Photo: Matt Carman

Originally posted in 2007.

What do you think of when you see a Muslim doing something considered wrong?

Ever look down on them? Think you are better than them? It’s really easy to be self-righteous. It’s even easier to fall prey to this attitude if you sport the outer ‘righteous’ look.

But let’s ask ourselves this question: has Allah written us amongst His righteous servants? Or is that a title we have only given ourselves?

Check this:

I was once sitting at the da`wah (outreach) table on my college campus and a female student approached it. She asked if she could have a Qur’an, and of course, I was happy to give one to her. Then she said, “Can I ask you a question?”  The question sounded kind of deep, so I invited her to sit next to me on the empty chair. She took up the offer.

“Please don’t judge me,” she began. SubhanAllah (glory be to God)! The courage it must have taken for her to come and speak to me, for her to begin with that statement.

After reassuring her, how could I judge her? She began—

She told me that she was Muslim and she became involved in a relationship for the first time in her life with a Muslim guy. Her intention was for long term, but she felt so terrible doing it. She told me when she is with her boyfriend, she feels horrible, even though she thinks she is supposed to feel good. She told me that she knows that this is such a big sin, that she wants to stop, but that it is just so, so hard. And she asked me: Can Allah forgive me?

While this girl was speaking, I was looking at her thinking: look at the struggle she is going through for the sake of God. She hates what she is doing because she knows it’s something He would not be pleased with, she wants so much for God to forgive her, but it is so hard for her to leave what she knows she shouldn’t do.

Her desire to repent became so intense that she came to me, a girl she has never even seen before, who could easily judge her, and poured out her heart. She was so desperate in her wanting to know: Could Allah forgive her? Could He really forgive such a sin?

I told her—man, God is THE MOST MERCIFUL! He will forgive ANYTHING when you turn to Him! I kept telling her about God’s Mercy, about how He is so, so happy to accept the repentance of His creation.

We kept talking about how God must be pleased with her internal struggle because she clearly wants to gain His pleasure despite her difficulty. We looked at the Holy Hadith, where God talks about us and says:

“O child 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 child 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. O child of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.” (Ahmad)

She was overwhelmed with emotion. I then shared with her a supplication that, if said with firm belief in the morning or evening, and if death happens on that day or night, the person who said it would be amongst the people of Paradise.

The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon us) taught us the chief supplication (sayyidul istighfaar) of asking for forgiveness as follows:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

Allahumma anta rabbi, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduka [if you’re a male]/amatuk [if you’re a female], wa ana ‘ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu. A`udhu bika min sharri ma sana`tu, abu’u laka bini`matika ‘alaiya, wa abu’u laka bidhanbi, faghfirli, fainnahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa ant.

O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You. (Bukhari)

And of course, the most intimate way of feeling close to Allah is to come to Him, from the depths of one’s heart, in the language easiest for oneself, with the words coming from one’s own soul, asking for His forgiveness.

Reflect

I want you to go back to your original answer when I first posed the question. What would you be thinking of someone you see doing something you feel is wrong?

Yes, in that moment, that person might be outwardly sinning if that is what they are doing, but perhaps internally they are struggling and fighting every time they commit the sin, and are continually seeking to turn back to God. Perhaps in some people’s eyes, this person is a ‘sinner’ (and who amongst us is not?). But perhaps in the Sight of Allah, they are more beloved to Him because of their sincere struggle, than those of us who can easily fall into feeling arrogant about our Islamic activism, our Islamic appearance, or our ‘hard-core’ connection with Rabb il`alameen  (the Lord of the Worlds). We need to be careful. Are we really connected? Am I really connected?

And don’t get me wrong: the struggle of those who are trying to stay upright and please God Almighty is a weighty, honorable and noble one.

But for those of us who might have ‘been there’ and left it, and then feel arrogant that we’re no longer involved in the “ways of the sinners,” and perhaps even might feel better than others because we’re so pure and special, then my advice to myself is what Omar  radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) advised, “Take account of yourselves before you are audited.”

Or in the words of Ice Cube, “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

By Anum Zamir

The path to paradise is outlined most brilliantly in the following verse of Surah Ahzaab (The Confederates):

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِ‌ينَ وَالصَّابِرَ‌اتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُ‌وجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِ‌ينَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرً‌ا وَالذَّاكِرَ‌اتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّـهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَ‌ةً وَأَجْرً‌ا عَظِيمًا

Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.

(Qur’an, 33:35)

This verse works like a blueprint. By so powerfully mentioning both men and women together yet separately, Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), highlights the equality and justice with which He views His servants. It is this justice that also affords women a distinct status in general society.

Surah Ahzaab empowers the Muslim woman in ways previously not seen in Arabia, specifically with regard to inheritance and marriage. Interestingly, it is reported that this verse was revealed after Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), had requested greater mention of women in the Qur’an¹.

