نحمده و نصلى على رسوله الكريم،
قال الله تعالى فى القرآن المجيد،
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
إنّ الله وملإٍٰکتہ یصلّون على النّبى يا أيها الذين آمنوا صلّوا عليه و سلِّموا تسليما
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمد معدن الجود والکرم
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمدو الہ ألف الف مرّة
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمد وآله وأصحابه وبارك وسلم
أما بعد
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٖ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Then ’Ādam learned certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Most-Relenting, the Most-Merciful.
(Surah Al Baqarah, verse 37)
Allah subhana wa ta’ala in His infinite wisdom, made the decision that Adam alayhi salaam and his descendants would live on this planet known as Earth. Adam alayhi salaam was placed on Earth and that was the decision of Allah.
Everything that happened before man’s arrival on Earth was in fact a preparation for life on Earth. The crown of khilafah that was given to Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam was not for representation in the heavens. It was in fact the crown for khilafah on the Earth.
Shaytaan thought that this crown of khilafah should have gone to him and not to Adam alayhi salaam, and it was this jealousy and arrogance that caused his downfall. When the world was being prepared, he thought that he would be the khalifah on the Earth since he could not see anyone around him that was more devout in worship. In fact he harboured that desire for status. However, as Allah says that He knows what we know not.
Allah prepared this world for Bani Adam. And it is the way of the world that when a person goes from one place to another, he goes with the expectation that he will find whatever he needs such as food and comforts etc. This Dunya has been made very beautiful by Allah subhana wa ta’ala, however Adam alayhi salaam had come here from Jannah, and compared to Paradise this Earth was nothing special. But for the descendants of Adam this world is a beautiful place with mountains, valleys, lakes, deserts, rainforests, oceans, rivers and the beauty of the sun setting in the sea. The moon on the fourteenth night and many other beautiful spectacles exist on Earth.
Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam had seen Paradise and knew of its beauty. However the Earth was also prepared with a landscape of natural beauty on Earth for the children of Adam alayhi salaam to give them an idea of how much more amazing Jannah will be.
It should also be noted that humans were not the first creatures on Earth. It had been around long before and many Shayateen and jinn had been living here before us.
Shaytaan has the power to run through the veins of people and he is the biggest enemy of mankind. He also has jinn who follow him and carry out his commands with the aim of leading men astray. A person has two enemies: Shaytaan and his own unlawful desires (from his Nafs). On top of this the Dunya is also populated by many evil things. Sins are all around us. Immodesty, disrespect and many other sins exist on this planet. The Earth is full of attractions that can take you away from Allah.
We have Shaytaan, our Nafs and the attractions of the Dunya to contend with. And then Allah has created us with certain natural inclinations that are not in any other creation. Unlike the angels who are created from Noor and have only one function which is to worship Allah and carry out any duties given to them, mankind has been created with inclination towards both ‘khayr’ (goodness) and ‘sharr’ (evil) within them. Hence both Khayr and Sharr are present within the various attractions of the world. And it will be human nature to have some inclination towards all attractions whether they be good or evil. So how can we protect ourselves from going towards evil attractions when it is something we desire to do?
This presence of both Khayr and Sharr is part of the test for human kind on Earth. Remember that the harder the test, the greater the reward and status will be for passing it. This life on Earth is very temporary. It seems that years will go by in the blink of an eye. The Mashaai’kh have stated that ‘good times do not last, and nor do the times of hardship. Do not be fearful of hardship, as this is all very temporary and the true life is the eternal life of the Akhirah’. Do not expect the Dunya to be Paradise, we are only here for a short time. Be strong and steadfast upon the Deen during both times of prosperity and times of hardship.
Allah ta’ala has placed this test upon us, hence He will certainly have given us the tools to pass this test despite all the sinful temptations of the world. When Shaytaan and the Nafs are pulling us towards evil, how can we still pass this test of life with success? We will need to overcome all these unlawful desires and not disobey Allah. If we succumb to our desires and hasten towards evil and live our lives in this manner then it should be noted that Allah has prepared the Hellfire for those who disobey Allah by indulging in evil without any repentance nor remorse.
My brothers, this is the story of life. The message of the Qur’an from Alif Laam Meen to wa’annaas is to save ourselves from evil and to hasten towards goodness but we have given our lives another purpose. We do what we want and whatever we feel, and forget the real purpose of life.
