format_quote Originally Posted by
Serdar
i cant live with my self i commt sins i just dont feel good abut repenting because turning down repeteadly, ,,i do also realise i got weeak iman, am i losing the grip, am surely domed.
Asalaamu Alaikum Wr Wb, Feelings of remorse and guilt are natural reflections of sinning, if the person who has sinned has a conscious which is alive.
After committing a sin, a person who fears Allah and give high respect to Him would feel a sense of despondency and despair thinking, "How will God forgive me for this sin?" However, it is noteworthy that despairing of God's mercy is in itself one of the major sins in Islam for God is ever merciful, ever forgiving.
As He says in the Qur'an:
"Do not despair of God's mercy; He will forgive you of all your sins".
Qur'an (39:53).
In another verse, Allah says:
"And He wishes to forgive you"
Qur'an (4:146).
Allah's mercy, compassion and forgiveness are all encompassing and his mercy is one of his most important and significant qualities of the almighty in the Qur’an, as well as in the saying and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
In a Hadith Qudsi Allah states: "My mercy prevails over My wrath."
Islam fully understands the temptations that come in the way of everyone of us, and that which some of us might go for. Only through repentance, that one can wipeout those sins and past misdeeds and gradually get freed from the clutches of the ego.
Repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of Allah the All Mighty. He loves those who repent. Repentance has a status that no other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the desert.
Feeling Allah's satisfaction has its great impact on the heart of the one repenting. Hence, the repenting person reaches the status of being amongst the beloved through his repentance.
Moreover, repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of helplessness to the only Creator; Allah, and that is not easily acquired through other forms of worship.
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Except those who repent, have faith and good deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is most forgiving and merciful."
(Qur'an 25:70)
This is a greatest glad tiding for those who repent and combine their repentance with deep faith and good deeds.
Repentance breeds good deeds, whilst sinning (without repentance) can cause deprivation of obedience altogether. It has been said that committing sins regularly will darken and harden the heart and make purifying it once again a difficult mission.
It may even lead a person to reject Allah completely (Allah forbid) or lead him to commit a bigger sin. There is no recourse for a sinner except to ask Allah for forgiveness and to feel great regret for his actions.
Repentance is to repent from the heart, to train the heart into obedi ence and to make a firm resolution never to commit the sin again.
The Benefits Of Sincere Repentance
Imaam Ibn Qayyim rahmatullahi alaihe mentions certain benefits:
1. Repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. He loves those who repent and it is because of His love for His creation that He tests them with sins so that He may shower His blessings and favours upon them after they repent.
2. Repentance has a status that no other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the desert.
This pleasure (of Allah) has a great impact on the heart of the one repenting. Hence, the repenting person reaches the status of being amongst the beloved through his repentance.
3. Repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of helplessness that is not easily acquired through other forms of worship.
4. Allah’s statement, "Except those who repent, have faith and good deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is most forgiving and merciful."
(Qur'aan 25:70)
This is a greatest glad tiding for those who repent and combine their repentance with faith and good deeds.
Repentance breeds good deeds, whilst sinning (without repentance) can cause deprivation of obedience altogether. It has been said that committing sins regularly will darken and harden the heart. It may even lead a person to reject Allah completely (Allah forbid) or lead him to commit a bigger sin. There is no recourse for a sinner except to ask Allah for forgiveness and to feel great regret for his actions.
Repentance is to repent from the heart, to train the heart into obedience and to make a firm resolution never to commit the sin again.
The repenting person should remember three facts:
1. The grave consequence of sins.
2. The painful punishment for sins and
3. The helplessness of the servant with regards to these two things.
What Should I Do After I Have Sinned?
Someone may ask, "How do I go about repenting from a sin?" Do I just say, "I repent." and that’s it, or is there anything to be done after that?