The Framework

1. Belief. The believing Muslim submits entirely to Islam. Surrendering one’s own will and desires to that of Allah (swt), the Muslim prefers the Divine Commands and Decree over all else.
2. Faith. A greater degree than belief, faith requires accepting the six pillars (Allah, the Angels, the Books, the Prophets, the Last Day and the Divine Decree). It is to worship Allah (swt) with ihsaan (excellence)—knowing that Allah can see us—and implementing knowledge into action.
3. Obedience. True obedience is omnipresent—on one’s heart and tongue and limbs, in every place and at every point in time. Whether at the grocery store or at a relative’s house, at the workplace or at the mosque, the obedient Muslim is compliant to Allah (swt) with every action and every statement. No deed is too small. “And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and earth. All are to Him devoutly obedient,” (Qur’an, 30:26).
4. Truthfulness. The siddeeqeen (truthful ones) have a rank alongside the prophets of Allah (swt). A believer might be many things across the vicissitudes of life, but can never be liar². Avoiding the hypocrisy in lying³, the Muslim always speaks the truth, solely to please Allah (swt).
5. Patience. Prophet Ya’qub `alayhi as salaam (peace upon him) said it best: “Patience is most fitting,” (Qur’an, 12:18). And Allah (swt) says, “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, God is with the patient,” (Qur’an, 2:153). The patient Muslim trusts that Allah (swt)’s decisions are the best possible, and knows that with it, ease and reward are most certainly ahead.
6. Humility. Across the spectrum of life, humility refines and beautifies a person. The Muslim is aware that all blessings are from Allah (swt), and humility is in return an essential form of gratitude. Equally necessary is humility before people. Good character is the essence of Islam, and without it, a person’s faith is incomplete.
7. Generosity. Spending on one’s parents, relatives and the poor and needy purifies wealth and intentions. Financial assistance is encouraged, but spending one’s time and efforts in these causes is just as laudable.
8. Fasting. A deed that in turn increases one’s obedience, patience and humility is also a pillar of Islam. The Muslim prioritizes fasting days both involuntary (during Ramadan) and voluntary (three days of each lunar month, for example).
9. Modesty. Physically adorning one’s self with the dress code mandated by Allah (swt) coupled with the appropriate characteristics in thought and speech illustrates modesty. Spiritually, the Muslim is modest in character. Modesty is a “branch of faith”⁴, and a hallmark of Islam.
10. Remembrance of Allah (swt). On the tongue, in the heart and in actions, the remembrance of Allah (swt) is habitual for the Muslim. Never forgetting Allah (swt) is a responsibility, whether by uttering “subhan Allah” (glory to God) upon seeing a beautiful sunset, or guarding one’s prayers with due diligence on a daily basis.

For those who solidify these ten qualities in their daily routines, Allah (swt) promises forgiveness and a great reward. Principally, it means entry into Paradise, along with a clean slate in the Hereafter, freedom from worries and concerns, limitless enjoyment and eternal peace. More simply, an abode better than any human being could ever imagine.

May we learn to embody these qualities and become worthy of the Almighty’s forgiveness and reward. Ameen.

Author’s biography:

Anum obtained a Bachelor of Science in Global Business and later a Master of Public Affairs (MPA). After graduating, Anum turned her focus and attention toward the study of the Qur’an, and has recently  completed a comprehensive Qur’anic tafseer certificate course. She plans on teaching, insha’Allah after completing her teacher certification. Her interests include teaching, blogging, reading and cooking, as well as Islamic studies and history.

References

1 Musnad Ahmad 6: 305; An-Nasai in Al-Kubra 6:431; At-Tabari 20:270

2 Imam Malik, Mishkaat Book 56, Hadith 19

3 Sahih al Bukhari 2749, Book 55, Hadith 12

4 Sunan an-Nasa’i 5005, Book 47, Hadith 21

Complete References

1. Umm Salamah radi Allahu `anha (may Allah be pleased with her) the wife of the Prophet said, “I said to the Prophet, ‘Why is it that we we are not mentioned in the Qur’an as men are?’ Then one day without my realizing it, he was calling from the Minbar and I was combing my hair, so I tied my hair back then I went out to my chamber in my house, and I started listening out, and he was saying from the Minbar: O you who believe, indeed Allah says in His Book: (Verily, the Muslims: men and women, the believers: men and women…) to the end of the Ayah.”

[Musnad Ahmad 6:305; al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Nasa’i 6:431; At-Tabari 20: 270]

2. Malik related to me that Safwan ibn Sulaym said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, ‘Can the Believer be a coward?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He was asked, ‘Can the Believer be a miser?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He was asked, ‘Can the Believer be a liar?’ He said, ‘No.’ “

[Imam Malik, Mishkaat Book 56, Hadith 19]

3. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet ﷺ said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it).”

[Sahih al Bukhari 2749, Book 55, Hadith 12]

4. It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Faith has seventy-odd branches, the most virtuous of which is La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and the least of which is removing something harmful from the road. And modesty (Al-Haya’) is a branch of faith.'”

[Sunan an-Nasa’i 5005, Book 47, Hadith 21]

“I’ve disappointed myself one too many times in my lifetime. Going for the gold, reaching half way, then giving up as if it was nothing…as if it wasn’t worth it. Each time I do this, I’m left staring at my pitiful reflection in the mirror saying, “What the heck is my problem? What is it that I do not understand? Why do I not see Hell-fire in front of me? Why is it that I am so certain while doing these things that I’m going to Jannah (heaven), all the while justifying my idiosyncrasies with excuses galore?”

If we don’t take the time to realize why we commit sins, we may never be able to prevent them. There are many different kinds of mistakes, and pinpointing them makes a world of difference.