Remember that Sharr (evil) and Khayr (good) are opposites. Allah created both good and evil and then gave us the freedom of choice while giving us the strength and will to do both. However with these things Allah gave us warnings and guidelines and explained the rewards of goodness and the consequences of evil. Hence our objective is to go through life by steering clear of the objects of evil. Despite having the desire to do some evil things inside, it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from harm and this is the test of life.
A person goes through many phases in his life, and at each stage there is a test and a trial because a person is regularly faced by Khayr and Sharr in this world. And Allah informs us that he has given us the power to save ourselves from evil. And we also have the choice to fall in the trap of evil. This choice travels with us through all the weeks, months and years in our lives. All our daily actions and pursuits, whether it be family, friends or work, will consist of these two choices between khayr and sharr.
For example there will be wrong and right methods for doing business. There will be wrong and right methods for socialising or for having a relationship. There is a good and bad way to sit down and eat. Even in the action of drinking water, there is a good method and a bad method. Hence every action in life can be done in one of these two ways. We have the ability to choose whether we want to apply the method of khayr or the method of sharr in our actions.
Some people will make the excuse that they cannot control who they are and that it is in their destiny to be sinful and will not make any effort to change their ways. They say that if everything is already destined then what is the point of even trying?
Remember that apart from the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, all humanity is given the choice. So how do some of these people become friends of Allah? Now some people will say that they were destined to become so that is why they are. And because Allah made it easy for them to do so whereas we find it difficult to stay from sins. Allah gave them kashf and status, he did not give us those things. My friends, this is not the case. The friends of Allah are human and so are we. They too have to face life with the choice of Khayr and Sharr and they too possess desires inside them. The difference is that we have succumbed to our desires, whereas they did mujahidah and fought so hard against any sinful desires that they eventually became pure. The friend of Allah understands the difference between good and evil and hence embraces the khayr and fights continuously against evil by refraining from it and eradicating its desire from his heart. Instead of complaining, if we did this too, then we too would become friends of Allah.
The Prophets are the only human beings that were created with innocence. i.e they had no desires for sin within them. All other men will have some desire for sin, however the friends of Allah work hard to eradicated any sinful desires within them and this is what is called tazkiyah of the Nafs.
This life is a place for hard work, and he who works hard to finish his sins, will succeed in this Dunya and in the Akhirah. Now if we feel too lazy to make any effort on this important thing then this is our choice. Even if a person of high spiritual status suddenly turns to Sharr, then he will certainly fall, hence life is a continuous struggle against evil.
The Hikmah of Allah is beyond our comprehension and we should never contest His decision. When Allah wishes to give a high status to a person, He may do so by making that person experience some difficult times in his life. Allah ta’ala may bring that sinful person back towards Him by making him pass through times of difficulty, illness, distress, worry, anxiety and sadness. And in his pain this person may turn to Allah. Although there are also cases of people turning to Allah without having faced any hardship, these cases seldom and very few. The Hikmah of Allah is beyond our understanding but most people who turn to Allah do so after facing some form of emotional or physical distress. And this is all because Allah wants to save us.
That difficulty and illness becomes a blessing when a person repents and turns to Allah because his hardships have reminded him of Allah. There are people who will still not turn to Allah in their hardship but that is their choice.
What I can say is that many a person has attained a status of wilayah after turning to Allah after experiencing some hardships in their lives. There are many hardships people can face such as illnesses and disputes. So when you are faced with hardship, then take it as a message from Allah that we need to amend our ways and turn to Allah in repentance and eradicate sins from our lives. And when a person turns to Allah, He elevates that person’s status and rank. This is one method by which a person can become closer to Allah.
Allah gives mankind the freedom to choose between good and evil. Now the human being is in a situation where he is surrounded by Sharr. And Shaytaan has said that he will come towards us from all directions to try and mislead us. So how can we be safe from him?
Remember that Adam alayhi salaam was made a khalifah of Allah. Allah placed on Earth a system by which to counter evil. Where there is evil there will be a method to defeat it. Subhanallah. Allah gives us assistance and the tools to protect ourselves from Shaytaan.
To this end, Allah subhana wa ta’ala gave Adam alayhi salaam a gift, such a powerful gift. A gift that when a person has almost given up and close to total despair will come to his rescue. What was this gift that completed Adam alayhi salaams preparation from life on Earth? A gift that was not only for Adam alayhi salaam but it was for all his children and descendants which includes us. This gift was the love for His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah subhana wa ta’ala wanted to spread this love among the whole of Bani Adam.