Two things should immediately be done. The first is an act of the heart, to sincerely regret the sins of the past. The second is an act of the body, to bring up some good deeds, starting two cycles of prayer of repentance. The following is a hadith in support:
Hazrat Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, says, "I heard the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam say, ‘There isn’t a man who, when he commits a sin, rises, makes ablution, and offers two rak’ats of prayers, but Allah forgives his sins.’ Then the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam recited the verse, ‘Those (are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they know (that Allah is forgiving)."
(Qur'aan 3:135)
There are other reports that describe more in detail how these two cycles of prayers of repentance must be offered.
For instance:
1. There isn’t a man who makes ablution (and does it well, but sins fall off the limbs of the body with the last drop of water. And doing the ablution well includes saying the Bismillah in the beginning, and some other prayer words after it such as:
"I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah , the one, and I also bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and messenger."
"O’ Allah! make me of the repenting, and make me of the purified."
"O’ Allah! with praises to you I bear witness that there is no deity but you. I seek your forgiveness and turn to you in repentance."
2. Offer two rak’ats of prayer. Performs them in full presence of mind and heart. Commits no mistake within the prayers. Does not speak to himself within them. Recites the prayer-words in them well and in humility. Then seeks Allah’s forgiveness.
The Result
1. His past sins are forgiven.
2. He is assured paradise.
Then, as these things have been achieved he should now increase his good deeds to the extent possible. Don’t you see what Umar radiyallahu anhu did when he had committed the mistake of arguing with the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, at Hudaibiyya. He used to offer special acts of worship, (like fasting, almsgiving, etc.), to atone for that sin. The following hadith should also be considered.
"He who commits some evil deeds, and then turns to doing good deeds is like the man who had on him a tight-fitting coat of mail made of steel, so tight, it would almost choke him. Then he did a good deed and it opened up a little more until it became so loose as to fall off to the ground."
So you see how good deeds release a man from the clutches of past sins and liberate him from the tension that they cause. Let me at this point offer you the abridged version of an incident, which is laden with lessons.
Ibn Mas’ood radiyallahu anhu says a man came to the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam and said, "O Apostle of Allah. I found a woman in a garden and did everything to her except having intercourse: I kissed her and hugged her and so on, but I didn’t go beyond this. So judge me as you wish." The Prophet of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam said nothing in reply and the man went away. Upon this Umar radiyallahu anhu remarked, "Allah would have kept it a secret if he had kept it a secret." The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam in the direction the man had gone and said, "Call him back." When they called him back, he recited to him the following verse, "Establish Prayers at the two ends of the day and early part of the night. Indeed good deeds wipe out evil ones. And this (Qur’aan) is a reminder unto the mindful."
(Qur'aan 11:114)
Upon hearing this, Mu’adh radiyallahu anhu (and according to another report Umar radiyallahu anhu) said, "O’ Apostle of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam, is this for him alone or is it (this ruling) common?"
he replied: "No, it is common."
Committing A Sin Against Another
In case a sin related to Allah, which does not involve anyone else, is committed there are three conditions for the repentance of the sinner to be accepted:
1. That he refrain from committing the same sin again.
2. That he feel ashamed at what he has done.
3. That he makes a firm intention of not committing that sin again.
Repentance of a person will be imperfect even if a single condition is omitted.
Now, in case a sin which is connected to a person is committed the theologians have added one more condition to the three stated above. That is if one has taken something that does not belong to him he should return it, if he has committed backbiting regarding someone or he has hurt someone’s feelings or even sworn at someone he will have to ask for forgiveness from the person first and then from Allah. There is no way these sins can be forgiven without the forgiveness of the person concerned, because these are the rights of human beings. May Allah Ta’ala safeguard us, Aameen.
Man is a social being and is in need of certain rules and regulations if he lives in society. Here I would like to discuss those rules and regulations which are to be observed by a Muslim while dealing with other people in the Muslim Ummah so that we may be safeguarded from being tangled up in not carrying out the necessary duties towards others.
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim, "There are six rights upon a Muslim."
The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam was once asked, "What are these (six rights) O’ Prophet of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam" The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam replied, "When you meet him, greet him with salaam; when he invites you (to a meal), accept his invitation; when he seeks counselling from you advise him; when he sneezes and says Alhamdulillah, reply with Yarhamukallah; when he falls ill, visit him and when he dies attend his funeral."
