Stories of Repentance.

- Qatada - · **Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

Stories of Repentance

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

INTRODUCTION

All praise is for Allah, Lord of all that exists. O Allah, send prayers and salutaions upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow his way until the Last Day.

Allah said:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىأَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُالذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[az-Zumar : 53]

Indeed, Allah has opened the door of repentance to every sinner. The Prophet said,

"Oh people, repent to Allah, for indeed, I repent to Allah 100 times every day"

[Muslim : 2702]

It is truly encouraging to know that the door to repentance is always open, but what is more, Allah is actually happy when one of His slaves repents. It is important to note here that the keys to repentance are that a sinner must desert from his sin, feel regret for having perpetrated it, and then make a firm resolve not to return to it.

Who among us does not sin? And who among us does all that is required of him in the religion? It is an undeniable fact that we all have shortcomings; what distinguishes some of us from the others, what raises some of us above the others, is that the successful ones among us are those who repent their sins and ask Allah to forgive them. Sadly, some people are guilty of thinking in this manner: "Those I see around me perpetrate minor sins, while I am guilty of perpetrating major sins, so what is the use of repenting?!" True, such a person does well by finding fault with his own self, yet he makes a grave, ruinous error when he loses hope, when he underestimates Allah's Forgiveness and Mercy. To be sure, the door of repentance is open both to the perpetrator of minor sins and to the perpetrator of major sins.

In regard to repentence, the following beautiful hadith should inspire hope in us all:

Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Prophet said:

“Indeed, Allah is more happy with the repentance of His slave than a man who stops in a barren, desolate land; with him he has his riding animal. He then goes to sleep. When he wakes up, [he realizes that] his mount is gone. He searches for it until he is on the verge of dying. He then says, ‘I will return to the place wherein I lost it, and I will die there.’ He went to that place, and he was then overcome by sleep. When he woke up, his mount was [standing] right beside his head: on it was his food, his drink, his provisions, and the things he neded. Allah is more happy with the repentance of his believing slave than the aforementioned man when he finds his mount and his provisions.”

[al-Bukhaari: 6308 ; Muslim: 2744]

This hadith clearly illustrates that no one should become so hopeless that he refrains from repenting to Allah. Glad tidings, then, to every Muslim who constantly and consistently hastens to repent to Allah and to ask for his forgiveness.

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

THE MERCY OF ALLAH

“Among those who came before you was a man who killed 99 people. He then asked to be guided to the most prolific worshipper from the inhabitants of the earth, and he was directed to a monk. He went to him and told him that he had killed 99 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The monk said, ‘No.’ The man killed him, thus making him the 100th victim. He then asked to be directed to the most knowledgeable of the Earth’s inhabitants, and he was guided to a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed 100 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The scholar said, ‘Yes, and who will stand between you and repentance. Go to such and such land, for in it dwell a people who worship Allah, so go and worship Allah with them. And do not return to your land, for it is indeed a land of evil.’ He left, and when he reached the halfway point of his journey, he died. The angels of Mercy and the angels of Punishment disputed with one another [in regard to his case]. The angels of Mercy said, ‘He came to us repentant, advancing with his heart towards Allah.’ The angels of Punishment said, ‘Indeed, he never performed any good deeds.’ Then an angel came in the form of a human being, and both groups of angels asked him to be the judge between them. He said, ‘Measure the distance between the two lands. Whichever land he is closer to is the land that he is closer to [in terms of being of its people]. They then measured the distance and found that he was closer to the land that he was heading towards, and so it was the angels of Mercy who then took his soul.”

[al-Bukhaari: 3470 ; Muslim: 2766]

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

WOE UNTO YOU, O DINAAR

There is an interesting story related about Dinaar al-‘Ayaar. Dinaar had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone. He was shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The sight of that bone had a profound effect on Dinaar. He began to think about his life and his past sins, and he then exclaimed, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, you are going to end up like this crushed bone, and your body will turn into dust.” All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, “My Lord, I now turn to you in complete submission, so accept me and have Mercy on me.”

