooded with sins?
For how long will you turn away from the path of salvation?
For how long will you worship the Devil?
For how long will you…?
Brother: how many disobedient people there are who have delayed repentance until they died suddenly… They repented in an unavailing time. Tears were shed and regret was great in a time of useless sorrow or regret.
Abu Bakr al-Wasti, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “deliberation in everything is preferable, except in three matters: at the time of prayer, when burying the dead, and upon repenting from sins”.
Brother: are you safe from death?
Do you know when you will die?
Has death ever warned anyone?
Has death ever granted anyone time to be prepared?
How many disobedient are there who, upon being asked: why do you not repent? He replies: let me be delighted in being young, when I grow up, I will repent and devote myself to worship. Such a deceived man along with many others is deceived by their state of health and wellness. They, however, forget that death does not distinguish between the young and the old. How many young people died, and how many aged have lived long.
Brother: These are the ones who lived the false hopes. They woke up when death befell them. However, is regret useful that day?
My Muslim brother: beware of procrastination. Beware of negligence from which only the Angel of Death can awake you up. Beware of negligence after which you would say: {“My Lord! Send me back, [99]. “So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!”} [Al-Mu’minûn 23:99-100].
{حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ ﴿٩٩﴾ لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ...} المؤمنون: 99-100
Transliteration: Hatta itha jaa ahadahumu almawtu qala rabbi irjiAAooni (99) LaAAallee aAAmalu salihan feemataraktu
And you will have no reply then but: {No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.} [Al-Mu’minûn 23:100].
{...كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ} المؤمنون: 100
Transliteration: kalla innaha kalimatun huwa qailuha wamin waraihim barzakhun ila yawmi yubAAathoona
Brother, hasten in extinguishing the fire of disobedience by sincere repentance. Beware of throwing sand on the fire of sins by saying “I will”. When such sand is uncovered, you will know then that you were deceived and that you were in false hopes.
O you, disobedient: when death comes, cloudiness is uncovered from the eyes, and the sinners will be certain of the severity of the threat. What a moment in which the happy wins and sinners become wretched.
My Muslim brother: beware of “I will” and “I shall repent”. “Will” is one of the strongest supporters of your archenemy (Satan). He still invites you to delay repentance until you are taken by surprise by death before repenting.
My Muslim brother: repentance has certain conditions that must be fulfilled when you are on the way of the repentant:
First: Sincerity in Repentance:
Dedicate your repentance to Allah only, without any other partner. Be as al-Qurtubi said: “shy of Allah Almighty, not of any other than Him”. If the slave of Allah is sincere in his repentance, Allah will grant him success in fulfilling it and in keeping him firm on it.
Second: Quitting Performing Sins:
Know my brother that: the one who says that I have repented while committing forbidden pleasures is not a real repentant. A repentant must stop doing the forbidden which he is repenting from. If one is repenting for leaving an obligatory act of worship, one has to hasten to performing it. If one is repenting for usurping the rights of the slaves of Allah, one has to return them to their rightful owners.
Third: Regretting the Past:
A disobedient is an aggressor of the rights of Allah Almighty. This is not an easy matter. A repentant, then, must regret frequently for the rights of Allah Almighty which he has wasted, may Allah forgive and have mercy on him.
Fourth: The Determination not to Return to the Sin:
You must, brother, remember such term: that you should repent with the intention of quitting the sin and never to do it again. The sincere intention is an evidence for the sincere repentance.
Fifth: Non-Persistence:
Allah Almighty has praised His pious servants: that if they commit a sin, they do not persist in what they have done. Allah Almighty has said: {And those who, when they have committed Fâhishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know} [Aal-’Imran 3:135].
{وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّـهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ} آل عمران: 135
Transliteration: Waallatheena ithafaAAaloo fahishatan aw thalamoo anfusahum thakaroo Allaha faistaghfaroo lithunoobihim waman yaghfiru alththunooba illa Allahu walam yusirroo AAala mafaAAaloo wahum yaAAlamoona
Ibn Khuzaymah House
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