Now let us go into a little more detail regarding what the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said about mutual brotherhood.
One should love for the believers what one loves from oneself and dislike for the believers what one dislikes for oneself. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said, "The Muslim society is like a body in respect of mutual love and sympathy. If a limb of the body suffers pain then the whole body responds to it by sleeplessness and fever."The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has also said, "One believer is like a building to another believer, a portion of which strengthens a portion."
It is also stated in another hadith, "All Muslims are like one man, if he has pain in his eye then his whole body suffers and if he has pain in his head then his whole body suffers."
(Muslim)
From the aforementioned Ahaadith, we may deduce that a Muslim cannot be an individual. To be a strong and firm believer one has to be part of the Ummah, one has to share their feelings whether in happiness or sadness, be it in the day or in the night, be it in this country or on the other side of the world.
O’ Muslims, bear in mind that what I am transferring to you is not a petty matter I am giving you a taste of your duties upon other believers without which one cannot truly believe.
Troubling others is another matter which should be discussed.
One should never give trouble to another by words or by action. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said, "A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslims remain safe."
(Bukhari)
In another hadith it is stated, "The best Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslims remain safe."
Troubling others has also been mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan, "And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear on themselves the crime of slander and plain sin."
(Qur’aan 33:58)
"O’ you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one’s brother after having faith. And whoever does not repent, then such are indeed wrong-doers."
(Qur’aan 49:11)
Firstly, the aim was to restrain differences and quarrels between the Muslims. Then it was told that if by chance differences did arise, they should be exterminated with force and effective ways. However, until the dispute is over, efforts should be made that at least the sentiments of hatred and opposition should not become sharper and provocative.
It is commonly seen that when differences arise between two persons or parties they resort to scoff at one another even at the most insignificant matters, whereas he does not know that the scoffed one may be better with Allah, rather he himself considered him better before the dispute arose. In corruptness and self-will the minor evils of the other party are seen, and the major evils of his own are not visible to himself.
In this way the gulf of adversity and opposition, hatred and malice, widens day by day, and the hearts get so far distant from one another, that no hope of peace and harmony is left.
In the present verse
(49:11) Allah, the Most Holy has forbidden such things i.e. neither one party should scoff at the other party, nor should one insult the other with bad names, nor should one try to find faults with the other because by such things hatred and enmity multiply, and the fire of opposition, disagreement and corruption spreads rapidly.
Glory to Allah! What good and excellent directions does Allah give! If only the Muslims were to understand this single Surah (Surah Hujurat). They would find it contains the perfect remedy for their worst disease.
(Tafseer al Uthmani)
The consideration of other Muslims’ feelings and property is so important that without this one cannot be a firm believer as the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said, "A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands Muslims remain safe."
(Bukhari)
The same way Islam discourages the annoying of our Muslim brethren. It has encouraged the helping of each other as can be clearly understood from the following hadith.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu once asked the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, "Give me some advice which will benefit me."
He replied, "Remove injurious things from the path of Muslims." The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, "If a man removes an injurious thing from the path of Muslims, Allah writes a virtue for him. Paradise is sure for one for whom Allah writes a virtue."
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) states that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam is reported to have said, "There are more than seventy requisites of Imaan, the most important of them being La-ilaha-illallah i.e. the kalimah and the least is to remove an offensive thing from the path like stones, thorns, etc., which cause inconvenience to the passers-by. Modesty and shyness are also important requisites of faith."
This hadith means that a complete Muslim is one who possesses all these merits, and if one lacks in any of these, he will be imperfect to that extent.
Another important matter which plays a great role in Muslim society is helping the distressed. Many times we pass a Muslim brother who is distressed, disturbed and worried. We understand from the expression on his face that he is in trouble, but how do we react? We walk straight past him without giving him a thought, thinking, "Oh I don’t know him." or "He doesn’t help me when I’m in trouble, so why should I?" Brothers! For Allah’s sake keep in mind that he is a Muslim, he is a part of us. If we do not assist him, who will? His distress should be our distress, his happiness should be our happiness and his success should be our success.