The greatest gift to Adam alayhi salaam was that Allah’s Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would be born from his offspring. Subhanallah.
Allah gave humanity His most beloved thing. And that is His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And this gift is greater and more powerful than any Sharr or evil. Despite all of Shaytaans evil, deception and trickery, it is all nothing in comparison to the power of goodness and beauty of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is Haq (truth). Such a great truth and light that all darkness fades before it. And with this gift Allah gave another gift of truth and that was ‘Haqq-e-Taubah’ (The truth of repentance). Repentance is such a great gift to mankind that when a person repents sincerely, Allah subhana wa ta’ala wipes away his sins and cleans him of all his past transgressions. It is indeed a massive favour from Allah. The taufeeq to do Taubah is an amazing gift from Allah subhana wa ta’la.
The children of Adam were given this method to purify themselves. We have been told that if we commit a sin which is very likely as mentioned in a Hadeeth, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once asked the Sahaba if a person could walk through water without getting wet, the Sahabah replied that a person would get wet, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that in the same way a person will not be able to completely avoid the Dunya while living in it. So Allah has given us a beautiful solution.
Men commit many sins such as stealing, fornication and crime. People become disobedient to Allah in many ways. But all is never lost as long as a person utilises the gift of Taubah. Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells us that if we repent sincerely before the angel of death comes to us, then He will wipe away all our sins and take us close to Him. Allahu akbar, my friends what a great favour this is.
Shaytaan, his cronies and our own Nafs all work hard on trying to take us down the wrong path and try their best to lead us to the Hellfire but sometimes in his final moments a person repents from all his sins before death arrives.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala accepts the sincere repentance of His servant even if it is only five minutes before death was due to arrive to him. Subhanallah, all his sins are erased.
Taubah is a great tool and resource for a human being. Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam was sent to the world with this ‘truth’. Allah states in the Qur’an:
فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٖ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِۚ
Then ’Ādam learned certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala prepared Adam alayhi salaam for life on Earth. Then Adam alayhi salaam received ilhaam from his Lord. Allah taught Adam alayhi salaam some kalimaat.
And these kalimaat are very powerful and a great wealth for mankind. Yet we continually fall in the trap of Shaytaan and run away from this. He keeps telling us not to repent. He gives us excuses and makes us think that our world will turn upside down if we turn in repentance to Allah. Shaytaan makes us fearful of Taubah. He makes us scared of something that is the great source of salvation. Allah tells us to ignore Shaytaan and turn to Him in repentance. And remember, we can do Taubah again and again. If we slip up we must turn to Allah. Provided that each time this repentance is sincere. A person may get tired of doing istighfaar but Allah will never tire from forgiving His servant. Subhanallah.
For example you walk outside and your gaze is attracted to appearance of a non-mahrum, Shaytaan will get happy that he has caused you to commit zina of the eyes. But if you immediately realise your mistake and turn away and seek the forgiveness of Allah then that will be like a slap in the face of Shaytaan. Remember there are no limits to how many times we can turn to Allah in repentance, yet Shaytaan has made us think that it is a difficult thing to do with negative impact on our worldly lives. Shaytaan has imprisoned us in this fear that has made us afraid to do Taubah. He tries to herd us away from the greatest tool for wiping away our sins.