The first kind of mistake is that of ignorance. In these mistakes, we do not realize the dangers of disobeying the Creator. In times like these, we should take the advice from those who came before us when they said, “Don’t ever look at the smallness of the sin you are committing, rather realize the magnitude of the One you are sinning against.”

The next kind of sin is that which is done to simply follow one’s desire. We know that the action we are doing is wrong, and we know that we are sinning against the Almighty; yet we still do it out of weakness in controlling our own desires. It is in these matters that we need to gain self-control and self-restraint lest we be deemed of those whom Allah speaks about in the Qur’an when He says:

Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded? (45:23)

Another type of mistake is that which is known as the “Time Zone” Mistake. This is a sin that is directly influenced by a time or place that one is in. This could range from I only do this mistake if I stay up late at night or I only make this mistake when I go visit my friend at her house. These mistakes are the easiest to prevent if we are able to eliminate our entering the specific “Time Zone.” For example, if hanging out with a certain friend always results in you committing a sin, the best way to prevent that sin is to stop hanging out with that friend. At times, however, we are not able to eliminate the “Time Zone” element from our lives, and in cases like these we should resort to putting forth extra effort during the times that we know we are at risk for a specific sin. And of these “Time Zone” mistakes, there is another which is called the “Companion Mistake.” Our friends influence us greatly and when we are around those who sin, we increase our chance of sinning as well.

The worst of all these sins, however, is that sin which is done openly.  The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “All of my ummah may be forgiven except those who commit sin openly. It is a kind of committing sin openly if a man does something at night, then morning comes and Allah has concealed his sin, but he says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night,’ when his Lord has concealed him (his action) all night but in the morning he reveals that which Allah had concealed for him.”

Once these sins have been recognized, there are some steps that need to be taken. I have heard people say many different things about what to do after a sin is committed, but I find that the six-step remedy is the most comprehensive. These six steps include:

1. Admitting your mistake;
2. Repenting to Allah;
3. NOT MAKING EXCUSES;
4. Being serious about seeking change;
5. Always realizing the result of the sin;
6. And not being a candle – giving light to others and burning yourself.

In the end, we should realize that a doctor is not a doctor because she claimed to be. A surgeon is not a surgeon because she said she’s good with her hands. A teacher is not a teacher because she said, ‘I can teach.’ They first have to take a series of exams, and not everyone passes.

Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? (29:2)

May Allah cause us to be of those who see our mistakes and fix them, and of those who see other people’s mistakes and help them through it.

Ramadan is always a time filled with hope; a time to start over with a clean record and get back on track. But for some – or many – of us, it may feel like we were never on track to begin with. It may feel like we are too far out to ever find the way back. What is the point of trying this Ramadan, when we so inevitably slip back into our old habits?

Whatever the reason for our apprehension, Allah’s got us covered. He has a Name, or rather, three Names, that address all of our insecurities. For those of us who say:

“I messed up.”

Or:

“I messed up way too many times. I still mess up.”

Or:

“I’m too ashamed to even tell you how I messed up!”

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) responds that He is al-Ghāfir, al-Ghafūr and al-Ghaffār.

Many of us already call on Allah (swt) by this Name, and worship Him by this attribute, even though we do not know the actual nuances of the Names.

So what is the difference between them, and what does this mean for us?

Maghfira (Forgiveness)

These Names comes from the same root: gh-f-r (غ-ف-ر), which linguistically means to cover and protect. When we say “Rabby ighfir-ly”—which is usually translated to “My Lord, forgive me”—what we are actually asking Allah (swt) for is to cover our sin and protect us from it.

So what are the kinds of things that Allah (swt) covers and protects us from?

Allah tells us in the Qur’an:

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” (Qur’an, 4:48)

Allah tells us that He forgives everything; the only thing He does not forgive is if you were to die associating another deity with Him. This maghfira is a covering and protection in this life and the next. Allah (swt) covers your sin in this life and protects you from its effect, and covers the sin up in the Hereafter and protects you from the Hellfire.

Who does He forgive?

Allah (swt) did not give Himself three different Names from the same root for no reason: He is inviting you to call Him by these Names, inviting you to be forgiven. Let us look at how these Names have come in the Qur’an:

Al-Ghafūr appears 91 times in the Qur’an. Allah (swt) says:

“And when those come to you who believe in Our verses, say, “Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy: that any of you who does wrong out of ignorance and then repents after that and corrects himself – indeed, He is Forgiving (Ghafūr) and Merciful.”” (Qur’an, 6:54)

Al-Ghaffār appears five times in the Qur’an. In the example below, it is the Prophet Noah (as) calling his people after they have committed grave injustices:

“And said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver (Ghaffāra).” (Qur’an, 71:10)

And Ghāfir appears once:

“The forgiver (Ghāfir) of sin, acceptor of repentance, severe in punishment, owner of abundance. There is no deity except Him; to Him is the destination.” (Qur’an, 40:3)

The number of times and the context these Names appear in give us a glimpse into what their nuances mean. Ghāfir occurs once in the Qur’an, and it tells that Allah (swt) forgives sin. Some of us might shake their heads. Sin? We have way too many to count! Then Allah (swt) reminds us, He is Ghafūr. Ghafūr is the One who forgives over and over and over again. Some of us might still be skeptical. It might not be the number of sins, but it might be that we have sins we are too ashamed to talk about. And this is where He tells us that He is Ghaffār: this Name relates to intensity. Allah (swt) forgives the gravest of sins. So Allah (swt) is telling us that He has covered all the bases. No matter how many sins or even the type of sin, Allah will protect you from it.

