Sincere Repentance. In Pursuit of Allaah's Pleasure

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1 Downloaded from: justpaste.it/izzd Sincere Repentance In Pursuit of Allaah's Pleasure باسم ال ه الرحمن الرحيم الحمد ل ه رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام عل المرسلين One of the beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah (s.w.t) is At-Tawwaab i.e. the One Who accepts At-Tawbah (repentance). At-Tawbah is one of the great blessings which Allaah (s.w.t) has bestowed upon mankind and is a sign of His Infinite Mercy. Allah (swt) says: "And I am At- Tawwaabur-Raheem." [Al-Baqarah: 160] Indeed, irrespective of how much the slave transgresses or how great his sins are, at-tawwaabur- Raheem is always ready to accept his sincere Tawbah. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Verily, Allaah aza wa jalla stretches out His Hand during the night, so that the one who sins during the day can repent, and He stretches His Hand out during the day, so that the one who sins during the night can repent, until the sun rises from the west." [Saheeh Muslim: 2759] Such is the Mercy of Ar-Rahmaan. At-Tawbah is the lifeline that Allaah (s.w.t) has thrown to the son of Adam (a.s) in order to save him from drowning in sin. The 'Arabic word "Tawbah" literally means "return", however what is intended by this term, from the Islamic perspective, is "turning back from sin". It is the consensus of the 'Ulama' that Tawbah is obligatory, and thus one must make Tawbah from all his sins. They also agree that it must be done immediately and that it is not permissible to delay for indeed one does not know when he is going to die. Allaah (s.w.t) says: "Allaah accepts only the Tawbah of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon (afterwards); it is they to whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise. And of no effect is the Tawbah of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent''; nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them, We have prepared a painful

2 torment."[an-nisaa': 17-18] 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas (r.a.a) said about the statement: (and repent soon [afterwards]), meaning "Until just before he (or she) looks at the angel of death.'' The Conditions of Tawbah The word "Tawbah" is a comprehensive term with deep meaning. It is not, as some people may think, merely words to be uttered whilst persisting in sin. Consider Allaah's Statement: Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in Tawbah. [Hood 11: 3] It is apparent that Tawbah is something more than seeking forgiveness, and thus the 'Ulama' have agreed upon a number of conditions that must be fulfilled in order for one's Tawbah to be accepted by Allah (s.w.t). If the sin is attached to the rights of Allaah (s.w.t) Alone then there are three conditions that must be met:.giving up the sin immediately.1.regretting what has happened in the past.2.resolving not to go back to it.3 However, if the sin is connected to the right of another person there is a forth condition that must be fulfilled in addition to the three listed above: Making amends with the person(s) whom you have wronged, or asking for their.4.forgiveness There are some other important matters connected to at-tawbatun-nasooh (sincere repentance), such as: At-Tawbah is an act of 'Ibaadah (i.e. worship), hence it should be performed with al-ikhlaas. That is to say, the slave should give up the sin for the Sake of Allaah (s.w.t) Alone and not for any other reason such as a worldly benefit, or not being able to do it, or being afraid of what people will say, etc. For example, the person who gives up a sin because it may affect his standing or reputation among people, or because it may cost him his job or some other worldly possession, cannot be described as having repented. Likewise, the person who gives up sins for the sake of his health cannot be described as having repented, such as a person.who gives up Zinaa (fornication) and immoral actions out of fear of contracting a disease He should feel repelled by the sin and the harm it causes. This means that at-tawbatun- Nasooh cannot be accompanied by feelings of enjoyment and pleasure when remembering.past sins, or wishing to go back to it in the future He should hasten to repent. Hence delaying Tawbah is in and of itself a sin for which.repentance is required One should keep away from the places of sin, as being there may make him fall into sin.again The slave should keep away from those who helped him to commit sin or who are sinners themselves, lest they should encourage him to transgress again. Verily, evil companions will turn against each other on the Day of Judgement. Allaah (s.w.t) says: Friends on that Day [will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqoon (the pious) [Al-Zukhruf 43:67