With a completely changed heart and state of mind, Dinaar went to his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave who had run away from him?” She said, “[To punish him] the master provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet so that he does not make another attempt to escape.” Dinaar said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me that which is done with a runaway slave. Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his request, she complied.

At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinaar would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would continue to repeat to himself the words, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, do you have the power to withstand the Hell fire? How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He would continue upon that state until the morning.

Turning wan and pale, Dinaar’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing him in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be easy on yourself.” He answered, “My mother, let me remain tied for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long-term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.”

She said, “My son, at least rest for a while.” He said, “It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell-fire along with his inhabitants.” She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ

So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

[al-Hijr : 92-93]

As he contemplated the meanings and implications of these verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond. She thought he had died. Looking into the face of her son, she said, “O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In fact, Dinaar still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words, he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Day of Resurrection, then ask Maalik, the Custodian of Hell-fire about me.” He then made a croaking sound and died.

After she finished washing his body, Dinaar’s mother prepared him for his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement, “O people, come to the funeral prayer of one who has been killed by [fear of] the Hell-fire.” People began to come from all directions. It is said that during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much as on that day.

On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinaar’s friends saw him in a dream, attired in a green robe. Dinaar was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ

So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His Might and Majesty, He asked me [about my deeds]. Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me [my sins.] Lo! Convey news of this to my mother.”

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

COMING TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY OF LIFE

It is reported that there was once a king who, at a certain moment during his rule, came to the realization that no matter how rich he was, his pleasures were of the fleeting kind and his end was going to be death. These thoughts lingered in his mind, until one day he secretly left his castle and made his way towards the seaside. There, he spent his days earning his keep by working with bricks, and his nights worshipping Allah. Although he had traveled far away from his homeland, he could not remain unrecognized for long, and soon news of his story reached the king of the land that he was in. That king summoned him, but he refused to go; and when he was summoned for a second time, he made it clear that he didn’t want to meet the king.

The king of the land was too curious about the former king’s story to let the matter rest there. And so he went to him in person, but when the former king saw him approaching, he began to run away. The king of the land chased him as he called out, “O slave of Allah, fear not,” but the former king continued to flee from him. This continued until the king of the land was able to convince him that he just wanted to talk to him for a few moments. When the two were face to face, the king of the land asked the former king, “What made you come to this land?”

He said, “I found that my heart desired separation from the children of Adam.”

The king of the land asked, “How can you bear living a life of loneliness?”

He said, “Whoever finds comfort with Allah finds unwholesome the company of anyone else.”

The king of the land asked, “And why did you leave your realm?”

He answered, “I thought about my outcome, my final destination on this earth, and I realized that my end here was near at hand. And so I decided to turn away from that which is temporary and to instead turn towards that which will abide forever. Turning to my Lord, I then fled from my sins.”

The king of the land said “You do not have more reason to fear Allah than I do.”

The king of that land then abdicated his throne, after which he followed his new companion on the path of simplicity, repentance, and worship.

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

YOU HAVE GUIDED ME TO A PATH THAT YOU KNOW NOT YOURSELVES

The following story is narrated by Abdul-Wahid bin Zaid:

"We were on a sea vessel once, when the wind suddenly became tempestuous, and we were forced to leave the high seas and seek refuge on an island. We were surprised to see that we were not alone on the island; there standing before us was a man who was busy worshipping an idol. We introduced ourselves and then said, 'We do not have anyone on our ship that does as you are doing.'

The man asked, 'Then who is it that you worship?'

We said, 'We worship Allah.'

He asked, 'And who is Allah?'

We said, 'He Whose Throne is in the Heavens and Whose dominion is in the heavens, the earth, and all that exists.'

'And how did you come to know that?' asked the man.

'He sent a messenger to us with clear proofs and miracles, and it was that messenger who informed us about Him.'

'And what has happened to your messenger?'

'When he finished conveying the message, Allah caused him to die,' we answered.

'Has he left you no sign?' the man asked.

'He has left among us Allah's Book,' we said.

'Show it to me,' requested the man.

When we showed him a copy of the Quran, he said, 'I cannot read it,' and so we read a part of it for him.