Allah tells us in a beautiful hadith (narration):

“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. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.” (Tirmidhi)

What is beautiful is that Allah (swt) is inviting you. We are told in the Qur’an:

“Their messengers said, “Can there be doubt about Allah, Creator of the heavens and earth? He invites you that He may forgive you of your sins, and He delays your death for a specified term.”” (Qur’an, 14:10)

The Day of Judgment

On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will bring all of us forward and will speak to us without an intermediary. We will be confronted with our sins. When our book of deeds is open, Allah (swt) will ask us, “Do you know this sin? Do you know that sin?” and the believer’s reply will be, “Yes, O Lord,” until they are reminded of all of their sins, and they think they will perish. Then Allah will say, “I covered up your sins during your life, and I will forgive your sins today,” (Bukhari/Muslim). Then the believer will be given their book of good deeds.

That is the beauty of Allah’s forgiveness.

Do not make a mockery of the forgiveness of Allah

Knowing that Allah forgives should give us so much hope. But we should balance fear and hope so that we do not purposefully disobey Him and say that we will repent later. These are some things to keep in mind:

1- Allah (swt) will forgive all of us a first, second and third time, sometimes even before we ask for forgiveness. But Allah may remove His covering in this life if we are persistent in doing what we know we should not. Once a man was caught for stealing at the time of Umar radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him). And the thief said, “I swear it is the first time!” And Umar, knowing al-Ghaffar, said, “No, for Allah would never expose you on the first time.” And then it was found that it was actually his eighth time stealing.

Of course, if we turn back sincerely, Allah tells us that He will forgive us.

2- Do not expose yourself. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) taught us:

“All of my nation will be forgiven except al-mujahirun (those who are public about the wrongs they do). It is a part of sinning openly when a man does something at night, then the following morning when Allah has concealed his sin, he says to someone, ‘I did such and such last night,’ when all night his Lord has concealed him and the next morning he uncovers what Allah had concealed.” (Bukhari/Muslim)

The Benefits of Seeking Forgiveness

1- People would ask al-Hasan al-Basri, the scholar, for advice for various problems, and he would tell them to seek forgiveness from Allah (swt). One man heard him and said to him, “You give the same advice to everyone!” And al-Hasan al-Basri responded with the following aya (verse) from the Qur’an:

“’Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers’.” (Qur’an, 71:10-12)

2- The Prophet ﷺ told us: “When a slave commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart, but if he gives it up, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart will be cleansed.” (Tirmidhi)

Sometimes, we do not realize the spiritual effects of sins on our heart. Seeking forgiveness polishes the heart and gives way for a spiritual light from Allah (swt).

3- The Prophet ﷺ told us: “The one who (regularly) seeks forgiveness, Allah will relieve him of every burden, and make from every discomfort an outlet, and He will provide for him from (sources) he never could imagine.” (Abu Dawud)

How to do istighfaar (seeking forgiveness)

1- Start with the heart: Reflect on yourself and your deeds, so that you become aware of the mistakes you made, and what you need to do to get better. This ensures that we are always evolving for the better, because we are always seeking to improve.

2- Ask for forgiveness, and do it A LOT. The Prophet ﷺ would sometimes seek forgiveness 70 or 100 times in one sitting!

One of the best du`a’ (supplication) for istighfar was told to us by the Prophet ﷺ.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.”

He said: “Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.” (Bukhari)

3- Go to Allah (swt) with good deeds and be in gatherings of the remembrance of God: We are told in the Qur’an to “establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember,” (Qur’an, 11:114).

Ibn Taymiya said about the Prophet Moses that he made grave mistakes, but that Allah (swt) still loved him. Why? Because he also did great and amazing deeds. He even stood up to the Pharoah of Egypt.

As for being in gatherings where we are remembering Allah (swt), the Prophet ﷺ tells us that Angels seek out such gatherings and then have a conversation with God about those people. Allah (swt) then says to the Angels: “You are My witnesses that I have forgiven them.”

One of the angels will reply: “Person x is not really one of them; he came (to the gathering) for some other reason.”

And Allah will say, “They were all in the gathering, and not one of them will be excluded (from forgiveness).” (Bukhari)

4- Forgive others if you want that Allah (swt) should forgive you. In the incident of al-Ifk, a slanderous rumor was being spread about Aisha (ra), the wife of the Prophet ﷺ. When it was discovered that one of the people who was spreading the rumor was a relative whom her father, Abu Bakr (ra), was helping financially, Abu Bakr promised that he would not help him anymore. Then this verse was revealed:

“And let not those of you who possess wealth and abundance swear against giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have had to emigrate for Allah’s sake. They should forgive and forebear. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” [Qur’an, 24: 22]

Allah (swt) was telling Abu Bakr (ra) that the best path was to forgive, because wouldn’t he like Allah to forgive him?

May Allah forgive us, raise us and help us in embodying prophetic characteristics.

