Wine is forbidden as a medicine. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) related, “Once, one of my daughters was ill, so I made wine in a container for her. Then, the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered while it was boiling. He asked, “What is this, Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha)?” She replied, “It is just a medicine for my daughter.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “Allah has not made a cure for you in what He has
TAG: repentance
Drinking Alcohol (Part 1)
Allah, Most High says, {O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones and (divination by) arrows, is an abomination, of Satan’s handiwork: Eschew such (abomination) that ye may prosper. Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from Prayer: will ye not then abstain?} (Al-Ma’idah: 90-91)
Thus, Allah the Exalted forbids wine and warns us of approaching it.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A void wine, it is the mother of abomination. ” (It is a part of a hadith reported by Ad-Darqutni, An-Nasa’i, and AI-Baihaqi)
What Shall I do When I Have Sinned?
Repentance of the man who committed a hundred murders
Abu Sa’id Sa’d b. Malik b. Sinan al-Khudri says that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “There was a man among a people before you who committed ninety-nine murders. Then he inquired about the most knowledgeable man on earth, and he was led to a monk. He went to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if he could repent. The monk told him: NO!’ So the man killed him also and completed his hundred. Then he inquired about the most knowledgeable man on earth and was led to a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed a hundred people, and asked him if there was repentance for him. The man told him, ‘Yes. And what can come in between you and repentance?’ ‘Then he told him, ‘Go to such and such a town, for in it live people who are devoted to God. Devote yourself there to God in their company and do not come back to your own town for it is an evil place.’
So the man started towards that town. However, while he was halfway through the journey, death overtook him. The angels of ‘mercy’ and ‘punishment’ descended and began to argue over him. The angels of mercy said: ‘This man had repented and was seeking his Lord, (therefore he is our share),’ while the angels of punishment claimed that, ‘he had never done a good thing in life,’ (so he was their share). While they were thus arguing, another angel arrived in the form of a man. They decided to accept him as their arbitrator. He said: ‘Measure the earth between the two towns and let him be assigned to the fate of the one he is nearer to.’ When they measured, they found him nearer to the town he was heading towards. So the angels of mercy took him away.”
All Ways Lead To Forgiveness
Ramadan, the month of forgiveness, is over. Many of us certainly feel sad about that. Some even feel bad because they did not make the best use of Ramadan and take advantage of its blessings. It is painful, indeed, to feel that there is a possibility that you failed to win Allah’s forgiveness during the blessed month; that the opportunity has slipped through your fingers.
If you are shackled with your sins and haunted by your past, you do not need to wait a whole year for the next Ramadan to get your record cleared. Allah’s mercy and generosity is limitless. There are many ways to rectify your past. Out of His grace, Allah offers us different kinds of ‘detergents’ that will surely clean your record no matter how dirty it was.
Act now! You have so many chances to erase all those sins and start afresh. No one is kinder and generous than Allah. He is waiting for you; all you need is to take the initiative and get back to Him. Make use of the following highly effective cleaners:
Repentance (Tawbah): Start afresh
When talking about ways to seek Allah’s forgiveness,Tawbah comes at the top of the list. Those sincere moments when you confess your guilt before Allah and pledge to amend your ways are very dear to Allah. Try it and rest assured that Allah will never let you down.
The Granter And Acceptor Of Repentance
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “On the Day of Resurrection, my followers (or Ummah) will be summoned Al-Ghurr Al-Muhajjalun from the traces of Wudu. Whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
The word “Ghurr” is the plural of “Agharr” which means shining or white. It is used for animals (like a horse), i.e., a white mark on its face. Here, it refers to that radiance which will issue from the brows of the believers on the Day of Resurrection and which will make them prominent. Muhajjalun is from Tahjil, which also means whiteness, but it refers to the whiteness found on all four legs, or at least on three legs, of a horse. Here, it refers to that light which will shine through the hands and feet of the believers because of their habit of performing Wudu. This means that the believers among the Muslims will be distinguished from other communities by virtue of the refulgence issuing from their faces, hands, and feet on the Day of Resurrection in the same way that a horse with a white forehead is easily distinguished from other horses.