3 One should follow up evil deeds with righteous conduct, for indeed good deeds cancel out bad deeds. The Prophet (s.a.w) said: "Have Taqwaa of Allaah wherever you are, and follow up a wrong action with a good action, it will efface it. And behave towards [people with good character." [At-Tirmdhi: 1987 Everyone falls into sin Nobody should consider himself above committing sin, for indeed Allaah (s.w.t) says: "He knows you well when He created you from the earth (Adam), and when you were fetuses in your mothers' wombs. So, ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who has Taqwaa." [An-Najm: 32] Thus, it is Haraam to ascribe purity to oneself for only Allaah (s.w.t) knows best he who is righteous. Moreover, mankind is weak and can only perform good deeds and become righteous by the Grace of Allaah (s.w.t), Who says: "And had it not been for the grace of Allaah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allaah purifies whom He wills, and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower." [An-Noor: 21] Commenting on this Aayah Imaam Ibn kathir (r.h) said:"(and had it not been for the grace of Allaah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins) meaning, if He did not help whomever He wills to repent and come back to Him and be purified from Shirk, evil and sin, and whatever bad characteristics each person has according to his nature, no one would ever attain purity and goodness." [Tafseerul-Qur'anil-'Azeem] In addition, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Every son of Adam commits sin, but the best of sinners are at-tawwaaboon (i.e. those who repent often)." [At-Tirmidhi: 2499, Ibn Maajah: 4251] Therefore, none of the children of Adam are free from sin; hence we are all in need of Allaah's Mercy and Forgiveness. Mankind were created for the sole purpose of worshiping and serving their Almighty Lord, which includes turning to Him in repentance an act that is most pleasing to Ar-Rahmaan. Thus if the slave were not to fall into sin Allaah (s.w.t) would take him from the life of this world and replace him with one who would sin and turn to Him in repentance. The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said: "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! If you did not commit sin, Allaah would remove you and would certainly replace you with people who would commit sin, and who would then seek Allaah's Forgiveness thus He will forgive them." [Muslim: 2749] At-Tawbah, as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an At-Tawbah is mentioned in numerous Ayaat in the Book of Allaah (s.w.t). We shall quote a few of these Ayaat here (inshaa'allaah): The command to turn to Allaah (s.w.t) in Tawbah: "O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, [and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow." [At-Tahreem: 8 Allaah (s.w.t) loves those who turn to Him in Tawbah: "Truly, Allaah loves those who turn [unto Him in Tawbah and loves those who purify themselves." [Al-Baqarah: 222 Allaah (s.w.t) accepts the Tawbah of those who turn to Him: "Know they not that Allaah accepts repentance from His servants and accepts the Sadaqaat, and that Allaah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful." [At-Tawbah; [104 Goodly provision promised to those who turn to Allaah (s.w.t) in Tawbah, while those who

4 turn away are warned against a terrible punishment: "And seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in Tawbah, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace to every owner of grace. But if you turn [away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day." [Hood: 3 Following Tawbah up with good deeds: "When those who believe in Our Aayaat come to you, say: "Salamun 'Alaykum''; your Lord has written mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good [deeds, then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-An'aam: 54 Tawbah nullifies major acts of transgression, including Kufr and Shirk: "But if they repent, perform the Salah and give the Zakah, then they are your brethren in religion. (In [this way) We explain the Ayaat in detail for a people who know." [At-Tawbah: 11 Tawbah is only accepted from those who repent, believe, and then harbour no doubt: "And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes and does righteous deeds, and then Ihtadaa." [TaHa: 82] Concerning Allaah's statement (and then Ihtadaa.) 'Ali bin ''.Abi Talhah related that Ibn 'Abbaas (r.a.a) said, "This means that he then does not doubt The doors of Tawbah are open even to the most evil of tyrants: "Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women, and then do not turn(to Allaah) in Tawbah, then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire." [Al-Burooj: 10] Al-Hasan Al-Basri (r.h) said: "Look at this generosity and kindness. These people killed Allaah's Awliyaa' and He still invites them to make Tawbah ''.and seek forgiveness Trials and calamities befall some in order that they may repent: "See they not that they are put in trial once or twice every year? Yet, they turn not in Tawbah, nor do they [learn a lesson (from it)." [At-Tawbah: 126 The command to kill the Mushrikeen until they make Tawbah: "So when the Sacred Months have passed, then kill the Mushrikin wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every place of ambush. But if they repent and perform the Salah, and give the Zakah, then leave their way [free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [At-Tawbah: 5 Our need to turn to our Lord in Tawbah cannot be over-emphasised. Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah (r.a.a) said, "The Prophet used to pray until both his feet were swollen. He was asked, `Has not Allaah forgiven you all your sins of the past and of future'. He said: [Should I not be a thankful servant?]" Indeed, the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) was of an exalted standard of character, and was the most grateful to Ar-Rahmaan. Despite this fact, as well as being forgiven and cleansed of all his sins, he (ﷺ) said: "O people! Turn to Allaah in Tawbah, for verily I turn to Him in Tawbah a hundred times a day." [Saheeh Muslim: 2702] We have not been given the glad tidings that all our acts of transgression have been forgiven, yet how often do we turn to Allaah (s.w.t) in Tawbah, so as to be purified from our numerous sins? Lessons from the previous generations Throughout the Holy Qur'aan Allaah (s.w.t) narrates the stories of those who preceded us. He (s.w.t) mentioned the wisdom behind such narrations, saying: "So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect." [Al-A'raaf: 176] We therefore narrate a story about the Tawbah of a man from among the people who preceded us in order that we may reflect. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