He then cried and said, 'The One Whose speech this is must not be disobeyed.' Not only did the man then accept Islam, he also assiduously learned its teachings and then put what he learned into practice.

When the weather calmed down and we were ready to leave the island, he asked us if he could be a passenger on our ship. We of course agreed to have him join us, and it was a good thing that he came with us, for it gave us the opportunity to teach him a number of chapters of the Quran. At the end of the first evening of travel, all of us crewmen got ready to go to sleep. Our new passenger said, 'O people, the Lord that you guided me to, does He sleep?'

We said, 'He is the Ever Living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him.'

He looked at us and said, 'It is indeed bad manners for a slave to sleep in the presence of his master.' With a great deal of energy and vigor, he then jumped up and began to pray; and his crying voice could be heard until the morning.

When we reached a place caled 'Abaadaan [a place situated in present-day Iran], I said to my companions, 'This man is a stranger here, moreover, he is a new Muslim. We would do well to gather some money for him in order to help him out.' We gathered what we could, but when we tried to give him the money, he exclaimed, 'What is this!'

We said, 'Money that you can spend on yourself.'

He said, 'How perfect Allah is! You have guided me to a way that you do not know yourselves. When I was living on a barren desert in the middle of the ocean, I worshipped other than Him, yet He did not allow me to go without; then how is it possible that He will make me be needy, when it is Him alone that I now worship? Indeed He is the Creator and the Provider.' He then left us and went on his way.

A number of days passed before we heard any news of his whereabouts. We were told he was in such and such place and that he was extremely sick. When we reached him, we saw that he was on the verge of dying. After extending greetings of peace to him, I said, 'Do you need anything?'

He said, 'The One Who brought you to the island when I did not know Him has provided me with all that I need,' he said.

I sat down beside him, thinking that I could stay for a while and comfort him. I soon fell asleep, howver, and saw a dream. In the graveyard of Abaadaan I saw the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen. She was saying, 'Hasten his burial, for it is a long time now that I have been yearning for him.' I woke up with a start and found that he had just died. I washed his body and enshrouded him. That night, after the burial had taken place, I saw another dream. In it, he was looking very handsome, and the same girl was sitting on the bed. Sitting beside her, he continued to repeat the verse:

سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ

Salaamun Alaykom for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home! "

[al-Ra'ad : 24]

[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 40-42]

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

THE TRUE TREASURE

A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar's house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit."

He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, "Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it."

Much humbled by Maalik's manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed."

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?"

Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now."

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik's house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good."

But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?"

"Stay as long as you wish," said Maalik.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life."

Maalik said, "Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah."

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, "Have you found your treasure yet?"

He said, "My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved."

[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

THE ACCEPTED REPENTANCE

A man once went to Raabi'ah bint Isma'il al-'Adawiyyah, who was known by the titles, 'Mother of Goodness,' and, 'The Famous Worshipper.' He said, 'Indeed, I have perpetrated a great number of sins. If I repent, do you think that Allah will accept my repentence?"

She said, "Woe unto you! Do you not see that He invites those who turn away from Him; then why wouldn't He accept the repentance of those who turn towards Him?"

GOOD ADVICE

During one of his journeys, Sari as-Saqati passed by a cave, from which he heard continuous sobbing. Aroused by curiosity, he entered the cave and saw a young man whose body seemed to be wasted away by grief and sadness. Having immediately perceived that the man was a righteous worshipper, Sari humbly asked, “O young man, how is safety achieved?”

He said, “By performing all prescribed acts of worship, by not wronging others, and by repenting to Allah.”

Sari asked, “Can you please deliver a sermon to me?”

The young man said, “The best sermon you can receive is by looking into your own self. But I will say this: be obedient to Allah when you are alone, for doing so will atone for your sins, and Allah will then display you to the inhabitants of the heavens.”

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

ONE SIN LED TO HIS REPENTANCE

A righteous man was once asked to tell the story of the pivotal moment of his life, the moment in which he first began to apply the teachings of Islam, and the following was his answer:

When I was a young man, I would not hesitate to perpetrate any sin that was made available to me. Then, one day, I saw a young woman who was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Much tempted by her, I indicated to her that I wanted her to approach me. She seemed nervous, but I thought that she would probably agree to satisfy my sexual desires for money. She approached me with what seemed to be a great deal of trepidation, and when she actually stood before me, she looked extremely terrified.

