Forgiveness Despite Repeated Sins

Allah emphasizes His generosity and kindness, in that He forgives whoever repents to Him from whatever evil they commit: “If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks God’s forgiveness, he will find God Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful”. Surah 4 Verse 110 Ibn Abbas commented about this verse saying that Allah informs His servants of His forgiveness, forbearing generosity and expansive mercy. So, whoever commits a sin, whether major or minor, ‘but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’ even if his sins were greater than the heavens, the earth and the mountains.

It is also narrated by Ahmad that Abu Bakr said that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: ‘No Muslim commits a sin and then performs ablution, prays two rak’ahs and begs Allah for forgiveness for that sin, but He forgives him.’ If a believer makes mistakes, and we all do, we have to offer sincere repentance to be entitled to forgiveness. In Islam, sincere repentance is known as taubah. This requires us to; Recognize and admit we have made a mistake Ask forgiveness from Allah and if the sin was against a person, we have to ask forgiveness from that person also We try to atone for the sin we have done if possible, by for example, returning money if we had stolen it We make the intention never to do the sin again We are told many times in the Qur’an that Allah is the Oft-returning, Most Merciful. 

We understand from this that Allah is waiting for us to turn to Him in sincere repentance. If we are sincere, then Allah will have mercy on us. We are also advised to ‘follow a bad deed with a good deed’. This means, as soon as we realize we have done something wrong, we should immediately try to do something good. We should try to maintain the five times daily prayer, salat. This builds our relationship with Allah. During the prayer we recite the Fatiha in which we ask Allah for guidance. In a hadith Qudsi (conversation between Allah and His Prophet which is not part of Qur’an), it is explained that the prayer is divided into two parts, part is for Allah and part is for the worshipper. Allah promises to give the worshipper what s/he asks for – guidance! It is also necessary to read the Qur’an to understand and implement this guidance from Allah in our daily lives. Both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record the hadith of Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told about the man who killed ninety-nine people. Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper, among the Children of Israel, whether he could repent. This worshiper told him no! So, he killed him, thus, completing one hundred. Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent. He said: ‘What is stopping you from repenting?’ 

Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped. He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. So Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns, and the place where he died. Whichever (town) he was closer to, when he died, was the one to which he belonged. They found he was closer to the town he was heading for. Thus, the angels of mercy took him. It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself – towards that town – while Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away. On the other hand, al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said that some of the people of shirk(associating partners with Allah) killed many people and committed zina, (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent. they came to Muhammad (pbuh) and said: ‘What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation (way of making amends) for what we have done.’ 

Then, the following verses were revealed: Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; – and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for God will change the evil of such persons into good, and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, Surah 25 Verses 67 – 70 Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. “Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped”. Surah 39 Verses 53 – 54 

We can understand from what has been said here that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah, even if their sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive. “Know they not that God doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity, and that God is verily He, the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful?” Surah 9 Verse 104 While we are still able to perform actions, it is never too late to turn to Allah. When we do, we should try to live as Muslims, that is, fulfilling all our obligations as Muslims. As our iman (faith) increases, so our knowledge, understanding and practicing of Islam improves, insha’Allah.

Read More on islamonline :

How Can I Be Forgiven After What I've Done?

Forgive and forget

 

 

Do you know 'Utba married the Prophet's daughter, Sayyida Ruqayyah and divorced her out of spite before he accepted Islam. He came to Rasūlullāh ﷺ years later. Guess what? The Prophet ﷺ forgave him and he accepted Islam. The son of Abu Jahl waged war against him for two decades. Guess what? He came years later and Rasūlullāh ﷺ told people not to speak about his father in front of him, forgave him - and he accepted Islam. The Prophet's ﷺ daughter, Zaynab fell off a camel and suffered a miscarriage because of a man named Habbar who was trying to prevent her from migrating. Many years later, he came to Rasūlullāh ﷺ but guess what? The Prophet forgave him and he accepted Islam. 

Wahshi killed the Prophet's uncle Sayyiduna Hamza. He came years later and guess what? Rasūlullāh ﷺ forgave him and he accepted Islam. Uthman ibn Talha would prevent him from entering the Ka'bah before he accepted Islam. Rasūlullāh ﷺ conquered Makkah and guess what? The Prophet ﷺ gave him and his family the keys for the Ka'bah until the end of time. Fadala came to assassinate Rasūlullāh whilst he was making Tawaf and guess what? He placed his hand on his chest, forgave him, and he accepted Islam.
Allah said, 'Surely you have in Rasūlullāh ﷺ a beautiful example.' The crimes of people were great but his mercy ﷺ was greater. Dear ummah, forgive people. Wouldn't you love for Allah to forgive you? 