Once a man abused another in front of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam to which a third man protested. Upon this the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, "If a man saves the honour of his brother, it will stand as a screen from Hell." In another hadith it is stated, "Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah Ta’ala will remove a grief from him on the Day of Judgement."
These are just some of the duties we should fulfil towards our Muslim Brethren. It is the fulfilment of these duties that will unite us, make us a strong body and a powerful party. Upon the fulfilment of these duties, no power on Earth will be able to divide us and we will live in peace and tranquillity, worshipping Allah as an inseparable society.
The Last Word
It is reported in a hadith that a person who repents constantly and is determined not to commit the sin again but still commits it, such a person will not be counted among the persistent and stubborn.
Remember:We may tire committing sin but Allah does not tire forgiving us.
Dear brother! O’ slave of Allah! Allah has opened the door of repentance, so why should you not enter?
"Repentance has a door whose span is the distance between East and West," says a hadith (and in another version, its span is the distance travelled in 70 years). "It will not be closed until the sun rises from the west." Listen to the call of Allah, "O’ my slaves! You sin morning and evening and I forgive all your sins. So call on Me, I’ll forgive you all your sins."
Allah extends His hands in the night to forgive the sinner of the day and extends His hands in the day to forgive the sinner of the night. Moreover, He loves to hear excuses. Therefore, why don’t you turn to Him.
How beautiful are the words of the repenting man who says, "I beseech you O’ Lord, in the name of your honour, and (by) my ignominy that you have mercy on me. I beseech you in the name of your Strength and my weaknesses, Your self-sufficiency and my dependence. To you I submit my sinning, guilty forelock. You have many slaves apart from me. But I have no master save you. There is no refuge but with you, nor escape from you except to you. I plead to you O’ Lord, in the manner of the pleading of a destitute, and entreat you in the manner of a broken, down trodden man. I beseech You in the manner of a blind man in fear. This is a supplication, O’ Lord, from one whose head is bowed down before your majesty, whose nose is in the dust, whose eyes are filled with tears and whose heart has submitted."
Consider this story:
It is reported by a trustworthy man of the past that as I was passing through a street he saw the door of a house open. A woman came out with a child who was crying and pleading while she was pushing him out. She left him outside the house and slammed the door on his face. The child left the door and walked a distance. Then he stopped, looked about, began to think, and not finding any other place but his own house where he could take shelter nor anyone who would care for him as his mother would, he returned to his house dejected, sad. He found the door shut. He sat at the sill, put his cheek on the threshold and slept with tear marks on his cheeks. He was in this state when the mother opened the door. When she saw him in this state, she could not control herself. She bent down, grabbed him to her bosom, began to kiss him and said, in tears, "Oh my boy! My dear child! My soul! Where were you? Didn’t I tell you not to disobey me? Do my bidding, and don’t force me to punish you, while I hate to do that." Then she carried the child back and closed the door behind her.
That is a story of a mother and a child, the story of disobedience, punishment, return, forgiveness and unbound love. But the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has told us that, "Allah loves His creation more than a woman does her child." In fact, there is no comparison between the love of a mother for her child and that of Allah whose mercy encompasses everything. Allah is immensely pleased with a man when he repents and turns to him. And we shall never be deprived of anything by a Lord who is more pleased with the repenting man, than that man who was travelling through an arid land. He dismounted and took shelter under a tree seeking some shelter under a tree seeking some rest. He lay there with his beast, loaded with food and water, at his side. However, when he awoke, lo! The beast was gone. He began to search for it frantically. He climbed a hill but couldn’t see a trace of it. Finally, when hunger and thirst overtook him, he said, "Let me go back to the tree, and lay down there until death overtakes me." So he went back to the tree, and lay there with eyes closed - in total despair. Lo! As he opened his eyes and raised his head, there the beast was, right before his very eyes. With all the food and water loaded on it intact! He rushed to it and picked up its halter. (Can you imagine his happiness?) Allah is happier with a man when he turns to Him seeking forgiveness, than the man who found his beast when he had lost all hopes.