5 "There was a man from among the people who preceded you, who had killed ninety-nine people. He inquired about the most knowledgeable person on the earth and he was thus directed to a Raahib (worshiper). So he went to him and informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people, (asking) if there was any Tawbah for him. He (the Raahib) said: [No]. So he killed him thereby completing one hundred (murders). Then (once again) he inquired about the most knowledgeable person on earth and (this time) was directed to a man (who was) an 'Alim. He informed him that he had killed a hundred people, (and asked) if there was any Tawbah for him. The man ('Alim) said: [Yes]. And who (can) come between him and Tawbah? [Proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people who worship Allaah so worship Allaah with them. And don't return to your land for it is a land of evil]. So, he proceeded until he reached half way along the road (to the land) when death came to him. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment then disputed regarding his case. The angels of mercy said: [He has come repentantly, approaching Allaah with (sincerity in) his heart]. And the angels of punishment said:[verily, he did not perform any good] So an angel approached in the form of a human being. Thus they appointed him (as an arbitrator) between them. He then said: [Measure the distance between the two lands, whichever of the two he is closest to is where he belongs]. They therefore measured it and found that he was closer to the land he intended (to migrate to)]. Thus the angels of mercy took his soul." [Saheeh Muslim: 2766] Verily, the lessons and Fiqh-related issues that this beautiful Hadeeth contains are abundant. We shall, however, briefly mention five thereof: Refraining from despair Regardless of how much one transgresses the limits set by Allaah (s.w.t) or how great the sin is, one should never despair from the Mercy of Ar-Rahmaan. The man mentioned in this Hadeeth killed ninety-nine people and sought forgiveness, and when he was told that there is no Tawbah for him he killed again thus committing one hundred murders. Despite that, this man continued to seek the Mercy of Allaah (s.w.t), remaining persistent in his quest for forgiveness. Allaah (s.w.t) says: "Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [Az- Zumar: 53] Warning against instilling despair in the hearts of others The man killed the Raahib as a result of being informed that there was no Tawbah for him. How can one expect the sinner to desist from his act(s) of transgression if he is made to believe that there is no hope for him? Indeed, to fill the hearts of the slaves with despair is not from the teachings of al-islaam. Allaah (s.w.t) says: "When those who believe in Our Aayaat come to you, say: "Salamun 'Alaykum''; your Lord has written mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds, then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-An'aam: 54]

6 Therefore, to discourage the slaves of Ar-Rahmaan from turning to Him in Tawbah is an act of transgression in itself which also requires Tawbah. Narrated Abu Hurayrah (r.a.a), who said: "I heard Allaah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying: {There were two fraternal persons among the Children of Israel. One of them was engrossed in committing sins while the other was devoted to worship. The devotee used to see his fellow committing sin and advise him: Desist from doing so. One day when he found his fellow committing sin. He said to him: Avoid it. His fellow said: Leave me alone. Have you been sent out as a vigilant on me? The devotee said: By Allaah, He will neither forgive you nor admit you to Paradise. When they died, they were gathered before the Lord of the worlds. Allaah asked the devotee: Were you assured of knowing Me or were you having power over what was in My Hands? Then He said to the sinner: Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy; and ordered the angels about the devotee: Lead him to Hell}" [This Hadith is sound and reported by Abu Da'ud in his Sunan] After narrating this Hadeeth, Abu Hurayrah commented: "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul: One word spoken by the devotee ruined his good deeds in the world as well as in the Hereafter." Seek religious knowledge from the 'Ulamaa' Verily, al-islaam is built upon knowledge: Knowledge that Allaah (s.w.t) revealed to the Prophets (a.s). Thus, guidance is dependent upon believing in and following that which Allaah (s.w.t) has revealed to the Prophets and Messengers (a.s). Imaam Abu Muhammad al-hasan bn 'Ali al- Barbahari (r.h) says: "And know may Allaah have mercy upon you - that the Deen comes from Allaah (ta'ala) it is not in accordance with the intellect and opinions of men. The knowledge of this Deen is with Allaah and His Messenger, so do not follow anything with your desire, lest you should go out the Deen and then exit (the fold of) al-islaam." (Sharhus-Sunnah) The 'Ulamaa are the inheritors of the Prophets (a.s) and are thus charged with the duty of explaining and clarifying that which Allaah (s.w.t) has revealed, as well as extracting and issuing religious rulings (Fataawa) from the divine text. It was for this reason the man mentioned in the Hadeeth sought the most knowledgeable person on earth not a pious layman. This Hadeeth highlights the potential harm that is a direct result of taking Fataawa from unqualified individuals. Allaah's Infinite Mercy In another narration of this Hadeeth it is said that Allaah (s.w.t) commanded the land from which the man had migrated to distance itself and the land to which he was migrating to come closer (Saheeh Muslim: 2766). Indeed, this is an example of Allaah's Infinite Mercy which He bestows upon whomever He wills from among His slaves. Whenever the son of Adam (a.s) takes a step towards his Lord the Most High draws closer to him, as is narrated in the authentic Hadeeth Qudsi. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (r.a.a), who said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allaah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks of Me. And I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an

