I have committed a great sin and
I prayed to Allaah and asked Him
to forgive me. Will my repentance
from that sin be accepted? I feel
that my repentance has not been
accepted and that Allaah is angry
with me. Are there any
indications that repentance has
been accepted?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: Making mistakes and
falling short are undoubtedly
part of human nature and no
one will be free of shortcomings
in his obedience to Allaah, or free
of mistakes or forgetfulness or
sins. All of us fall short, commit
sins, and make mistakes.
Sometimes we turn to Allaah and
sometimes we turn away from
Him. Sometimes we remember
that Allaah is watching and
sometimes we become negligent.
None of us is free of sin, and we
will inevitably make mistakes. We
are not infallible. Hence the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “By the
One in Whose hand is my soul, if
you did not commit sin Allaah
would do away with you and
bring people who would commit
sin then pray for forgiveness.”
Narrated by Muslim, 2749. And
he (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Every son of
Adam sins, and the best of those
who sin are those who repent.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2499;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
By His mercy towards weak man,
Allaah has opened the gate of
repentance to him, and has
commanded him to turn to Him,
every time sin overwhelms him.
Were it not for that, man would
suffer a great deal of hardship
and would not have the drive to
draw closer to his Lord; he
would lose all hope of His
forgiveness and pardon.
Repentance is something that is
necessary as a result of man’s
shortcomings and human
failings.
Allaah has enjoined repentance
on all kinds of people in this
ummah: those who are foremost
in good deeds, those who follow
a middle course, and those who
wrong their own selves by doing
haraam things (cf. Faatir 35:32).
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And all of you beg Allaah to
forgive you all, O believers, that
you may be successful”
[al-Noor 24:31]
“O you who believe! Turn to
Allaah with sincere repentance!”
[al-Tahreem 66:8]
And the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “O people,
repent to Allaah and seek His
forgiveness, for I repent one
hundred times a day. ” Narrated
by Muslim, 2702 from the
hadeeth of al-Agharr al-Muzani
(may Allaah be pleased with
him).
Allaah has bestowed His mercy
and encompassed His slaves with
his kindness. He is Forbearing
and does not punish us or
destroy us straightaway, rather
He gives us respite, and He
commanded His Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) to proclaim His generosity:
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who
have transgressed against
themselves (by committing evil
deeds and sins)! Despair not of
the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah
forgives all sins. Truly, He is
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:53 – interpretation
of the meaning].
And He says, out of kindness
towards His slaves
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Will they not turn with
repentance to Allaah and ask His
forgiveness? For Allaah is
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Maa'idah 5:74]
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving
to him who repents, believes (in
My Oneness, and associates none
in worship with Me) and does
righteous good deeds, and then
remains constant in doing them
(till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
“And those who, when they have
committed Faahishah (illegal
sexual intercourse) or wronged
themselves with evil, remember
Allaah and ask forgiveness for
their sins; — and none can
forgive sins but Allaah — and do
not persist in what (wrong) they
have done, while they know”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:135]
“And whoever does evil or
wrongs himself but afterwards
seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will
find Allaah Oft‑Forgiving, Most
Merciful”
[al-Nisa’ 4:110]
Allaah calls to repentance those
who committed the gravest form
of shirk and sin, those who say
that ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) is
the son of God – exalted be
Allaah far above what the
wrongdoers say. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Will they not turn with
repentance to Allaah and ask His
forgiveness? For Allaah is
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Maa’idah 5:74]
And He opens the door of
repentance to the hypocrites,
who are worse than the kuffaar
who openly show their kufr.
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Verily, the hypocrites will be in
the lowest depth (grade) of the
Fire; no helper will you find for
them.
146. Except those who repent
(from hypocrisy), do righteous
good deeds, hold fast to Allaah,
and purify their religion for
Allaah (by worshipping none but
Allaah, and do good for Allaah’s
sake only, not to show off), then
they will be with the believers.
And Allaah will grant the
believers a great reward”
[al-Nisa’ 4:145-146]
One of the attributes of the Lord
is that He accepts repentance
and rejoices over it by His grace.
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And He it is Who accepts
repentance from His slaves, and
forgives sins, and He knows
what you do”
[al-Shoora 42:25]
“Know they not that Allaah
accepts repentance from His
slaves and takes the Sadaqaat
(alms, charity), and that Allaah
Alone is the One Who forgives
and accepts repentance, Most
Merciful?”
[al-Tawbah 9:104]
It was narrated that Abu Hamzah
Anas ibn Maalik al-Ansaari (may
Allaah be pleased with him), the
servant of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Allaah rejoices more over
the repentance of His slave than
any one of you who finds his
camel after having lost it in a
desolate land.” Agreed upon.
According to a report narrated
by Muslim (2747): “Allaah
rejoices more over the
repentance of His slave than any
one of you if he is on his camel in
a desolate land, then it runs away
from him and on it is his food
and drink, and he despairs of
finding it, so he goes to a tree
and lies down in its shade,
having despaired of finding his
camel, then while he is like that, it
suddenly appears in front of him
and he takes hold of its reins and
says, because of his intense joy,
‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I
am your lord,’ making this
mistake because of the intensity
of his joy.”
It was narrated from Abu Moosa
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qays al-Ash’ari
(may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Allaah spreads out His
hand at night to accept the
repentance of the one who
sinned during the day, and He
spreads out His hand by day to
accept the repentance of the one
who sinned during the night,
(and that will continue) until the
sun rises from the west.”
Narrated by Muslim, 2759.