Know it, my dear brother, that true repentance of every sin also brings with it humility and devotion to Allah, and that pleading of a penitent is very dear to Allah. What follows repentance is obedience of a greater degree to the extent that sometimes Satan regrets that he enticed him into that sin at all. That is why you will see that those who repent become very much changed personalities.
Allah does not abandon a man who comes to Him a penitent. Compare the situation with that of a father who used to look after his son with great love and care, providing him with best of clothing, food and toys. Then one day the father sent him on an errand.
However, as the boy was walking an enemy took hold of him, tied him and carried him away to the land of enemies. There his master treated him exactly in the opposite manner. So that whenever the boy remembered his father and his treatment, his eyes swelled with tears, and the heart with pain. He was in this condition of ill treatment, at the hands of his enemies, when their caravan happened to pass by his father’s place again. As he looked around he found his father standing nearby. He ran to him and threw himself at him crying, "My father, my very father." His master followed him and was trying to pull him away, but the boy clung to his father, refusing to let him go.
What do you think of his father? Do you think he will abandon him to the enemy, refusing to take back the child? If not, then what is your opinion of the Lord whose love of His creation is greater than the love of a father for his child? When a slave of His runs away from his enemies, and throws himself at the threshold of his door, rolling down in dust before him saying, "O’ my Lord! Have Mercy upon who has no one to show Mercy save You. No helper save You. No refuge save You. No saviour save You. I am Your slave. In Your need. Dependent on You. Beggar at Your door. You are the refuge. With You is shelter. There is no refuge but with You nor escape from You except to You." Then surely the Lord is not going to turn him back empty handed.
Abu Bakr Al siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him), narrated:
"I heard Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) saying: ‘There isn’t a man who, when he commits a sin, rises, makes ablution, and offers two rak'as of prayers, but Allah forgives his sins.’
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Those (are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they know (that Allah is forgiving)."
(Qur'an 3:135)
Come along on to the good deeds, to virtuous living, in the company of the righteous, steering your self safe from deviations after the right direction, and mis-guidance after guidance. And Allah is with you.
O’ Allah, have mercy upon the Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wasallam, O’ Allah forgive the sins of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wasallam, O’ Allah rectify the best of all Ummahs whose leader is the greatest of mankind, Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wasallam, Aameen.
Here are some very beneficial links for you to benefit from:
10 Steps to Increasing our Iman(Faith)
http://www.islamicboard.com/manners-...man-faith.html
Signs of Weak Iman and How to Increase It
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/weakimanfix.htm
Forty Very Easy, Quick & Rewarding Good Deeds for all of us to do Everyday!
http://www.islamicboard.com/worship-...-everyday.html
VERY Rewarding Nafl Salaahs we can Pray Everyday!
http://www.islamicboard.com/worship-...-everyday.html (VERY Rewarding Nafl Salaahs we can Pray Everyday!)
My Daily Ibadah(worship) check
http://www.islamicboard.com/manners-...hip-check.html
Overcoming tests from Allah
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61961
25 Ways to Deal with Stress and Anxiety VERY GOOD THREAD
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43179
Overcoming laziness and Procrastination
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52097
The translation of salat (namaz)- learn what your reading in namaz
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38303
A party in Paradise, A party in Hellfire
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39698
The Ultimate Motivation for Muslims
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49243
The State of the People of Paradise in this World
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49125
Major Signs before the Day of Judgement
http://www.inter-islam.org/faith/Majorsigns.html
Signs before the Day of Judgement
http://etori.tripod.com/dajjalsystem/judgement.html
The Life of this World and the Hereafter
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51739
Beautiful Description of Paradise in Islam
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51707
Practising az-Zuhd in the Dunya
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51738
Everything about Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
http://www.mohammad-pbuh.com/
For those wanting to look more into Islam
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?t=44392