185/1024 – Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)
At-Tawab (The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance)
By Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi
[He turns to His slaves and accepts their repentance, no matter how grievous or numerous their sins might be]
God’s name “At-Tawab” (The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance) is wholly an issue of His divine mercy: the issue that God (The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance) can deal with His slaves in accordance with His holy justice, and, thus, they would deserve Hell-Fire.
Never Forget To Repent And Ask For Forgiveness For Your Wrongdoings
But to those who do evil in ignorance and then after that repent and put things right, to them your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 119)
Having a grasp of the importance of sincerity towards Allah leads one not to falter in turning to Him, and to repent and seek His forgiveness, regardless of the wrongdoing. This is an example of Allah’s infinite mercy, as recounted in the Qur’an:
Anyone who does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah’s forgiveness will find Allah Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisa’: 110)
Allah grants His servants the opportunity to make amends for any wrongdoing. In Allah’s sight, what matters is not the significance or insignificance of the wrongdoing, but one’s sincerity. This is certainly a great mercy bestowed upon believers:
Those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions—for who can forgive bad actions except Allah?—and do not knowingly persist in what they were doing. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 135)
Believers must acknowledge that no matter how serious a mistake may be, even the greatest offense one could possibly imagine, turning to Allah with a sincere repentance will relieve that person of his burden. As the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not. (Abu Dawud)
It may well be that a person had disbelieved all through his life, until that very moment. He may have pursued only his whims and desires. However, in return for one’s repentance for his wrongdoings, following a firm and sincere resolve never to commit the same error again, one can always hope for Allah’s forgiveness. Remember that to experience relief from the burden of the offenses committed against Allah takes only a moment through sincere repentance and is the only way to salvation. Basically, a person needs to keep only his promise to Allah and be sincere to Him:
Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. Allah turns towards such people. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, “Now I make repentance,” nor for people who die disbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa’: 17-18)
No matter what the sin may be, never forget to turn to Allah in repentance. Keeping in mind that death may come upon you at any moment, bringing to a sudden end any further opportunity to repent, ask for forgiveness now.
Certainly, it is difficult except for the humble (Surat al-Baqara: 45); but remember that such people will enter Hell abjectly (Surah Ghafir: 60), and be dragged face-first into the Fire (Surat al-Qamar: 48). On that day they will be banned from the presence of their Lord; Allah will neither speak to them nor purify them…
Except for those who repent and believe and act rightly: Allah will transform the wrong actions of such people into good – Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful – for certainly all who make repentance and act rightly have turned sincerely towards Allah. (Surat al-Furqan: 70-71)
Prophet Jonah (PBUH)
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Compassionate
“May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You”
Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam ‘ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
Prophet Yunus (Jonah)
Prophet Jonah (Yunus) (PBUH), also known as Dhan-Nun. About his people, Almighty Allah said: “Was there any town community that believed after seeing the punishment, and its Faith at that moment, saved it from the punishment? (the answer is none)–except the people of Jonah; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the present world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.” (Ch 10:98 Quran)
The inhabitants of the town of Nineveh were idolaters who lived a shameless life. Prophet Jonah (PBUH) was sent to teach them the worship of Allah. The people disliked his interference in their way of worship, so they argued. “We and our forefathers have worshiped these gods for many years, and no harm has come to us.”
Jonah Leaves His People
Try as he might to convince them of the foolishness of idolatry and of the goodness of Allah’s laws, they ignored him. He warned them that if they kept on with their foolishness, Allah’s punishment would soon follow. Instead of fearing Allah, they told Jonah that they were not afraid of his threats. “Let it happen,” they told him. Jonah was disheartened. “In that case, I will leave you to your misery!” So saying, he left Nineveh, fearing that Allah’s anger would soon follow.