It was narrated from Abu ‘Abd al-
Rahmaan ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar
ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah
will accept the repentance of His
slave so long as the death-rattle
has not yet reached his throat.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3537;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
Secondly: The blessings of
repentance come in this world
and in the Hereafter, some are
visible and some are hidden. The
rewards of repentance are:
purity of heart, erasing of sins
and increasing of hasanaat
(good deeds). Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“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 (Paradise) the
Day that Allaah will not disgrace
the Prophet (Muhammad) and
those who believe with him.
Their Light will run forward
before them and (with their
Records Books of deeds) in their
right hands. They will say: ‘Our
Lord! Keep perfect our Light for
us [and do not put it off till we
cross over the Siraat (a slippery
bridge over the Hell) safely] and
grant us forgiveness. Verily, You
are Able to do all things’”
[al-Tahreem 66:8]
The reward of repentance is a
good life in the shade of faith,
contentment, peace of mind and
tranquility. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Seek the forgiveness of your
Lord, and turn to Him in
repentance, that He may grant
you good enjoyment, for a term
appointed, and bestow His
abounding Grace to every owner
of grace (i.e. the one who helps
and serves the needy and
deserving, physically and with his
wealth, and even with good
words)”
[Hood 11:3]
The reward of repentance is
blessings coming down from
heaven, blessings coming from
the earth, an increase in one’s
wealth and offspring, blessings
in productivity, good physical
health and protection from
diseases. Allaah says of Hood
(peace be upon him)
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And O my people! Ask
forgiveness of your Lord and
then repent to Him, He will send
you (from the sky) abundant rain,
and add strength to your
strength, so do not turn away as
Mujrimoon (criminals,
disbelievers in the Oneness of
Allaah)”
[Hood 11:52]
Thirdly: Everyone who repents to
Allaah, Allaah accepts his
repentance. The caravan of those
who have repented to Allaah will
not be interrupted until the sun
rises from the west.
One repented from banditry,
another from adultery, and
others from drinking alcohol,
taking drugs, severing the ties of
kinship, not praying or being too
lazy to pray in congregation,
disobeying parents, dealing in
riba (usury) and bribes, stealing,
shedding blood, consuming
people’s wealth unlawfully, or
smoking. Anyone who repents to
Allaah from any sin is to be
congratulated, because it is as if
they have been born anew
through their sincere
repentance.
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed
Sa’d ibn Maalik ibn Sinaan al-
Khudri (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “There was
among the people who came
before you a man who killed
ninety-nine people. Then he
asked about the most
knowledgeable person on earth,
and was directed to a hermit, so
he went to him, told him that he
had killed ninety-nine people,
and asked if he could be
forgiven. The hermit said, ‘No,’ so
he killed him, thus completing
one hundred. Then he asked
about the most knowledgeable
person on earth and was
directed to a scholar. He told him
that he had killed one hundred
people, and asked whether he
could be forgiven. The scholar
said, ‘Yes, what could possibly
come between you and
repentance? Go to such-and-such
a town, for in it there are people
who worship Allaah. Go and
worship with them, and do not
go back to your own town, for it
is a bad place.” So the man set
off, but when he was halfway
there, the angel of death came to
him, and the angels of mercy and
the angels of wrath began to
argue over him. The angels of
mercy said: ‘He had repented and
was seeking Allaah.’ The angels
of wrath said: ‘He never did any
good thing.’ An angel in human
form came to them, and they
asked him to decide the matter.
He said: ‘Measure the distance
between the two lands (his
home town and the town he was
headed for), and whichever of
the two he is closest to is the one
to which he belongs.’ So they
measured the distance, and
found that he was closer to the
town for which he had been
headed, so the angels of mercy
took him.” (Agreed upon).
According to a version narrated
by Muslim (2716): “He was closer
to the righteous town by a
handspan, so he was counted
among its people.”
According to a version narrated
by al-Bukhaari (3470): “Allaah
commanded (the righteous
town) to draw closer and (the
evil town) to move away, and he
said: “Measure the distance
between them,’ and he was
found to be closer to (the
righteous town) by a handspan,
so he was forgiven.”
According to a version narrated
by Muslim: “He leaned with his
chest towards it”.
What is meant by repentance is
returning to Allaah, giving up sin
and hating it, and regretting
falling short in obedience to
Allaah. Al-Nawawi (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said:
Repentance is essential from
every sin, even if it is something
between a person and Allaah and
has nothing to do with the rights
of another person. There are
three conditions of repentance:
1- You should give up the sin
2- You should regret having done
it
3- You should resolve never to go
back to it.
If one of these three is missing,
then your repentance is not
sincere. If the sin has to do with
the rights of another person,
then there are four conditions:
the three mentioned above and
restoring the rights of that
person. If it is money or property,
etc, it must be returned to him; if
it had to do with slandering him
etc, then you should allow him to
insult him in return, or ask for his
forgiveness; if it had to do with
backbiting about him, then you
have to ask for his pardon. It is
essential to repent from all sins;
if a person repents from some,
his repentance from the sins
from which he repented is valid –
according to the scholars who
follow the right path – but he
must still repent from the rest as
well.
End quote.
Based on the above, if these
conditions are met by the person
who is repenting, then there is
the hope that his repentance will
be accepted, by Allaah’s leave.
After that he should not worry
about waswaas (whispers)
suggesting that his repentance is
not accepted, because that is
from the Shaytaan and is
contrary to what Allaah and His
Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) have told
us, that repentance is accepted if
it is sincere.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
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