What are you waiting for?!!
- Categories: Asceticism and Heart Softening -
Repentance gates are opened
Why Repentance?
All praise is due to
Allah the Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe
in punishment. It is He Who opens the gates for those who seek His
forgiveness, and it is He Who facilitates the reasons for those who
seek repentance. Peace be upon the messenger of Allah (whom Allah
sent as a mercy to the worlds) and his family and
company.
We all are
sinful:
We all are sinful … We
remember Allah at times and forget Him at others; we watch our
deeds at times and be inattentive at others.
We all have sins and always do
mistakes. Neither I nor you are infallibles. The prophet, peace be
upon him, said: "all the children of Adam are sinning and the best
sinners are those who repent." (Narrated by At-Tirmizy and approved
by Al-Albany).
However … What
does Repentance mean?
Repentance means to refrain
(inwardly and outwardly) from what Allah hates, and to do (inwardly
and outwardly) what Allah likes. Repentance is the essence of the
legislations of Islam and the facts of faith.
Repentance is the guidance
that protects from despair and despondency. It is the effluent
fountain of every goodness and happiness in this life and in the
hereafter.
Repentance is the essence of
religion, source of life and the reason of happiness. It is the
beginning, the middle and the end _ it is the beginning and the end
of the human life.
Repentance means to refrain
from the sin because of fearing Allah, feeling the nastiness of the
sin, feeling guilty for doing it, and determining not to do it
again as possible as you can. Repentance is a feel of guilt over
what had occurred, seeking Allah's satisfaction in the present and
future deeds, and refraining from doing the sin.
Why should we
repent?
Some person may
ask:
Why should I abandon the sin
that gives me pleasure?
Why should I stop watching
films and hearing music while they give me rest?
Why should I refrain from the
obscene phone calls that I desire?
Why should I stop looking at
women while this gives me pleasure?
Why should I abide by prayers
and fasting while I do not like to abide?
Why… Why … Why…
Is not it good for the person
to do whatever gives him/her pleasure and rest? What gives me
pleasure is what you call it "sin". So, why should I
repent?
O dear brother, before
answering your question, I want you to know that I wanted nothing
but your pleasure, hoped nothing but your rest, and meant nothing
but your goodness in this life and in the hereafter.
Now, I will
answer your question. You should repent because;
1-
Repentance is obedience to
your Lord's order; It is He Who ordered it by saying: "O you who have believed, repent to
Allah with sincere repentance." [At-Tahrim 66:8], and Allah's
order must be obeyed.
{يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً
نَّصُوحًا}[التحريم: 8]
Transliteration:
Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū
Tūbū 'Ilaá Allāhi Tawbatan Naşūĥāan
2-
It is a reason for your
success in this life and in the hereafter; Allah almighty says:
"And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you
might succeed." [An-Nur 24:31]
{وَتُوبُوا
إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تُفْلِحُونَ} [النور: 31]
Transliteration:
Wa Tūbū 'Ilá Allāhi Jamī`āan
'Ayyuhā Al-Mu'uminūna La`allakum Tufliĥūna
Therefore, the heart does not
feel goodness, success, pleasure or satisfaction except when it
worships its Lord and repents to Him.
3-
It is a reason of gaining
Allah's love; Allah almighty says: "Indeed, Allah loves those who
are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves."
[Al-Baqarah 2:222]
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ} [البقرة: 222]
Transliteration:
'Inna Allāha Yuĥibbu
At-Tawwābīna Wa Yuĥibbu Al-Mutaţahhirīna
Is there pleasure better than
the pleasure that one feels when s/he knows that Allah loves
him/her when s/he repents to Him?!
4-
It is a reason for entering
paradise and not entering the hellfire; Allah almighty says: "But
there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued
desires; so they are going to meet evil - (59) Except those who
repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise
and will not be wronged at all." [Maryam 19:59-60]
{فَخَلَفَ مِن
بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ۖ
فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا ﴿٥٩﴾ إِلَّا مَن
تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ
وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا} [مريم: 59-60]
Transliteration:
Fakhalafa Min Ba`dihim Khalfun
'Ađā`ū Aş-Şalāata Wa Attaba`ū Ash-Shahawāti Fasawfa Yalqawna
Ghayyāan (59) 'Illā Man Tāba Wa 'Āmana Wa `Amila Şāliĥāan
Fa'ūlā'ika Yadkhulūna Al-Jannata Wa Lā Yužlamūna
Shay'āan
Is there anything deserves to
be sought except paradise?!
5-
It is a reason for having
blessings and increase in strength, wealth and children; Allah
almighty says: "And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides
whom He wills to a straight path." [Yunus 10:25]
{وَاللَّهُ
يَدْعُو إِلَىٰ دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ
صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ} [يونس: 25]
Transliteration:
Wa Allāhu Yad`ū 'Ilá Dāri
As-Salāmi Wa Yahdī Man Yashā'u 'Ilá Şirāţin Mustaqīmin
And He says: "And said, 'Ask
forgiveness of your Lord'. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
(10) He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing]
showers (11) And give you increase in wealth and children and
provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers" [Nuh
71:10-12]
{فَقُلْتُ
اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
﴿١٠﴾ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم
مِّدْرَارًا ﴿١١﴾ وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ
وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ
أَنْهَارًا} [نوح: 10-12]
Transliteration:
Faqultu Astaghfirū Rabbakum
'Innahu Kāna Ghaffārāan (10) Yursili As-Samā'a `Alaykum Midrārāan
(11) Wa Yumdidkum Bi'amwālin Wa Banīna Wa Yaj`al Lakum Jannātin Wa
Yaj`al Lakum 'Anhārāan
6-
It is a reason for expiating
the sins and changing them into good deeds; Allah almighty says:
"O you who have
believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your
Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens
beneath which rivers flow" [At-Tahrim: 8]
{يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ
رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ
جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ} [التحريم: 8]
Transliteration:
Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū
Tūbū 'Ilaá Allāhi Tawbatan Naşūĥāan `Asaá Rabbukum 'An Yukaffira
`Ankum Sayyi'ātikum Wa Yudkhilakum Jannātin Tajrī Min Taĥtihā
Al-'Anhāru
And He almighty says: "Except
for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah
will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah
Forgiving and Merciful." [Al-Furqan 25:70]
{إِلَّا مَن
تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ
اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا
رَّحِيمًا} [الفرقان: 70]
Transliteration:
'Illā Man Tāba Wa 'Āmana Wa
`Amila `Amalāan Şāliĥāan Fa'ūlā'ika Yubaddilu Allāhu Sayyi'ātihim
Ĥasanātin Wa Kāna Allāhu Ghafūrāan Raĥīmāan
Muslim
brothers and sisters,
Do not these virtues (along
with others) deserve to be sought by repentance?!
Why do we deprive ourselves
from their pleasure?! … Why do we insult ourselves and deprive them
from gaining Allah's satisfaction by disobeying Him?! … We should
do what brings to us these results and gains.
Translated by
Wathakker.net
http://en.wathakker.net/