In the above verse Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells us that He gave Adam alayhi salaam some kalimaat to recite and then He forgave him. Allahu akbar. He taught Adam alayhi salaam the method for Taubah. And these kalimaat have been revealed in the Qur’an:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
(Surah Al-A’raaf, verse 23)
The first thing to note here is that despite all the beautiful names and attributes of Allah, He gave the word Rabb (Lord). To call upon him with the words Rabbana (Our Lord) and these are the words by which to call upon Allah when repenting. Allah has many attributes, but only the attribute ‘Rabb’ (Lord) is mentioned in this verse. He did not mention any of His other attributes such as Ar-Rahmaan (The Compassionate), Ar-Raheem (The Merciful), Al-Malik (The Master), Al-Quddoos (The Sacred), As-Salaam (The Giver of Peace), Al-Mu’min (The Granter of Belief), Al-Muhaymin (The Protector), Al-Azeez (The Almighty), Al-Jabbaar (The All-Powerful), Al-Mutakabbir (The Supreme), Al-Khaaliq (The Creator), Al-Baari’ (The Initiator), Al-Musawwir (The Designer), Al-Ghaffaar (The Forgiver), Al-Qahhaar (The Triumphant), Al-Wahhaab (The Bestower), Ar-Razzaaq (The Provider of Sustenance), Al-Fattaah (The Reliever), Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing), Al-Qaabidh (The Absolute Seizer), Al-Baasit (The Expander (of provision), Al-Khaafidh (The Subjugator (of evil)), Ar-Raafi’ (The Exalter), Al-Mu’izz (The Bestower of honour), Al-Mudhill (This Giver of dishonour), As-Samee’ (The All-Hearing), Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing), Al-Hakam (The Judge), Al-Adl (The Just), Al-Lateef (The Gentle), Al-Khabeer (The All-Aware), Al-Haleem (The Forbearing), Al-Azeem (The Most Great), Al-Ghafoor (The Oft-Forgiving), Ash-Shakoor(The Multiplier of Rewards), Al-‘Aliyy (The Most High), Al-Kabeer (The Great), Al-Hafeedh (The Preserver), Al-Muqeet (The Nourisher), Al-Haseeb (The Bringer of Judgment), Al-Jaleel (The Majestic), Al-Kareem (The Generous), Ar-Raqeeb (The Ever-Watchful), Al-Mujeeb (The Accepter of Invocation), Al-Waasi’ (The All-Encompassing), Al-Hakeem (The Wise), Al-Wadood (The Affectionate), Al-Majeed (The All-Glorious), Al-Baa’ith (The Resurrector), Ash-Shaheed (The Witness), Al-Haqq (The Truth), Al-Wakeel (The Trustee), Al-Qawiyy (The Strong), Al-Mateen (The Firm), Al-Waliyy (The Helper), Al-Hameed (The All-Praiseworthy), Al-Muhsiyy (The Accounter), Al-Mubdi (The Orginator), Al-Mu’eed (The Restorer), Al-Muhyiyy (The Giver of Life), Al-Mumeet (The Bringer of Death), Al-Hayy (The Living), Al-Qayyoom (The Subsisting), Al-Waajid (The Unfailing), Al-Maajid (The Illustrious), Al-Waahid (The Unique), Al-Ahad (The One), As-Samad (The Eternal), Al-Qaadir (The All-Powerful), Al-Muqtadir (The Determiner), Al-Muqaddim (The One Who Brings Forward), Al-Mu’akhir (The One Who Puts Far Away), Al-Awwal (The First), Al-Aaakhir (The Endless), Adh-Dhaahir (The Manifest), Al-Baatin (The Hidden), Al-Waaliy (The Patron), Al-Muta’aaliy (The Most High), Al-Barr (The Good) At-Tawwaab (The Acceptor of Repentance), Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger), Al-Afuww (The Forgiver), Ar-Ra’oof (The Kind), Malik-ul-Mulk (The Owner of all Sovereignty), Dhul-Jalaal-e-wal- Ikraam (Lord of Majesty and Honour), Al-Muqsit (The Requiter), Al-Jaami’ (The Gatherer), Al-Ghani (The Independent), Al-Mughni (The Emancipator), Al-Maani’ (The Shielder), Adh-Dhaar (The Afflictor), An-Naafi’ (The Benefactor), An-Noor (The Light), Al-Haadi (The Guide), Al-Badee’ (The Incomparable), Al-Baaqi (The Everlasting), Al-Waarith (The Inheritor of All), Ar-Rasheed (The Guide to the Right Path) or As-Saboor (The Patient).
Subhanallah, the Name by which a person calls upon His Lord for forgiveness is ‘Rabb’, he says ‘Rabbana’ (My Lord). From all the attributes of Allah, our connection is strongest with the word ‘Rabb’. Allah is our Lord, our controller and sustainer. From our births to the times that we die, our dependency is upon our Rabb. Each stage of our lives requires provision and it is our Rabb (Lord) that provides. No matter the age or condition of a person, the Lord sees and provides what we need. Take for example a new-born child who begins to learn how to feed from the milk of its mother. This is indeed a sign of Allah’s wisdom. And from that milk the baby attains nourishment to support all his internal organs and outer body and development. This sustenance is received by the baby despite having no teeth in its mouth. And as the baby becomes a child and begins to grow some teeth, Allah provides food suitable for the child’s age. And when he is fully grown Allah gives him a variety of food and drink as sustenance.
Subhanallah, Allah reminds us to be grateful and appreciate what we are given. And those who are grateful, do indeed turn to their Lord and say, ‘All Praise is for You, for You are the One who provides, You gave us food and drink and most of all gave us Imaan’. So to call upon Allah with the words ‘Rabbana’ (My Lord), was taught to Adam alayhi salaam.