From Shaykh M.Aslam FB

Who does Allah NOT forgive? - Mufti Menk

Forgiveness-Prophetic Example

Do you know the Prophet's ﷺ daughter, Zaynab fell off a camel and suffered a miscarriage because of a man named Habbar who was trying to prevent her from migrating. Many years later, he came to Rasūlullāh ﷺ and guess what? the Prophet forgave him and he accepted Islam. 'Utba married the Prophet's daughter, Ruqayyah and divorced her out of spite. He came to Rasūlullāh ﷺ years later. Guess what? The Prophet ﷺ forgave him and he accepted Islam. The son of Abu Jahl waged war against him for two decades. Guess what? He came years later and Rasūlullāh ﷺ forgave him and he accepted Islam. Wahshi killed the Prophet's uncle Hamza. He came years later and guess what? Rasūlullāh ﷺ forgave him and he accepted Islam. Uthman ibn Talha would prevent him for entering the Ka'bah. Rasūlullāh ﷺ conquered Makkah and guess what? The Prophet ﷺ forgave him and gave him and his family the keys for the Ka'bah until the end of time; and he accepted Islam. Fadala came to assassinate Rasūlullāh whilst he was making Tawaf and guess what? He placed his hand on his chest, forgave him, and he accepted Islam.

Brothers and sisters, people have wronged you? Mocked you? Done bad to you? Cut you off? Learn from Rasūlullāh ﷺ. Their crimes were great but his mercy was greater.

From the FB status of Mohammad Aslam

The Imam Who Saved Not Just Asansol, But Perhaps India From Burning

Imam Imadadul Rashidi’s voice was matter of fact when contacted by The Citizen, as if what he had done was what any one would do. Asansol was in the grip of violence threatened by a tornado as the Muslims started gathering to retaliate against the violence triggered by Ram Navami processions. Why? Because the Imam’s 16 year old son had been brutally beaten to death by a communal mob, and the news of the incident had spread like wildfire across the town.

The crowds gathered, with now the police and the state government aware of their own helplessness, when the Imam addressed a congregation of thousands at the funeral prayers of his son Sibtullah Rashidi who had just appeared for teh Class X Board examinations. With his son’s body lying before him, the Imam pleaded for peace in a short address that had the entire crowd in tears, with all then dispersing for their respective homes.

As he told The Citizen this morning, all he said was, “my child has lived the life that Allah ordained for him. Now please ensure that no one else’s child is killed, that there is peace and amity. If you love him, and me, do not turn to violence, but keep peace.”

Asked how difficult a statement this was Imam Rashidi said quietly, “ no it was not, it was clear to me that my child had died, there was nothing we could do about that, and it was thus my duty to ensure no other child died, no house was torched, no family bereaved.” He said he was responding to the anger in “my” Asansol, where people were bent on taking revenge. “I knew I had to stop this, I knew this was necessary for harmony in my shahr (town) and in my country” he said.

“I knew my child has lived the life Allah had marked for him, I pleaded with the people not to kill anyone else’s child, “ he said. The Imam made it clear to the congregation that “if you do not listen to me I will leave Asansol and go away.” He said he was firm about that, as he could not bear the thought of more violence and bloodshed.

The Imam said that he told the people exactly what he believed. “Islam is a religion of peace and amity, it does not preach violence and revenge,” he said. Asked what he would like to convey to the country where communal harmony is currently under stress, he said, “ I would only say please do all you can to ensure there is peace and unity. And no one is able to break that.”

Link

Muslim father forgives man involved in his son’s killing

Hadith: Kindness

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Acts of kindness protect one from ruin wrought by evil. . .The first of those who will enter Paradise are the people who do acts of kindness." Fiqh-us-Sunnah

Narrated Ayesha: "(The Prophet Muhammad, pbuh) did not return evil for evil, but he would forgive and pardon." Al-Tirmidhi

Do not speak for God!

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told the story of two men, one of whom would commit sin and the other would strive to do his best in the world. When the man who exerted himself in worship continued to see the other in sin, he would say: "Refrain from (sinning)." The sinner replied: "Leave me alone with my Lord. Have you been sent as a watchman over me?"