Feeling sorry for her, I said, ‘Do not fear, for I will not harm you.’

But my words did not lessen her terrible fright in the least; in fact, her situation worsened. She began to tremble like a palm tree leaf trembles with the wind.

I said, ‘Tell me your story.’

She said, ‘By Allah, o my brother, never before this day have I offered my body in this way. Dire need is what has driven me to this, for I have three daughters who have not eaten a single morsel of food for three days now. It was pity for them that brought me to this low point in my life.’

For the first time in my life, I felt pity; her story moved me, and I no longer entertained the intention of taking advantage of her. After she told me where she lived, I took a great deal of money, clothing and food to her house. When I returned to my house, I told my mother what had happened.

My mother knew that I had a book in which I would record all of my evil deeds, and so she said to me, ‘My son, you are a man who has never performed a good deed except for the good deed that you performed today. I know that you have a book in which you record your evil exploits, go now and write in it your good deed.’

I stood up, went to my book, opened it, and found that all of its pages were blank- except for the first page on which was written a single line.

إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ

Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)

[Hud : 114]

At that very moment, I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘By your Might and Majesty, never again will I disobey You.’ “

More coming soon......

Al-Mu'minah · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-07-2006

Oh Masha Allah!!!

I read that book. Excellent indeed! It is an excellent read...

- Qatada - · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-09-2006

subhan Allaah.. this books really deep. everyone should read it insha'Allah.

Pk_#2 · **Re: Stories of Repentance. -** 12-09-2006

AsalamuAlaykum,

waiting patiently for more inshaAllah

Jazakhala khair, all your posts are awesome

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 Stories of Repentance *In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful*

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 INTRODUCTION All praise is for Allah, Lord of all that exists. O Allah, send prayers and salutaions upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow his way until the Last Day. Allah said: قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىأَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُالذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [az-Zumar : 53] Indeed, Allah has opened the door of repentance to every sinner. The Prophet said, "Oh people, repent to Allah, for indeed, I repent to Allah 100 times every day" [Muslim : 2702] It is truly encouraging to know that the door to repentance is always open, but what is more, Allah is actually happy when one of His slaves repents. It is important to note here that the keys to repentance are that a sinner must desert from his sin, feel regret for having perpetrated it, and then make a firm resolve not to return to it. Who among us does not sin? And who among us does all that is required of him in the religion? It is an undeniable fact that we all have shortcomings; what distinguishes some of us from the others, what raises some of us above the others, is that the successful ones among us are those who repent their sins and ask Allah to forgive them. Sadly, some people are guilty of thinking in this manner: "Those I see around me perpetrate minor sins, while I am guilty of perpetrating major sins, so what is the use of repenting?!" True, such a person does well by finding fault with his own self, yet he makes a grave, ruinous error when he loses hope, when he underestimates Allah's Forgiveness and Mercy. To be sure, the door of repentance is open both to the perpetrator of minor sins and to the perpetrator of major sins. In regard to repentence, the following beautiful hadith should inspire hope in us all: Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Prophet said: “Indeed, Allah is more happy with the repentance of His slave than a man who stops in a barren, desolate land; with him he has his riding animal. He then goes to sleep. When he wakes up, [he realizes that] his mount is gone. He searches for it until he is on the verge of dying. He then says, ‘I will return to the place wherein I lost it, and I will die there.’ He went to that place, and he was then overcome by sleep. When he woke up, his mount was [standing] right beside his head: on it was his food, his drink, his provisions, and the things he neded. Allah is more happy with the repentance of his believing slave than the aforementioned man when he finds his mount and his provisions.” [al-Bukhaari: 6308 ; Muslim: 2744] This hadith clearly illustrates that no one should become so hopeless that he refrains from repenting to Allah. Glad tidings, then, to every Muslim who constantly and consistently hastens to repent to Allah and to ask for his forgiveness.

