09th
Jumada Althani 1429H
13th
June
2008AC
In the name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful.
All thanks be to Allah. We give
gratitude to Him, we seek His help and guidance, and we ask for His
forgiveness.
The Imam is still talking about the
slaves of the Rahman and their qualities. Last Friday the Imam talked about
the quality of repentance. One of the qualities of the slaves of the Rahman
is that if they commit a sin they immediately repent and return to Allah.
Allah says: {Except for those who repent and have faith, and they do a
good deed, those are the ones whom Allah replaces their sins for good points}.
It is Allah's mercy upon His slaves is that He left the door of repentance
right open; because He loves those who repeatedly repent and those who
repeatedly seek purification. Even for those who commit the ultimate sin of
associating others with Him (or Shirk), Allah has the repentance door open
for them. In Anfal chapter; ayah 38 Allah says: {say to those infidel if
they end what they do; then Allah forgives what's passed.} Just as Islam
(or converting to Islam) clears what occurred before it; similarly,
repentance will work for all types of sins. Listen to Allah describing His
slaves in the chapter (surat) Al-Forkan when HE says:
{And the slaves
of Rahman (Most Gracious) are:
Those who walk on the earth
in humility, and;
Those who when the ignorant
address them, they say, 'Peace!' and;
Those who spend the night
in adoration of their Lord prostrating and standing; and;
Those who say: 'Our Lord!
Avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction
grievous, Evil indeed it is; as an abode and as a place to rest in' and;
Those who, when they spend,
are not extravagant and not stingy, but are moderate and in balance between
extremes; and;
Those who invoke not, with
Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for
a just cause, nor commit adultery; and;
Any who does this meets punishment
increased many fold; and shall remain in it; for ever shameful; except
whoever repents; and have faith; and works righteous deeds. For those Allah
replaces their sins and evil with good. Allah has been Forgiving and
Merciful}. See the way Allah
after the sin of invoking another god with Allah, murder and adultery; He
follows that with: "Except whoever repents". Now the question which
remains is what type of repentance will be accepted by Allah?
Well, it is the pure sincere repentance
which is free from all cheating and which is not a false repentance. Not a
repent of a lie; like those who repent with their tongs while their hearts
insist on sin. Repenting has conditions, bases and foundation. Lets first
look at the conditions required for repenting.
The first and major foundation of repent
is regret and remorse. The messenger (PPBU) was reported saying: "regret is
a repent". This is deducted along the line of the messenger (PPBU) saying:
{Hajj is Arafah} indicating that Arafah is the most important foundation of
Hajj. It is the feelings of regret, remorse, sorrow and guilt. It is the
feeling and the realization of defaulting with Allah despite Allah's
kindness to him. This is psychological state a repenting person gets into.
Allah described the psychology of a repenting person by saying: {and those
three who did bad; and for them; earth despite its spaciousness became so
tight, and they thought that there is no escape from Allah except to Him,
then He did forgive them in order for them to repent. He is the ever
returning the merciful}. This is the feeling of one who is repenting, regret
as being the first and most important condition.
The second foundation of repentance is:
the resolution and determination not to go back to sin. Repentance does not
exist without this condition. Repentance has no meaning for someone who is
still thinking about recommitting the sin. Yes, Satan can lure man and win
against him and make him recommit sin, but at the moment of repentance; it
is absolutely important for the individual to have the certain intention and
determination not to go back to sin.
The third foundation requirement for
repentance is that: to stop doing the sinful act in real at that time.
Repentance is returning from disobedience to obedience; and from sins to
good deeds, from the path of Satan to the path of Allah. A repenting person
must change his ways, or change the company he/she keeps, or change the
place where hangs round with another place, or replace some friend with
others. Also remember the aya which says: {follow up a sinful act with a
good deed; it will wipe it off}. Or the story of the man who killed 100
souls and was looking to repent; and he was advised the following: "go to a
different land, which had better people worshiping Allah. And join them in
worship of Allah. And do not return to this land of yours, it is a bad
land."
If repentance fulfills its conditions;
it is bound to be accepted by Allah (In-Shaa Alllah). Based on Allah ways
and norms. Allah promised to accept repentance.
Always remember that Allah; through his
mercy will inspire and encourage a sinner to repent. Which means Allah first
accepts his/her repentance first; and then the sinner does repent. This is
proof that Allah has accepted the repentance and decided to forgive the
sinner before they actually do repent.
All Muslims are commanded by Allah to
repent. Every individual is commanded to repent. Who is it of all people
actually believes or thinks that he or she is impeccable and can commit no
sin? We are all have defaulted with Allah and Allah's rights upon us. And
that is one reason why we should always be resentful. The messenger (PPBU)
said: {O' People, do repent to Allah and ask His forgiveness. For I repent
to Allah a hundred times a day}. Slaves or Rahman are commanded to repent
especially if they commit a sin, or a major sin. Immediate repentance is
obligatory in such cases. And remember that Allah gets pleased and delighted
when one of His slaves repent.
Those were the conditions for repenting
to Allah as long as the sin repenting from involves a matter which concerns
the individual and Allah. That is relatively simple and Allah will no doubt
accept the repentance. But the problem may arise if sin involves matters
which concerns rights of other people especially financial rights.
Repentance is such case for it to be sincere requires returning, paying back
or compensating to the rightful individuals all wrongful aggressions. The
messenger (PPBU) said: {Any one who owes a brother of his anything of this
life taken wrongly, let him reach an agreement in Halal with him; before
time comes when no Euros, pounds or cents disappear; and the only way to
compensate them will be by paying from ones own good deeds. And if non exist
then one shall be given the sins of those he transgressed against}.
Any one who committed much aggression
against others lets him return everything back to their rightful owners. If
they are already dead and they have no kin, or unknown to him or they are
too any to count, then one can make a charity on their behalf. Especially an
on going charity like building a mosque or a charitable project which will
continue to accumulate good deeds for as long as possible. If unable to do
so, then to try and give some charity whenever it becomes possible.
There are other conditions for
repentance to be accepted. Amongst them is that it has to happen before the
moment of death approaches. Also before that time when the son will rise
from the west.
The messenger (PPBU) said: {whoever
makes repentance before the sun rises from the west then Allah will accept
it}.
Brothers and sisters; I repent to Allah
and I ask Allah for forgiveness from all sins. You too ask for His
forgiveness. He is the most forgiving; the most merciful.
Friday Talks 