The man who tried to do his best then said: "I swear by God, God will not forgive you, nor will He admit you to Paradise." When they both died and came before God, He told the man who had striven hard in worship: "Did you have knowledge about Me or had you power over that which I had in My hand?" God then said to the man who sinned: "Go and enter Paradise by My mercy." Sunan of Abu-Dawood

Muslim Woman Forgive Attacker That Smashed Beer Mug in Her Face

FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES- Emotional reminder by Shaykh Hamzaa Yusuf

My Shaykh, awesome and inspiring as always.

Advice from Sidina: LOST VIRGINITY AT 17!

I commend this couple they give great advice and encouragement in deen to young people.

You're Forgiven, Move On! - That's Messed Up! - Nouman Ali Khan

Istighfar: Seeking Forgiveness from Allah

 

“Truly, Allah loves those who repent, and He loves those who cleanse themselves.” [al-Baqarah 2:222]

“O Allah! Make me among those who, when they commit an act of virtue, feel good, and when they commit a mistake, they seek forgiveness.” [Ibn Majah]

Tawbah (repentance) and Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah) are among the most meritorious acts of virtue for the believers. Tawbah means feeling remorse for our actions or omissions. Istighfar means expressing that remorse in words and begging Allah for forgiveness.

The act for which we perform tawbah and istighfar is not necessarily a sin, or an act of disobedience to Allah; it also includes our shortcomings. As we realize Allah’s immense favors to us, all of our thankfulness and devotion clearly appears to be inadequate. As we realize the grandeur of Allah, Most High, our acts of worship and obedience clearly are seen to be insufficient. The higher a person is on the scale of taqwa, piety and God consciousness, the greater is this sense of inadequacy. Consequently the greater is his/her practice of istighfar.

That is why all the Prophets (as) preached and practiced tawbah and istighfar. We do not have to invent any sins, inherited or personal, to explain their repentance. In fact all the prophets were free of sin, as Allah appointed them as role models for humanity and Allah did not send defective role models.

The leader of all the prophets was Prophet Muhammad (saw) a fact which was also symbolized in his leading of all the prophets in Salah (prayer) in Jerusalem during Isra’. And what did the prayer leader of the prophets use to do after every prayer? He used to say astaghfirullah (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) three times! This is the istighfar that comes out of the highest level of God consciousness! He taught us to perform istighfar profusely, as he himself practiced. The Companions have reported that he used to do istighfar hundreds of times during the course of a day.

Istighfar is also a means of enhancing that consciousness of Allah and strengthening our relationship with Him. We turn to no one except Allah in repentance. We confess our deepest errors, shortcomings, failures, and sins to Him and Him alone. In contrast, Christianity made a fatal mistake when it instituted confession to priests. As Martin Luther (1537) observed, “What torture, rascality, and idolatry such confession has produced is more than can be related”. We seek His forgiveness, knowing that He alone has knowledge about all our deeds and thoughts and He alone can forgive us and save us from the consequences of our actions. Istighfar, thus, is a most intimate conversation with Allah. And during that conversation we are at our humblest. We can see why tawbah and istighfar are the essence of our servitude and submission to Allah!

We need istighfar to constantly purify and cleanse our heart. We are not born in sin, but we are born in weakness. We are prone to fall prey to the many temptations that are part of our test in this life. And when we do fall and commit a sin, it produces a dark spot in our heart. A famous hadith, reported by Abu Huraira (ra) describes this process. When a person shows remorse and repents, that dark spot is removed. Otherwise it will stay there and grow with each additional sin. A time may come when his heart is full of darkness because of un-repented sins. We can see this gradual darkness of the heart as people advance in their sinful behavior. In the beginning they have a lot of inhibitions. They commit the wrong hesitatingly and feel bad about it. If they do not turn back, they get used to it, so it just feels normal. Then a stage comes when vice becomes virtue and virtue vice. They defend and advocate evil and shun good.

Full article

Three duties we owe each other at times of difficulty

 

Terrorists carry out their heinous acts to gain publicity for their cause but what is far more sinister is their motive to create division and conflict in the country and it is this that we need to be aware of and not let them succeed. The entire community has to show solidarity and unity. This means that we stand together, united against such evil forces that try to divide our different communities and create rift amongst us. I’m very pleased to say that from the President of France to Presidents of mosques in France, Muslims and non-Muslims have remained united against the terrorists.