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 THE MERCY OF ALLAH “Among those who came before you was a man who killed 99 people. He then asked to be guided to the most prolific worshipper from the inhabitants of the earth, and he was directed to a monk. He went to him and told him that he had killed 99 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The monk said, ‘No.’ The man killed him, thus making him the 100th victim. He then asked to be directed to the most knowledgeable of the Earth’s inhabitants, and he was guided to a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed 100 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The scholar said, ‘Yes, and who will stand between you and repentance. Go to such and such land, for in it dwell a people who worship Allah, so go and worship Allah with them. And do not return to your land, for it is indeed a land of evil.’ He left, and when he reached the halfway point of his journey, he died. The angels of Mercy and the angels of Punishment disputed with one another [in regard to his case]. The angels of Mercy said, ‘He came to us repentant, advancing with his heart towards Allah.’ The angels of Punishment said, ‘Indeed, he never performed any good deeds.’ Then an angel came in the form of a human being, and both groups of angels asked him to be the judge between them. He said, ‘Measure the distance between the two lands. Whichever land he is closer to is the land that he is closer to [in terms of being of its people]. They then measured the distance and found that he was closer to the land that he was heading towards, and so it was the angels of Mercy who then took his soul.” [al-Bukhaari: 3470 ; Muslim: 2766]

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 WOE UNTO YOU, O DINAAR There is an interesting story related about Dinaar al-‘Ayaar. Dinaar had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone. He was shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The sight of that bone had a profound effect on Dinaar. He began to think about his life and his past sins, and he then exclaimed, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, you are going to end up like this crushed bone, and your body will turn into dust.” All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, “My Lord, I now turn to you in complete submission, so accept me and have Mercy on me.” With a completely changed heart and state of mind, Dinaar went to his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave who had run away from him?” She said, “[To punish him] the master provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet so that he does not make another attempt to escape.” Dinaar said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me that which is done with a runaway slave. Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his request, she complied. At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinaar would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would continue to repeat to himself the words, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, do you have the power to withstand the Hell fire? How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He would continue upon that state until the morning. Turning wan and pale, Dinaar’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing him in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be easy on yourself.” He answered, “My mother, let me remain tied for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long-term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.” She said, “My son, at least rest for a while.” He said, “It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell-fire along with his inhabitants.” She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses: فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do. [al-Hijr : 92-93] As he contemplated the meanings and implications of these verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond. She thought he had died. Looking into the face of her son, she said, “O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In fact, Dinaar still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words, he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Day of Resurrection, then ask Maalik, the Custodian of Hell-fire about me.” He then made a croaking sound and died. After she finished washing his body, Dinaar’s mother prepared him for his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement, “O people, come to the funeral prayer of one who has been killed by [fear of] the Hell-fire.” People began to come from all directions. It is said that during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much as on that day. On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinaar’s friends saw him in a dream, attired in a green robe. Dinaar was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse: فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do. During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His Might and Majesty, He asked me [about my deeds]. Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me [my sins.] Lo! Convey news of this to my mother.”

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 COMING TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY OF LIFE It is reported that there was once a king who, at a certain moment during his rule, came to the realization that no matter how rich he was, his pleasures were of the fleeting kind and his end was going to be death. These thoughts lingered in his mind, until one day he secretly left his castle and made his way towards the seaside. There, he spent his days earning his keep by working with bricks, and his nights worshipping Allah. Although he had traveled far away from his homeland, he could not remain unrecognized for long, and soon news of his story reached the king of the land that he was in. That king summoned him, but he refused to go; and when he was summoned for a second time, he made it clear that he didn’t want to meet the king. The king of the land was too curious about the former king’s story to let the matter rest there. And so he went to him in person, but when the former king saw him approaching, he began to run away. The king of the land chased him as he called out, “O slave of Allah, fear not,” but the former king continued to flee from him. This continued until the king of the land was able to convince him that he just wanted to talk to him for a few moments. When the two were face to face, the king of the land asked the former king, “What made you come to this land?” He said, “I found that my heart desired separation from the children of Adam.” The king of the land asked, “How can you bear living a life of loneliness?” He said, “Whoever finds comfort with Allah finds unwholesome the company of anyone else.” The king of the land asked, “And why did you leave your realm?” He answered, “I thought about my outcome, my final destination on this earth, and I realized that my end here was near at hand. And so I decided to turn away from that which is temporary and to instead turn towards that which will abide forever. Turning to my Lord, I then fled from my sins.” The king of the land said “You do not have more reason to fear Allah than I do.” The king of that land then abdicated his throne, after which he followed his new companion on the path of simplicity, repentance, and worship.

