Importance of seeking forgiveness

We should never lose hope or stop asking Allah The Almighty for forgiveness for our sins and mistakes. The importance of seeking forgiveness is shown to us in a narration of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention): O people! Turn to Allah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, for surely I make repentance a hundred times every day. Repentance is such a great act of worship that it can completely erase one’s sins altogether, as the Noble Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: One who repents from sins is like one without sin.When a person commits a sin and then sincerely turns to Allah The Almighty for forgiveness, he will find Allah The Almighty ready to accept his repentance and to forgive him, as this verse indicates (which means): {“And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself, but then seeks forgiveness from Allah, he will find Allah forgiving and merciful.”} [Qur’an, 4:110]Everyone commits sins and mistakes, but Allah The Almighty is always willing to forgive and He always gives them a chance to repent and seek His forgiveness. A believer should never forget the fact that Allah The Almighty is All-Forgiving. If Allah The Almighty had willed, He could have held everyone accountable for his or her sins, but He has decreed that He shall allow His servants to seek His forgiveness and that He shall in fact forgive whomever and whatever He wills. In fact, Allah The Almighty commands His servants to seek His forgiveness in the verse (which means): {“And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Certainly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”} [Qur’an, 73:20] Repentance is an act of worship which purifies the soul and brings the slave closer to His Lord. It puts the heart at rest from guilt. It protects a believer from falling prey to desires and lusts and increases his faith.Allah The Almighty then says in the Hadith Qudsi (sacred narration): O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring you forgiveness close to filling it. Look at how great is the mercy, compassion and love of Allah The Almighty! The least Allah The Almighty asks for is that one not ascribe any partners and gods with Him, for, He is alone in His Sovereignty. After that if one commits sins and seeks sincere forgiveness, Allah The Almighty promises that He will forgive him and shower His mercy upon him.However, one is not forgiven if he seeks repentance from Allah The Almighty at the time of death when he sees the angels or when the sun rises from the west at the approach of the Day of Judgment. This is confirmed by the following verse (which means): {And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says, Now I repent, nor of those who dies while they are disbelievers. For them, We have prepared a painful torment.} [Qur’an, 4:18] Allah The Almighty also does not forgive the one who commits Shirk (polytheism), which is the association of partners with Allah The Almighty. Forgiveness will only come to those who die while adhering to Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) and avoiding any form of Shirk. This is stated in the following verses (what means):{“Verily, Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives whatever is less than that for whomever He wills. And whoever sets up partners with Allah has indeed invented a tremendous sin.”} [Qur’an, 4:48]{Verily, Allah forgives not the setting up of partners with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases whatever is less than that. And whoever sets up partners with Allah has indeed strayed far away.} [Qur’an, 4:116]We must ask ourselves this question: Would we be willing to forgive anyone who hurts us and disobeys us constantly as easily as Allah The Almighty is Able to forgive? Most probably, the answer would be no. However, our Creator is the Most Kind and He is the Most Perfect as stated in the verse (which means): {“Lo! Allah is a Lord of Kindness to mankind, but most of mankind give not thanks.”} [Qur’an, 2:143]Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/The hardest form of patienceThere are two factors that influence the degree of difficulty in patience. First, is the degree of motivation when man wants to do something and secondly, how convenient is the intended action for man. If both factors exist, patience reaches its utmost difficulty and vice versa. While if one of the two factors disappears, it becomes difficult on one hand and considerably convenient on the other.Thus, if a man has no motive to kill, steal, drink wine, or commit atrocities, and these actions are inconvenient for him, then he is able to ward them off easily. Whereas for a man whose desires are powerful and finds it convenient to act accordingly, then he is hardly able to show constant perseverance. Hence, the ruler who abstains from injustice, the young man from indecency and the rich from worldly pleasures, command the highest status before Allah.[*]These categories rightly deserve Allah’s protection on the Day of Resurrection so long as they bear hardships patiently. Therefore, the adulterous old man, the untruthful ruler and the haughty poor are severely punished because it would be more convenient for them to overcome such unlawful desires. Consequently, giving up patience in such situations sheds light on their insolence and rebellion against Allah.It requires constant perseverance to keep away from sins of the tongue and unchastity because their motives are powerful and easily accessible. Unfortunately, sins of the tongue provide delight for man, such as slander, telling lies, dispute, direct or indirect self-complacency, reporting people’s utterances, defaming enemies and praising his votaries. It is narrated on the authority of Mu’adh Ibn Jabal (radiallahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:“Keep control over your tongue.” Muadh wondered, “Are we held accountable for our utterances?” The Messenger said, “People are thrown down on their noses in the Hellfire only by the harvest of their tongues.”This is true especially when offences of the tongue turn into a habit, thus becoming almost impossible to overcome.You may find a man who prays at night, fast during the daytime and refrain from resting on a silky pillow even for a single moment, but he likes to indulge in disparaging remarks about others. He may even cast aspersions about the righteous people who are sincere to Allah and their religion, without knowing exactly what he is speaking about.Therefore, there are many who abstain from the slightest unlawful thing, even a drop of wine, but they cannot avoid adultery. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (radiallaahu ‘anhumaa) was asked about the blood of a mosquito. He said: “Behold, these men ask me about the blood of a mosquito while they killed the son of the Prophet’s daughter!”Hardship in patience, in respect of sins and their varieties, differs according to the strength and weakness of what motivates them respectively.Imam ‘Ali (radiallahu ‘anhu) said, “Patience is of three categories, namely:a) to bear adversity with perseveranceb) to perform obedience with constancy, andc) to ward off rebellion patiently.”A man who endures an adversity calmly until Allah gives him relief, will receive 300 good deeds as his reward. A man who performs acts of obedience as Divinely prescribed receives 600, while he who keeps away from rebellion receives 900.Maimun Ibn Mahran (radiallau ‘anhu) said, “Patience is of two types, namely:a) to bear adversity calmly, which is commendable andb) to ward off disobedience is much better.”[Excerpted from The Way to Patience and Gratitude (Uddat as-Sabirin wa Dhakirat ash-Shakirin) By Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullah)][*] On the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Seven are those whom Allah will place under His protection on a Day when there will be no protection but His, namely: “The just ruler; the young man who is brought up in worship of His Lord; a man whose heart is constantly attached to mosques; two men who love one another for Allah’s sake, he alone brings them together and separates them; a man who, summoned by a beautiful woman, says: ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives charity so much secretly that his left hand does not know not what his right hand has given, and a man who, remembering Allah in seclusion, and then sheds tears.”Obscenity: the root of evil and sinsThere is no doubt that a virtuous person does not find it easy to utter obscenities lest he or she expose him/herself to the Wrath of Allah The Almighty and disgrace in the eyes of people. Although vulgarity is certainly dispraised and forbidden, foul words indeed abound.Motives behind this behaviourObscenity originates from wickedness and ignobility. It is either motivated by the intention of harming others or is a habit acquired from socialising with evil and debauched people, who are accustomed to insulting others. Whatever the case, Allah The Almighty has forbidden crude language in the verse (which means): {Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is Allah Hearing and Knowing.} [Qur’an 4:148] Moreover, in His Book, He illustrated obscenity as characteristic of hypocrites, describing their conduct with believers, saying (what means): {But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good.} [Qur’an 33:19]A believer does not imitate the insolent and crass people, preferring to stick to chivalry for the sake of preserving his or her honour. It was said in this regard, “Tolerating an abusive man is better than being like him and forgiving the ignorant is better than copying him.”Examples of obscenity There are many situations and times when people of weak faith and bad manners resort to vulgarity. Imam Al-Ghazaali exemplified that by saying: “Situations of obscenity are various. They can generally be limited to any state that a person feels ashamed to overtly divulge. In this case, explicit words are considered obscenity. Therefore, one must discuss such issues in vague terminology.” Most of the relevant examples would be those concerning sexual intercourse and its related matters. While wicked people employ graphic and crass words when speaking about this, the righteous avoid such crude language and express themselves with figurative speech. Are we not aware that even Allah The Almighty spoke indirectly about sexual intercourse, mentioning instead, words like touching, entering with [women] and companionship? There is also obscenity in making remarks about women or defects in men that they may be ashamed of, such as a limp or baldness. Any such comments, if necessary, should not be explicitly referred to.The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, classified obscenity as a branch of hypocrisy and said, “Indeed, Allah hates the indecent and obscene person.” Moreover, he  mentioned that vulgarity leads to Hell, when he said: “Modesty is from faith, and faith is in Paradise; [whereas], obscenity is from severity, and severity is in Hell.” Please note that crassness is also to use names of animals to describe people. Imaam An-Nawawi  said: “Among the vilified words which are usually used is a person saying to his enemy, ‘O donkey; you goat; you dog’, and the like. It is ugly to utter these expressions because they are lies and harmful to others.” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, even forbade abusing roosters, when he instructed, “Do not insult the rooster, for it wakes [people] to perform prayers.’’ Bearing this in mind, could it be appropriate to affront people who bear witness to the testimony of truth [i.e., Muslims]? The admonition of the righteous predecessorsOur forefathers from the Companions and their successors were the farthest people from obscenity and indecency. They seriously warned others against this great evil which originates from lack of faith. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood  said: “The most wicked trait a believer may possess is vulgarity.” Similarly, Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays said: “I will tell you about the worst of diseases: the crude tongue and bad morals.” That is why, when Abu Ad-Dardaa’  saw an abusive woman, he remarked: “Had she been dumb, it would have been better for her.”We supplicate to Allah The Almighty to purify us from whatever displeases Him; and may peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/The significance of HijabIt is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty. Allah loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijab. It is their outer protection from the decadence of this life. Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Allah is modest and covering. He loves modesty and privacy.” [Ahmad and Others]Thus, as modesty is a quality that is loved by Allah, our sisters must take comfort in knowing that they are modest and not like those women who show themselves off to the world. Such women will not be shielded from Allah’s wrath. Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband’s home, has broken Allah’s shield upon her.”[Abu Dawood and At-Tirmithi[Therefore, we see that the Hijab of the Muslim woman is indeed part of modesty. Modesty accompanies Eeman (faith); this is why the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Modesty is part of Eeman and Eeman is in Paradise.” [At-Tirmithi] Also: “Modesty and Eeman are (intimate) companions: when one departs, so does the other.” [Al-Hakim and Others]The Muslim woman must know that the disbelieving women who beautify themselves for the whole world to see possess no modesty; thus, they are void of any Eeman. Instead of looking to the latest fashion models for guidance, she should look to the wives of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.Look at the regard for modesty that our mother, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, possessed, even in the presence of the deceased; she said: “I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and my father, Abu Bakr, were buried without wearing my (outer) garment, saying that it was only my husband and my father. But when ‘Umar bin al-Khattab was later buried (in the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my outer garment on, due to being shy of ‘Umar.”It could be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing Hijab in a society that mocks and torments her. She would certainly feel strange and incongruous. However, if she realises the status of those who are mocked by the disbelievers, then she would continue to wear her Hijab with dignity.Allah Says in His Book (what means): “Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances. And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they would say: ‘Indeed, those are truly lost.’ But they have not been sent as guardians over them. So Today [i.e., the Day of Judgment] those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on adorned couches, observing. Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded [this Day] for what they used to do?” [Qur’an: 83:29-36]These Words of Allah should serve as a support for you, our dear sister. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and sinful women. Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Islam began as something strange, and it will revert to (its old position of) being strange, so good news is for the strangers.” [Muslim]The characteristic of the exposed:Instead of wearing the Hijab (covering), the disbelieving women expose themselves, making a dazzling display of themselves for others. Such a display is an attribute of ignorance. Allah Says in His Book (what means): “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…”[Qur’an 33:33]Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The best of your women are the affectionate, the fertile, the comforting, and the agreeable – if they fear Allah. The most evil of your women are those who expose and display themselves, and those who strut (to show off), and they are the hypocrites. Those who enter Paradise are like the red beaked crow.” [Al-Bayhaqi] The mentioning of this kind of crow is to highlight that those who enter Paradise will be as rare as this kind of crow.We see from the above verse and Hadith (prophetic statement) that it is certainly unlawful for a Muslim woman to make a display of herself. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women. Therefore, do not be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life to enjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise. There is nothing in your Hijab to be ashamed of as it is the garment of the righteous and pious female worshippers of Allah.In order to truly show how evil those women who expose themselves are, let us ponder over the following statement of Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “Of the people of Hell, there are two types that I have never seen; the first are those holding whips like the tail of an ox with which they flog people. The second are women who would be naked despite being dressed (i.e. either partly dressed or wearing translucent clothes), who are seduced and who seduce others. Their hair is high like the humps of a camel. These women will not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be smelled from such and such a (very far) distance.”[Muslim]These women who expose themselves are common among us today. These are women that even the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, did not see! Look around you and you will see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hair styles of the women who expose themselves – are they not high like a camel’s hump?Perhaps we are the first generation since the time of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, to witness such women. If one ponders over photographs taken 30 to 50 years ago, he will see that the disbelieving women did not expose themselves in the manner that their offspring do today! These women are among the people of the Fire! Thus, how can you envy them?Therefore, the Muslim men should not let the people of the Fire affect the modesty of their wives, daughters and sisters. Such lewd women will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise, so our women must avoid their path.Another lesson from the above Hadith is that it confirms that what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, came with is indeed the truth! This is a prophecy that has come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to envy these evil women, or should we be grateful to our Lord for the Hijab, which brings modesty which leads to Paradise?On the whole, the Muslim woman should abandon all of the ways of the exposed, and adopt the ways of those who are modest through their love and practice of the proper Islamic Hijab.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/