The Prophet forgives his tormentors; The trip to Taif

The intense trials and tribulations of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) trip to the city of Taif illustrate in abundance the virtues of forgiveness and forbearance, which were the hallmark of his gentle, stoical personality.  This trip came soon after the death of his beloved wife and constant companion of 25 years Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) as well as that of his patron uncle Abu Talib who had been an impenetrable bulwark that stood between his nephew and the brutal Quraish. He decided to try the nearby city of Taif hoping that his call to Islam would find more willing recipients there than he was having at that time in Makka. However, the tribe of Thaqif, who ruled the city, not only declined to listen to him but mocked and ridiculed him mercilessly and expelled him from the city.

In the face of such a fierce opposition, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) had no choice but to retreat hastily. They ran after him, pelting him with stones which caused him severe injuries. In excruciating mental, physical and emotional pain, bleeding and exhausted, he took refuge in a vineyard. Feeling dejected, forlorn, helpless and humiliated he raised his hands and prayed a prayer which has become an iconic symbol of utter submission to the will of God in the face of complete and total despair. Read the intensity, the beauty and the moving humility of this magnificent supplication;

“O God! Please consider my weakness, my shortage of means, and the little respect  people have of me. Oh, most Merciful God! You are the Lord of the oppressed and you are my Lord. To whom would you leave my fate? To a stranger who insults me? Or to an enemy who dominates me? Would I that you have no wrath against me! Your pleasure alone is my objective.”

Source

10 Ways Malala Yousafzai Has Changed the World

In October 2012, the world watched as the Taliban shot a 15-year old girl named Malala Yousafzai on her way to school. The United Nations declared Friday, July 12 Malala Day in honor of this inspirational young girl and in order to commemorate her 16th birthday. She celebrated this day by making her first public appearance and delivering a speech to the UN Youth Assembly, which only emphasized the many ways that she has changed the world at such a young age. 

1. She has sparked a dialogue about children's education throughout the world

There are currently 57 million children who have no access to education. Vuk Jeremic, the president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, stated, "Today we stand united with young people from nearly one hundred countries in seeking to ensure that no child is barred from attending school — convinced that factors like geography, gender, disability, language, wealth, and ethnicity, should not be seen as impediments to this achievement," in response to Malala's moving speech. 

2. Three million people have signed the Malala Petition

At such a young age, she has managed to encourage people to stand together behind a common cause. The Malala Petition (which Malala was the first to sign) urges the United Nations to recommit to Millennium Development Goal 2, which involves universal primary education for children around the world. 

3. Her ability to be fearless is inspiring beyond measure

When she was 11 years old, Malala wrote a diary under the pseudonym Gul Makai in which she discussed life (specifically education) under the Taliban. This diary was published by BBC Urdu. If her identity was ever revealed it was obvious that she would suffer grave consequences. Yet she continued to write and educate other individuals about the conditions in Pakistan. Through her writings, her subsequent shooting, and her inspiring speech at the UN, she has showed us all that we should never give up on a cause we believe in. 

4. She has created the Malala Fund

The Malala Fund, which will officially launch this fall, has been established in order to ensure that beyond the words of her speech, tangible results are reached in the fight for access to education. 

5. She has taught us all about forgiveness

One of the most moving moments of her speech was when she said, "I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him."

6. She has shown us that there is no age limit to stand up against injustice

Malala has been sharing her diaries with BBC since she was 11 and celebrated her 16th birthday speaking at the UN about a cause she believes in. Because of her remarkable story, in February 2013 she was the youngest individual to ever be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

7. Her story has reminded children throughout the world not to take anything for granted

So many children take the simple action of going to school for granted on a daily basis. Malala's story and her fight to attend school has reminded everyone, children and adults alike, to not takeanything for granted in our lives. 

8. She has challenged us all to wage a war...

...against illiteracy and terrorism by "picking up our books and pens." 

9. She has illustrated the importance of peaceful conflict resolution

Inspired by leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Malala has resorted to peaceful solutions in order to tackle the issues of girls' education and the equality of women. 

10. She has caused the UN to recommit to Millennium Development Goal 2

This goal states that "by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling." After Malala delivered her speech, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon stated that the UN is committed to providing education to all children through its Global Education First Initiative. 

Source

Yasmin Mogahed On How To Forgive Someone & Stand Up To Abuse

Khalid Latif -- Self-control and Forgiveness

Hadith of the day: Forgiveness

"Allah the Almighty has said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon.'" [Al-Tirmidhi]

HADITH OF THE DAY: BETTER TO FORGIVE THAN TO PUNISH

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "It is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing."

Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1011