7 assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me by the span of a palm, I draw near to him by a cubit. If he draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by the space covered by two arms. If he walks towards Me, I hasten towards him." (It was related by al-buhkari, also by Muslim, at-tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah). Hijrah: Confirmation of one's Tawbah It is important to note that the 'Alim mentioned in this Hadeeth instructed the murderer to "proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people who worship Allaah so worship Allaah with them. And don't return to your land for it is a land of evil." This act is termed in the Islamic Shari'ah "al-hijrah". The word "Hijrah", according to the 'Arabic language means "to abandon or to migrate from one land to another". However, the intended meaning in the Shari'ah is the act of "migrating from the land of Shirk and Kufr to the land of Tawheed and Eemaan". The Muslim is required to disbelieve in, reject, and disassociate himself from all forms of Kufr and acts of disobedience to Allaah (s.w.t), and this is the essence of Tawbah. Hijrah, therefore, serves as a vehicle to achieve this noble aim and perfect one's act of Tawbah. Hence, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe, and the Muhaajir is he who abandons that which Allaah has prohibited." [Al-Bukhari: 10] The Muslim who seeks to sincerely turn to his Lord in Tawbah is thus obliged to: Reject Kufr (including its system of governance) and refrain from all acts of disobedience to.1 (Allaah (s.w.t Disassociate himself from the Kuffar and the sinners.2 Abandon the lands and places of Kufr and sin.3 Imam An-Nawawai (r.h), in commenting on the Hadeeth under discussion, said: "(Regarding) his statement (proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people who worship Allaah so worship Allaah with them. And don't return to your land for it is a land of evil) the 'Ulamaa said: (In this i.e. the Hadeeth is the recommendation that the one seeking Tawbah should disassociate himself from the places in which he committed sins, as well as from the companions who helped him to commit them. He should sever ties with them as long as they remain in their condition (of sin, etc.) and exchange them for the company of the people of good and righteousness, and (the company of) the 'Ulamaa and pious worshipers and gain benefit from their company, thereby confirming his Tawbah due to that)" [Saheeh Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawawi: 9/85] Seeking Allaah's Pleasure Indeed, we have been created for no purpose other than to worship and serve Allaah (s.w.t) and thereby attain His Pleasure. The attainment of Allaah's Pleasure is a blessing that is greater than al-jannah itself, as is clearly stated in the Holy Qur'an. The Most high says:

8 "Allaah has promised the believers men and women, -- Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in gardens of `And (Eden; Paradise). But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allaah. That is the supreme success." [At- Tawbah: 72] In addition, the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said: "Allaah will say to the people of Paradise, 'O residents of Paradise!' They will say, 'Labbayka (here we are!), our Lord, and Sa'dayk (we are happy at your service!) and all the good is in Your Hand.' He will ask them, 'Are you pleased?' They will say, 'Why would we not be pleased, O Lord, while You have given us what You have not given any other of your creation?' He will say, 'Should I give you what is better than all this?' They will say, 'O Lord! What is better than all this?' He will say, 'I will grant you My Pleasure and will never afterwards be angry with you'." [Saheeh Muslim: 2829] The believer's ultimate goal is therefore the attainment of his Lord's Pleasure; hence he is willing to sacrifice all that which he possesses including his life in order to achieve this noble objective. O Muslim! Know that there is nothing more pleasing to Ar-Rahmaan than the sincere Tawbah of His slave who has transgressed against his soul. Anas b. Malik (r.a.a) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Allaah is more pleased with the Tawbah of His servant who turns towards Him in repentance than one amongst you who is on his camel in a waterless desert and then loses it whilst his (provision of) food and drink is on it. Thereafter, having lost all hope (to get it back) he approaches a tree and lies down in its shade, distraught about his camel. Then, whilst in that state, he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its nose-string and then out of boundless joy says: '0 Lord, You are my servant and I am Your Lord.' He commits this mistake out of extreme delight." [Muslim: 2747] Therefore, hasten towards the Pleasure of Ar-Rahmaan and delay not for indeed you do not know when you are going to die. Turn to your Lord before you return to Him (s.w.t) and know that the doors of Tawbah are open until the sun rises from the west. Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabbil-'Alameen was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alal-mursaleen By Faarisut-Tawheed 29 Rabi' Al-Awwal 1436 (20 January, 2015) 7