Photo: Pankaj Kaushal

Years ago I came across this quote. I still can’t get over how true it is.

Muslim youth living in all corners of the world face similar struggles in our day-to-day lives. We strive to survive while being surrounded by the societal (and often times, cultural and familial) promotion, acceptance, and idealization of things that contradict the tenants of our faith: pride, lust, greed, extramarital relationships, alcohol/drugs, misogyny – just to name a few.

We are also surrounded by social practices and traditions that can also be pretty un-Islamic: issues such as racism, forced marriages, the withholding of education for females, and tribalism unfortunately exist on grand scales in Muslim societies all over the world.

As Muslim youth, most of us living in the diaspora, we have much to deal with. We struggle to maintain our Muslim identities while at the same time balancing our racial, national, and individual identities as well.

Sometimes it seems that everywhere we look, we are being called to sin. And inevitably, we answer that call.

We fall so many times only to fall again. We try so very hard to create our own, personal spiritual bubbles where Islam is the driving force in our lives, only to have it burst by things like temptation, other Muslims’ biases and discrimination, our own families making it hard for us, stress, our school lives, etc.

And slowly, as our hearts erode, a peculiar type of anxiety eats away at our souls and comes with a little voice in our heads. The voice tells us time and time again that what we are doing is haram (impermissible) or sinful, but we ignore it as we seek to numb the pain—a pain that has surfaced as a result of never being good enough. Never being “Muslim” enough, or “religious” enough, or “Western” enough.

How do we turn our faces from sin when it is everywhere? When it is adulated, respected, and upheld by our very own societies as a noble thing? We become confused – the bad becomes good. We go against our natural instincts. Eventually we become submerged in our own little hells, metaphorical places where internal suffering, sadness, disappointment, and self-loathing manifest. The “internal fire of regret”, as Ibn Al-Qayyim radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) puts it.

This quote teaches me that through one way or another, we will be purified of our sins. It’s up to us whether or not we seek purification in this life (through repentance) or we wait until the next (through the Fire).

I know. We’ve fallen so many times. We’re hurt, sore, and bruised. We are ashamed of our actions, and may even deem ourselves unworthy of seeking repentance. But something must quell that fire in our hearts. Something must quench our desires to be loved and accepted by the One whose love and acceptance is truly the only one that matters at the end of the day.

Say it – Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from God).

I know; it hurts. But it certainly cannot hurt more than what is to come if we let our sins remain in our hearts, our minds, our spirits.

We are more than the sins that we commit. Don’t let the devil fool you. Don’t let those people who are a negative influence in your lives or those who sin openly and proudly fool you either.

We may fall a thousand times, but as long as we try to get back up, there is always hope.

And Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) knows best.

Photo: Paul Oka

Names of Allah Series:  Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV | Part XXVI | Part XXVII | Part XXVIII | Part XXIX | Part XXX | Part XXXI | Part XXXII | Part XXXIII | Part XXXIV | Part XXXV | Part XXXVI |Part XXXVII | Part XXXVIII | Part XXXIX | Part XXXX | Part XXXXI | Part XXXXII | Part XXXXIII 

This article was originally posted on August 15, 2012 and has been modified.

Sometimes we make a mistake or commit a wrong that other people know about. We may have given up the sin, or it may have been a one-off, but we just wish that we could erase the memory of that mistake from the minds of those other people. Similarly, when we commit a sin only Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), knows about, even when we repent and hope for His forgiveness, we wish we never committed the wrong to begin with. We wish it would just disappear. Allah (swt), who is closer to us than our jugular vein, knows this. And so He has given us way of starting anew, insha’Allah (God willing).

The Last Ten and Pardoning

Subhan’Allah (glory be to God)—the last 10 days of Ramadan have begun. One of these nights will be Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) insha’Allah—a time for intensified reflection, worship and giving. Aisha radi allahu `anha (may God be pleased with her), realizing the magnanimity of this time, asked the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?” He said: “Say:

اللهم إنك عفوتحب العفو فاعف عني

Allahumma innaka `afuwwun, tuhib al-`afwa fa`fu `anny

O Allah, You are the One who pardons, and You love to pardon, so pardon me.” (Bukhari)

Out of all of the things the Prophet ﷺcould have advised, he taught us to ask for ‘afw. ‘Afw is sometimes translated as ‘forgiveness,’ but so is maghfira [i.e. when we say astgahfirullah, I seek forgiveness from God]. Unfortunately, there is something that is lost in translation, because ‘afw is more expansive than maghfira—and here we will see why.

Meaning

One of the meanings ‘afw is the complete removal of something—removing its traces. For example,

هذه أرضٌ عَفْو

“This is a land with no traces on it, i.e. it is untouched.”

So what does this have to do with the du’a (supplication), “O Allah you are ‘afw, and You love al-’afw, so have ‘afw on me”?

When we ask for maghfira, we are asking for Allah(swt) to cover up our sin for us and to protect us from the effects of our sin. We ask Allah (swt) that even though we committed that sin, that He not punish us for it. When we ask for ‘afw, we are asking Allah (swt) to completely erase the sin, such that its traces are also removed. This means that our slate is literally wiped clean—there will be no questioning for those sins on the Day of Judgment insha’Allah. 