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 YOU HAVE GUIDED ME TO A PATH THAT YOU KNOW NOT YOURSELVES The following story is narrated by Abdul-Wahid bin Zaid: "We were on a sea vessel once, when the wind suddenly became tempestuous, and we were forced to leave the high seas and seek refuge on an island. We were surprised to see that we were not alone on the island; there standing before us was a man who was busy worshipping an idol. We introduced ourselves and then said, 'We do not have anyone on our ship that does as you are doing.' The man asked, 'Then who is it that you worship?' We said, 'We worship Allah.' He asked, 'And who is Allah?' We said, 'He Whose Throne is in the Heavens and Whose dominion is in the heavens, the earth, and all that exists.' 'And how did you come to know that?' asked the man. 'He sent a messenger to us with clear proofs and miracles, and it was that messenger who informed us about Him.' 'And what has happened to your messenger?' 'When he finished conveying the message, Allah caused him to die,' we answered. 'Has he left you no sign?' the man asked. 'He has left among us Allah's Book,' we said. 'Show it to me,' requested the man. When we showed him a copy of the Quran, he said, 'I cannot read it,' and so we read a part of it for him. He then cried and said, 'The One Whose speech this is must not be disobeyed.' Not only did the man then accept Islam, he also assiduously learned its teachings and then put what he learned into practice. When the weather calmed down and we were ready to leave the island, he asked us if he could be a passenger on our ship. We of course agreed to have him join us, and it was a good thing that he came with us, for it gave us the opportunity to teach him a number of chapters of the Quran. At the end of the first evening of travel, all of us crewmen got ready to go to sleep. Our new passenger said, 'O people, the Lord that you guided me to, does He sleep?' We said, 'He is the Ever Living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him.' He looked at us and said, 'It is indeed bad manners for a slave to sleep in the presence of his master.' With a great deal of energy and vigor, he then jumped up and began to pray; and his crying voice could be heard until the morning. When we reached a place caled 'Abaadaan [a place situated in present-day Iran], I said to my companions, 'This man is a stranger here, moreover, he is a new Muslim. We would do well to gather some money for him in order to help him out.' We gathered what we could, but when we tried to give him the money, he exclaimed, 'What is this!' We said, 'Money that you can spend on yourself.' He said, 'How perfect Allah is! You have guided me to a way that you do not know yourselves. When I was living on a barren desert in the middle of the ocean, I worshipped other than Him, yet He did not allow me to go without; then how is it possible that He will make me be needy, when it is Him alone that I now worship? Indeed He is the Creator and the Provider.' He then left us and went on his way. A number of days passed before we heard any news of his whereabouts. We were told he was in such and such place and that he was extremely sick. When we reached him, we saw that he was on the verge of dying. After extending greetings of peace to him, I said, 'Do you need anything?' He said, 'The One Who brought you to the island when I did not know Him has provided me with all that I need,' he said. I sat down beside him, thinking that I could stay for a while and comfort him. I soon fell asleep, howver, and saw a dream. In the graveyard of Abaadaan I saw the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen. She was saying, 'Hasten his burial, for it is a long time now that I have been yearning for him.' I woke up with a start and found that he had just died. I washed his body and enshrouded him. That night, after the burial had taken place, I saw another dream. In it, he was looking very handsome, and the same girl was sitting on the bed. Sitting beside her, he continued to repeat the verse: سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ Salaamun Alaykom for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home! " [al-Ra'ad : 24] [al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 40-42]