“Remember Dhan Nun (Jonah), when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him (the calamities which had befallen him)! (ch 21:87)
The People are Forgiven
Hardly had he left the city when the skies began to change color and looked as if they were on fire. The people were filled with fear at the sight of this. They recalled the destruction of the people of Ad, Thamud, and Noah. Was theirs to be a similar fate? Slowly, faith penetrated their hearts. They all gathered on the mountain and started to beseech Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. The mountains echoed with their cries. It was a momentous hour, filled with sincere repentance.
The Major Sin – Not Praying
Allah, most High, says: Then there succeeded them a generation which neglected prayers and followed lusts. They will meet with destruction (Ghayy), excepting the one who repents and believes and acts righteously. (Quran 19:59-60)
Ibn Abbas (RAA) explained that this does not mean that they completely abandoned prayers, but that they delayed them to the end of their prescribed times.
Said bin Musayyab, a great Imam following the generation of the Companions, elaborated on this, saying: “A person neglects if he delays the noon prayer up to the afternoon prayer time, afternoon prayer up to almost sunset prayer time, sunset prayer up to evening prayer time, and evening prayer up to morning prayer time, while delaying morning prayer until just before sunrise.
If anyone dies without repentance while continuing in this manner, Allah has promised Ghayy for him, and that is a valley in Hell which is very deep and has foul food.”
Allah Most High says: Woe to the worshipers who are unmindful of their prayer.
(Quran 107:4-5)
Saad bin Abi Waqqas said: “I asked Allah’s Messenger (SAW) about the meaning of unmindful, and he replied: It is delaying it (the prayer) up to the end of its prescribed time.'” (Bazar)
While Allah calls such people, they are lazy and perform the prayer very late. He has promised them Wayl, which signifies a great punishment.
Some say, “Wayl is a valley in Hell, exceedingly hot, and that is the place for those who delay or miss the prayer, excepting the ones who repent and correct their habits.”
Allah Most High says: O you who believe, let neither your wealth nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who do so, they will be the losers (Quran 63:9)
The commentators say: “The remembrance of Allah in this verse means the five daily prayers. If anyone is so busy in buying and selling, or with his daily work of earning a livelihood, or with his children, that he cannot perform prayers on time, he will be among the losers.”
The Prophet (SAW) said in this regard: “The first thing which will be judged among a person’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and be a loser.” (Tirmidhi)
Informing us about the inhabitants of Hell, Allah Most High says: (The people in Hell will be asked): “What caused you to enter Hell-fire?” They will say: “We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the needy. We used to engage in vain discourse with the vain-talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, until there came to us that which is certain (ie, Allah’s judgment).” Then no intercession by any intercessors will benefit them. (Quran 74:42-48)
The Prophet (SAW) said: “The covenant between us and them (that is, believers) is prayer, so if anyone abandons it, he has become an infidel.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi).
He also said: “What lies between a man and infidelity is the abanonment of prayer.” (Muslim)
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) is reported to have said: “If anyone abandons the afternoon prayer, his deeds are of no avail.” (Bukhari).
And he said: “If anyone abandons prayer deliberately, he has no claim upon Allah” (Sunan).
Abdullah bin amr bin al-As (RAA) said that the Prophet (SAW) mentioned prayer one day saying, “If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence, and salvation for him on the day of Resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be associated with Qaran, Pharoah, Haman, and Ubayy bin Khalaf (a great enemy of Islam from among the Quraish).” (Ahmad, Darimi, and Baihaqi)
Some scholars have explained that the person who abandons prayer will be raised with such a foursome because his neglect of prayer may be due to his involvement with his property, his country, his administrative work, or his trade.
Therefore, if he were involved with his property, he would be resurrected with Qarun; if with his country, then with Pharoah; if with his administrative work, then with Haman; and if with his trade, then with Ubayy bin Khalaf, the trader among the unbelievers of Mecca.
Muadh bin Jabal (RAA) reported Allah’s Messenger (SAW) as saying: “If anyone abandons prayer intentionally, he has no claim to Allah Most High.” (Ahmad)
Umar ibn al-Khattab (RAA) reported that a man asked the Prophet (SAW): “Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to Allah Most High?”