The Prophet ﷺteaches us about this difference in two ahadeeth (narrations). In the first hadith, the Prophet ﷺtells us about a person who is questioned by Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment. Allah tells His servant, “O my servant, do you remember when you did such and such a sin?” and the servant will lower his head in shame, nodding, thinking that surely he will be of the people punished. Then Allah (swt) tells him, “I concealed these sins from people in dunya (world), and I will not shame you here. I have forgiven you (ghafartu lak).” (Ahmad)

That is maghfira.

In the second hadith, the Prophet ﷺis told that 70,000 of his ummah (global community of Muslim believers) will enter jannah (paradise) without reckoning because:

عفا الله عنهم

“Allah has pardoned them.”

And then the Prophet ﷺasks for more, so with every thousand people of those pardoned, Allah will pardon 70,000 more. And Allah is Al-‘Afuww’- He name Himself this to let you know that indeed He is the One that completely erases your sin. He knows everything we do, yet He chooses to wipe our slate clean.

Laylat al-Qadr and ‘afw

Sufyan ath-Thawri said, “During this night [i.e. Laylat al-Qadr] the most beloved thing for me to ask for is what the Prophet ﷺtold us to ask for.”

This is a night of ambition. We don’t simply ask for forgiveness, but for removing even the traces of our sin. We ask for a clean slate. The Prophet ﷺtells us of a person who goes to the Eid prayer after Ramadan and he does not have one sin in his book—it was all pardoned.

When Allah (swt) tells us about ‘afw in the Qur’an, it is usually with something major—as if to tell us, there is no sin too great. It can all be wiped away.

When the Children of Israel worshipped the calf, Allah (swt) tells us:

“And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him, while you were wrongdoers. Then We forgave [pardoned/‘afawna] you after that so perhaps you would be grateful.” (Qur’an 2:51-52)

Allah pardoned, wiped away the greatest sin—the sin of shirk (polytheism). So if you come to Allah (swt) sincerely in these last 10 nights, if you come to the One who loves to pardon, then insha’Allah He will erase that sin you are so worried about, and those many sins for you.

O Allah! You are the One who pardons, and You love to pardon, so pardon us!

—

Source: Lecture by Amr Khaled

A Brief Essay on Faith and Forgiveness

By Kashif Ghazanfar

Today I met a man.  Red in the face and haggard, his eyes seemed to be made of glass.  Alcohol lingered around him like a ghost.  He confessed to me that he had ruined his heart by drinking; that it was now a wicked and desolate place buried beneath so much sinew and bone.  I tried to console him.  I said maybe redemption is always at hand—we just have to look a little harder.   He staggered into a delicate smile.  His son had killed himself the day before, he said.   I could offer him nothing.  Words fell around me like so much useless debris.  I just clasped his hand and gave him a glass of water.

He stumbled out the door of my menial job, adrift on grief, looking like Coleridge’s Mariner except no bird hung around his neck.  Instead, his hanged son bore down on him with an impossible weight as he dragged his feet and slowly disappeared down the boulevard.

He may well have been a terrible father, but that is not my business.  That is between him and the Lord of All Things.  I wish, though, that he could find some sober light and read Antonio Machado’s profoundly simple poem, The Wind, One Brilliant Day, to help dispel the darkness around him.  It offers so much regarding God’s forgiveness with such remarkable brevity that it’s almost a miracle:

The Wind, One Brilliant Day

The wind, one brilliant day, called

to my soul with an odor of jasmine.

“In return for the odor of jasmine,

I’d like all the odor of your roses.”

“I have no roses; all the flowers

in my garden are dead.”

“Well then, I’ll take the withered petals

and the yellow leaves and the waters from the fountain.”

The wind left.  And I wept.  And I said to myself:

“What have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?”

Our trespasses confound us, slowly condemning us to ruin.  Allah seems an impossible distance to traverse toward.  But there He remains nearer to us than our own jugular vein.  Our faith remains seemingly small and insignificant among the dark menagerie of our supposed sins and our bilious despair.  Hopeless and alone, we convince ourselves that sin is the opposite of faith so that when our transgressions become legion, we abandon faith entirely.

This needn’t be the case, my fellow friend and traveler.  The antipode of sin is not faith, but forgiveness.  And forgiveness needn’t be a fairytale.  Forgiveness without measure, contract or compromise, as infinite and indefatigable as The Lord of All Things that offers it, without any need of recompense of any kind.

Fallibility is an inherent aspect of our ontological makeup.  The crimes, the pitfalls, the terrible things we do, all define us as hopelessly human.  This does not have to be a cause for doleful consternation.  Rather, it is a truth that beckons us toward a greater sense of humility.   Our sins, large and small, cannot, ultimately, be atlas stones upon our shoulders when Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness abounds.  The recognition of this disallows us from being vexed by our failings, neurotically obsessing over them with a furious angst against the world and ourselves:

On the authority of Anas radi allahu `anhu (may God be please with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (peace be upon him) say: “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.’” (Tirmidhi)

Even if we find ourselves painfully trudging through an endless maze of gutters for much or even most of our lives, we may slowly, arduously, transform, moving constantly forward toward Allah’s Glorious Light.  Amen.

Allah’s Mercy.