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 THE TRUE TREASURE A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar's house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit." He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, "Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it." Much humbled by Maalik's manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed." After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?" Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now." The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik's house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good." But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?" "Stay as long as you wish," said Maalik. The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life." Maalik said, "Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah." The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, "Have you found your treasure yet?" He said, "My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved." [al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 THE ACCEPTED REPENTANCE A man once went to Raabi'ah bint Isma'il al-'Adawiyyah, who was known by the titles, 'Mother of Goodness,' and, 'The Famous Worshipper.' He said, 'Indeed, I have perpetrated a great number of sins. If I repent, do you think that Allah will accept my repentence?" She said, "Woe unto you! Do you not see that He invites those who turn away from Him; then why wouldn't He accept the repentance of those who turn towards Him?" GOOD ADVICE During one of his journeys, Sari as-Saqati passed by a cave, from which he heard continuous sobbing. Aroused by curiosity, he entered the cave and saw a young man whose body seemed to be wasted away by grief and sadness. Having immediately perceived that the man was a righteous worshipper, Sari humbly asked, “O young man, how is safety achieved?” He said, “By performing all prescribed acts of worship, by not wronging others, and by repenting to Allah.” Sari asked, “Can you please deliver a sermon to me?” The young man said, “The best sermon you can receive is by looking into your own self. But I will say this: be obedient to Allah when you are alone, for doing so will atone for your sins, and Allah will then display you to the inhabitants of the heavens.”

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 ONE SIN LED TO HIS REPENTANCE A righteous man was once asked to tell the story of the pivotal moment of his life, the moment in which he first began to apply the teachings of Islam, and the following was his answer: When I was a young man, I would not hesitate to perpetrate any sin that was made available to me. Then, one day, I saw a young woman who was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Much tempted by her, I indicated to her that I wanted her to approach me. She seemed nervous, but I thought that she would probably agree to satisfy my sexual desires for money. She approached me with what seemed to be a great deal of trepidation, and when she actually stood before me, she looked extremely terrified. Feeling sorry for her, I said, ‘Do not fear, for I will not harm you.’ But my words did not lessen her terrible fright in the least; in fact, her situation worsened. She began to tremble like a palm tree leaf trembles with the wind. I said, ‘Tell me your story.’ She said, ‘By Allah, o my brother, never before this day have I offered my body in this way. Dire need is what has driven me to this, for I have three daughters who have not eaten a single morsel of food for three days now. It was pity for them that brought me to this low point in my life.’ For the first time in my life, I felt pity; her story moved me, and I no longer entertained the intention of taking advantage of her. After she told me where she lived, I took a great deal of money, clothing and food to her house. When I returned to my house, I told my mother what had happened. My mother knew that I had a book in which I would record all of my evil deeds, and so she said to me, ‘My son, you are a man who has never performed a good deed except for the good deed that you performed today. I know that you have a book in which you record your evil exploits, go now and write in it your good deed.’ I stood up, went to my book, opened it, and found that all of its pages were blank- except for the first page on which was written a single line. إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins) [Hud : 114] At that very moment, I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘By your Might and Majesty, never again will I disobey You.’ “ More coming soon......

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Al-Mu'minah LI Kindest Status: Offline Posts: 5,165 Reputation: 22526 Rep Power: 57 Join Date: Jan 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-07-2006 Oh Masha Allah!!! I read that book. Excellent indeed! It is an excellent read... __________________

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- Qatada - Ummah Under 1 Banner Status: Offline Posts: 10,393 Reputation: 42074 Rep Power: 84 Join Date: May 2005 Location: ...travelling to the hereafter.. Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-09-2006 subhan Allaah.. this books really deep. everyone should read it insha'Allah. __________________ iDawah.com Bringing Dawah back..to the future! http://salaf-stories.blogspot.com

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Pk_#2 Account Disabled Status: Offline Posts: 8,740 Reputation: 37754 Rep Power: 0 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: UK Way of Life: Undisclosed	Re: Stories of Repentance. - 12-09-2006 AsalamuAlaykum, waiting patiently for more inshaAllah Jazakhala khair, all your posts are awesome

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SirZubair EliteRationalMinded Status: Offline Posts: 2,748 Reputation: 11549 Rep Power: 33