Never Despair

[al-fateh]

Never Despair

By IOL Shari`ah Researchers
29/12/2004



One might say: “I want to repent, but who can guarantee that Allah will forgive me if I do so? I want to follow the Straight Path, but I feel very hesitant. If I knew for sure that Allah would forgive me, I would definitely repent.”

I would say in response that these feelings of hesitation are the same as those experienced by the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If you think seriously about the following two reports, such feelings will disappear in sha’ Allah.

Imam Muslim reported the story of how `Amr ibn Al-`Aas came to Islam: “When Allah put the love of Islam into my heart, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: ‘Stretch forth your hand so that I may give pledge of allegiance to you. He stretched forth his hand but I pulled my own hand back. He asked, ‘What is the matter, O `Amr?' I said, ‘There is a condition.’ He asked, ‘What is the condition?’ I said: ‘That I be forgiven.’ He said: ‘Do you not know, O `Amr, that Islam wipes out whatever came before, Hijrah (migration for the sake of Allah) wipes out whatever came before, and Hajj wipes out whatever came before?’”

Imam Muslim reported from Ibn `Abbas that some people among the disbelievers killed a great deal and they committed adultery a great deal. Then they came to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “What you say and advocate is good, if only you could tell us that there is any expiation for what we have done.” Then Allah revealed the words: [And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment.] (Al-Furqan 25: 68); [Say: ‘O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah.] (Az-Zumar 39: 53)