It’s what we crave. It’s what we pray for. It’s the only means for getting into Paradise. We know that we are constantly sinning and that without His Mercy, none of these sins will be forgiven. We know that without His Mercy, not only will our entire lives be filled with misery, but also the afterlife. If we knew how to get it, surely we’d do everything within our human capacity to ensure it. If only we knew how to get it.

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) is the most Merciful, and out of this Mercy He has blessed us by answering every important question in our lives. It is out of His complete Mercy, that the most Merciful has explained to us, through the words of His beloved Messenger ﷺ (peace be upon him), exactly how to get His Mercy.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Have mercy on those who are on earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”

Now that we know how to get it, we must understand what it means to have ‘mercy on those who are on earth.’ There are many ways to show mercy, but the three mains ones are forgiving the creation, forbearance, and showing general kindness.

Forgiving the Creation:

Throughout our lives we experience hurt and wrongful actions from people around us. Actions that are painful and that leave us wanting to hold onto a grudge for much time to come. It is in these times that we need to have mercy upon the creation. We need to forgive them for their wrongs, not for them but for Allah (swt). It is at these times that we need to have mercy upon the creation so that the Creator will have mercy upon us in an infinitely greater manner. Forgiveness for the sake of Allah (swt) is discussed further here: “Forgiveness: The Glue for a Broken Heart”

Forbearance:

The second act of mercy we can have towards the creation is forbearance. Forbearance is a beautiful trait but is one that requires training and self control. When we show forbearance to someone, essentially what we are doing is restraining our anger whether or not it may seem justified. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.” So, yes, it takes strength and perseverance, but imagine the end result. When we show forbearance, what we are actually saying is ‘Ya Allah (O God), this person did something fully wrong and if I wanted to I could lash out, but for your sake I won’t. Ya Allah, just as I did this with your creation, please do this with me. When I commit atrocious sins, show me forbearance, ya Allah!’

Kindness:

The last quality is general soft-hearted kindness. This type of mercy is found in a kind smile, a gentle hug, or even a kind word. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Never was kindness placed on something but that it beautified it, and never was it removed but that it marred it.” It is here that we must mention that kindness should be first given to those who are nearest and dearest to you, and then given to the community in general. There is no wisdom in a person who treats the world with kindness and care, yet goes home to a family and treats them with anger and disrespect. We should first smile at our families, and then the strangers on the street. We should spread cheer to our neighbors first, and then our colleagues at work.

To extend mercy to the creation is to ask Allah (swt) to extend His mercy upon us. To extend mercy to the creation is to make the world a better place, and make our akhira (hereafter) better as well. From today we should make it a point to place mercy in every interaction that we can, whenever we can, and to remember “Have mercy on those who are on earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”

By Fauzia Majid

How often in our lives do we use the phrase “it’s too late”? It’s too late to forgive, it’s too late to repent, it’s too late to make things better again, it’s too late to apologize, and the list continues. Is it really too late though? Perhaps not.

The only time that this infamous phrase is legitimate is after our last breath, after death has overtaken us. It’s not too late to apologize to someone. It’s not too late to ask Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) to forgive me for all the sins I have committed, for every act of ungratefulness and for every disobedience to Him. It’s not too late to forgive others who might have wronged us. Maybe we are still breathing because we have been given a chance to realize that it’s not late for anything. The fact that we are still here is a sign strong enough to make us realize that we can still undo our mistakes, still forgive the unforgiven, still ask for forgiveness from our Lord, and still mend the hearts we broke.

Sometimes we are too arrogant to forgive someone. Irrespective of whether we receive an apology for their hurtful actions or not, do we really have the authority to withhold forgiveness? If we can be hard hearted enough to not forgive the people in our lives, why then do we expect our Lord to forgive us? Especially when we continue ignoring Him by not fulfilling our basic responsibilities as a Muslim. No doubt He is all All-Forgiving, the Ever Merciful—but if we fail to adopt even a small fraction of mercy in our daily lives then we have no right to expect the same from others.

In a hadith (record of the words or actions of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) the Prophet ﷺ states: Allah the Almighty has 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. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as its.”

The Qur’an says:

“[…] Pardon them and overlook [their misdeeds]. Indeed, Allah loves those the doers of good.” (Qur’an 5:13)

“[…] who restrain anger and who pardon the people—and Allah loves the doers of good.” (Qur’an 3:134)

Ja’far ibn Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “For me to regret after having pardoned someone is more beloved to me than to feel regret after punishing someone.”

Many a times we feel that since we have sinned so much there is no way that Allah (swt) is going to forgive us (it’s too late). But such thoughts are the work of the devil who entices us into believing that we are not worthy of forgiveness. This misconception moves us away from Allah (swt) and His worship as we tend to believe that no amount of worship can now undo what we did. Hence we give up on all our attempts at seeking forgiveness and we also give up on whatever worship we were previously involved in. Led astray by the devil at work, we tend to forget that Allah (swt) loves it when His creations comes to Him repenting and begging for forgiveness.

“Say: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Qur’an 39:53)

Allah’s mercy is vast and deep, beyond human comprehension. But it’s the human aspect of forgiveness that needs to be reformed. Blinded by our arrogance, we hold grudges and threaten people with statements like “I will never forgive you.” Many times we don’t even mean it and we forgive immediately after our anger subsides but sometimes we may make it a point to forgive only when asked for forgiveness. This is not a trait liked in the servants of Allah (swt). We should learn to forgive others with an open heart that our gesture of mercy will inshaAllah (God willing) shower Allah’s (swt) Mercy on us.