The Prophet (SAW) replied: “Prayer at its proper time. The one who does not pray has no religion. Prayer is the main pillar of the religion (of Islam).” (Baihaqi)
Abdullah bin Shaqiq (RAA) said that the Companions of the Prophet (SAW) did not consider the abandonment of any good deeds to be unbelief, excepting the abandonment of prayer.
When Ali (RAA) was asked about a woman who did not pray, he replied: “The one who does not pray is an unbeliever.”
Ibn Masood said that the one who does not pray has no religion, and Ibn Abbas said: “The one who leaves off a single prayer deliberately will find, when he meets Allah Most High, that He is angry with him.”
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: “When a person meets Allah after neglecting his prayer, he will meet him as if he had not worshiped him at all, nor done any good deeds.”
And Ibn Hazm said: “There is no greater sin after polytheism than missing a prayer [That is to say, if one deliberately delays a prayer until its time has passed, although he was able to pray it on time, without any valid reason which permits delaying it before its time.] and killing a believer without just cause.”
Ibrahim Nakahi said, “The one who has left off the prayer has become a disbeliever.”
Abdullah bin al-As reported Allah’s Messenger (SAW) as saying: “A person who combines two prayers without a valid excuse, enters a gate among the major sins.”
Do Major Sins Prevent Repentance And Good Deeds from Being Accepted?
We praise Allah for having guided you to repent, and we ask Him to make you steadfast in adhering to His religion and to grant you a good end.
You should note that you have been greatly blessed and must thank Allah.
How many sinners die without having repented?
How many who are astray die before returning to their Lord?
Undoubtedly, the fact that Allah has enabled you to repent is a great event in your life, and this should be a time when you start to obey Him and strive harder to worshiping Him.
You should realize that what you have heard about repentance, prayer, and fasting not being accepted from one who has committed major sins is false, and it is speaking about Allah without knowledge.
There is a great deal of evidence in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to indicate that Allah accepts His slaves repentance from all sins, no matter how great they are, and it is not permissible for anyone to try to stop a person repenting, no matter how great and how heinous his sins.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: O Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]
Allah says, stating that He forgives the greatest of sins (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment.
- The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace;
-
Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70]
This clearly indicates that Allah forgives all sins – even shirk – and it tells us of an immense bounty, which is that bad deeds are turned into good deeds.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: No sin is too great for Allah to forgive for the one who repents, rather He forgives shirk and other sins for those who repent.
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim (6766) narrated from Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah. 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: That he had repented and was seeking Allah. 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 hometown 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.”
Al-Tirmidhi (3540) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of 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 of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you and I would not mind.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Ibn Maajah narrated that Abd-Allah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Majah.
These verses and ahaadeeth indicate that Allah forgives all sins, no matter how great or how many, for the one who repents to Him.
So strive in worship and obedience, regret the negligence and sins of the past, and note that Allah has no need of His slaves yet despite that He rejoices in their repentance, and even turns their bad deeds into good deeds.
We ask Allah to help you to remember Him, give thanks to Him, and worship Him properly.
Allah The Forgiver Of Sin, The Accepter Of Repentance
[40. Surah Gafir: Ayah 1-4] “Ha Mim. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the knowing, The Forgiver of the faults and the Acceptor of repentance, Severe to punish, Lord of bounty; there is no god but He; to Him is the eventual coming. None dispute concerning the communications of Allah but those who disbelieve, therefore let not their going to and fro in the cities deceive you.”
[9. Surah At-Tawba: Ayahs 104] “Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the
alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?”
[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 93, Number 592] Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu): Allah’s Apostle (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “Allah says, “If My slave intends to do a bad deed then (O Angels) do not write it unless he does it; if he does it, then write it as it is, but if he refrains from doing it for My Sake, then write it as a good deed (in his account). (On the other hand) if he intends to do a good deed but does not, then write a good deed (in his account), and if he does it, then write it for him (in his account) as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times.”
[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 93, Number 598] Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu): I heard the Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) saying, “If somebody commits a sin and then says, ‘O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!’ and his Lord says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).’ Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without Committing any other sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes.”