Apologizing does not indicate that we are subservient to the one we apologize to. It does not stain our reputation or our worldly status, rather it’s a simple action that signifies our fear of our Lord Whose ultimate Mercy we seek while heeding that our humble attitude with His people will win us His Pleasure. But we need to remember that this belief in Allah’s Mercy does not mean that we keep on displeasing Him with the assurance that He will forgive us.

Brothers and sisters, let’s all apologize to our parents, friends, siblings, spouses and anyone else on whom we have inflicted pain with both our tongue and actions. Let’s all seek the forgiveness of each other in order to attain salvation and the Mercy of our Lord. Let’s not keep the forgiveness limited to texts and facebook statuses during Ramadan and in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Instead, let’s keep the spirit of forgiveness flowing all year around. Insha’Allah we will be rewarded for it, if not in this world, then in the next one.

Remember, as long as we are alive, it’s never too late for ANYTHING. It’s never too late to make things right and it’s never too late to make several wrongs into one right.

May Allah bless us with the trait of forgiveness and shower His Mercy and Forgiveness on us all. Ameen.

Abridged by Ahmed Mustafa Qasim at-Tahtawi | Translated by Huda Shaka

Every limb of the human body has the capacity to engage in a brief act of worship. The remembrance of God (dhikr) is the worship of the heart and tongue, except it is not as transient.  They [the heart and tongue] have been ordered to remember the Object of their worship and love in every state – standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides.  For just as dhikr plows the otherwise barren fields of paradise, it nurtures and develops the desolate wrecks of our hearts.

Dhikr is what cleanses and polishes the heart; it is medicine for the heart when it falls ill.  The more the worshipper increases her focus in her dhikr, the more the Remembered increases in love and yearning to meet her.  If the heart is in harmony with the tongue in dhikr, it forgets everything else; and God preserves for it everything else. Dhikr itself compensates for everything.  It dispels the weakness from one’s hearing, the muteness from one’s tongue, and the darkness from one’s sight.

With it, God adorns the tongues of those who remember [Him], as He adorns with light the sight of the beholders.  The heedless tongue is like the blind eye, the deaf ear, and the paralyzed hand.

Dhikr is the greatest of God’s doors that remains open between Him and His servant as long as the servant does not close it with his heedlessness.  Al-Hasan al-Basri, may God have mercy on his soul, said: “Seek the sweetness [of faith] in three things: in prayer, in dhikr, and in the recitation of the Qur’an.  If you find it [then be it], otherwise know that the door is closed.”

With dhikr, the [believing] servant prevails over Satan, while Satan prevails over those who are heedless and forgetful [of God].

Dhikr is also the soul of good deeds.  Should a deed lack in dhikr, it becomes like the soul-less body.

• God gave us a general order to remember [Him]:

“O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance, and exalt Him morning and afternoon.” [Qur’an, 33:41-42]

• He forbade us from its inverse states–heedlessness and forgetfulness:

“And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech – in the mornings and the evenings; and do not be among the heedless.” [Qur’an, 7:205]

“And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.” [Qur’an, 59:19]

• He hinged success on remembering Him, much and often:

“…and remember Allah much so you may be successful.” [Qur’an, 8:45]

• He greatly praised those who are mindful and told of what He has prepared for them of Paradise and forgiveness:

“…and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” [Qur’an, 33:35]

• And He told us of the loss of those distracted by money and progeny:

“So remember Me, I will remember you; and be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.” [Qur’an, 2:152]

• And he told us that His Remembrance is greater than anything else:

“…and the remembrance of Allah is the greatest.” [Qur’an, 29:45]

• God sealed with it good deeds, such as fasting:

“…and to glorify Allah for that which He has guided you [to]; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Qur’an, 2:185]

• And He sealed with it the pilgrimage:

“And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like you remembered your fathers, rather with a [much] greater remembrance.” [Qur’an, 2:200]

• And He sealed with it prayer:

“And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides.” [Qur’an, 3:103]

• And He sealed with it the Friday prayer:

“And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often so you may succeed.” [Qur’an, 62:10]

For this reason, dhikr is the [best] ending for this life, and if it is the last of a servant’s speech, God enters him into Paradise.

The mindful heart is like the living in the homes of the living, and the heedless [heart] is like the dead in the homes of the dead – for there is no doubt that the bodies of the heedless are graves for their hearts, and that the hearts within them are like the dead in their graves.

Dhikr of the tongue, in harmony with the heart, is of different kinds.

• Dhikr with praise, such as “Glory be to God,” “Praise be to God,” “There is no god but God,” and “God is the Greatest.”

• Dhikr with supplication, such as “They said, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.’” [Qur’an, 7:23]

• Dhikr with statements to guard the self, like “God is with me,” “God is Observing me,” “God is witnessing me” which are used to strengthen [one’s] mindfulness of God.  In such dhikr is the preservation of the heart’s goodness, maintenance of etiquette with God, guarding against heedlessness, and protection from Satan and the nafs (self).

The Prophetic Dhikrs combine all three, for they include God’s praise, supplication, and perfect protection [for the self and heart].