When the servant says’ Rabbana’, he acknowledges Allah is the one who gave him everything yet he sinned and this is a sign of remorse and acceptance that there is no other way and that it was very bad of me to disobey the One from whom I get everything.
An example of that is that a good, modest and pious person will always remember someone who has helped them, with either money or any other favour or kindness.
And since one of the conditions of Taubah is regret, the use of the word Rabbana, immediately creates a condition of regret in the mind of the person who is repenting. Feeling shameful, regretful and having humility before Allah is essential in Taubah.
And this method of Taubah started with Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam. For countless years, Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam would fall onto his knees in Taubah, and his regret was not that he lost the life in Jannah but His regret and shame was that he had disobeyed a command of Allah. He was remorseful that he had made a mistake after being given such a high status and favour from Allah.
Taubah is so powerful that it can stop a person from entering the Hellfire. A person may have lived a sinful life for many years, but if one day he has regret, remorse and then turns to Allah in repentance, Allah will forgive him.
This is the point to remember when we do sincere Taubah. It is the Taubah done in this manner that makes Jannah the destination and the Hellfire very distant. Those tears that are shed in remorse and regret during Taubah are very precious. Repentance without regret is not repentance and in fact we should even repent from such fake forms of repentance.
The second step of Taubah is:
ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا
we have wronged ourselves
It is to recognise that we have harmed ourselves by disobeying Allah. We have oppressed ourselves, been unjust and wronged ourselves. Oppression (Zulm) can come in many forms, for example if you slap someone, swear at someone, take someone’s wealth and to take someone else’s right is Zulm. And the punishment for Zulm will be whatever Allah has prescribed for it.
Big punishments has been described in the Ahadeeth regarding opressors. If you deny the rights of people that are due to them, that is Zulm. For example, if a husband does not fulfil the rights of his wife, he is committing an act of oppression, and if a wife does not fulfil the right of her husband, them she is committing an act of oppression too. Now there is another point here. Remember that the Shari’ah does not say that if a person is a Zaalim (oppressor) towards you then you must also become a zaalim (oppressor) towards them. Just because one person is being sinful, it does not mean the other person should also commit those sins. So when faced with oppression, a person should not become vengeful, but should rather stand for what is true and right. We must always keep ourselves within the limits of the Shari’ah and Sunnah.
There is another point I would like to mention. If you are following the rules of Islam, but in your heart you are feeling that they are too restrictive for you and you have this internal battle with yourself where you are continuously doubting whether Allah’s decree in law is correct, then be careful that this could endanger your Iman. Make your condition such that you become pleased with what Allah has decreed. The stronger the Iman, the more love with which a person will embrace the commands of Allah subhana wa ta’ala.
Returning to the method of Taubah. The first thing was to have humility and recognise that we have wronged ourselves and been oppressors to ourselves. This is why we call upon Allah with the words ‘Rabbana’ (Our Lord). There are three occasions in the Qur’an where Allah has used the word ‘Rabb’ for connection with the human race. In one place Allah has said:
وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرٗا
And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."
(Surah Al-Israa, verse 24)
Allah subhana wa ta’ala is the Rabb, however Allah has called our parents as the temporary sustainers. The true Rabb is Allah, and the temporary sustainers are the mother and the father of a person. From this we can imagine the status of the mother and the father. And surely there are rights due to them from their children. Now this in itself is a vast topic, and on another day I will discuss with you the rights that are due to the parents. Their rights are so important that we cannot comprehend them. For example if a person’s mother is calling him while he is praying then he is permitted to break his prayer and attend to his mother as she may be in need of essential assistance. It has also been stated that if you smile at your father, you will get the reward of Hajj. A Sahabi asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if that reward was for every time you smile at your father, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied that yes each time you look at your father in this way you will get that reward. Subhanallah. The status of the parents is such that Paradise lies in their feet (meaning that serving them takes us to Jannah). The Qur’an tells us to not even say ‘uff’ in front of them, meaning do not behave in any way that will cause them any anguish or discomfort. Why? Because they are ‘rabb’ who raised and supported you when you needed it in your infancy and your childhood.
The permanent and true Rabb is Allah. And it is He who placed the feelings of love, affection and care in the hearts of the parents. Parents will devote their lives for their children. Fathers will work hard day and night to support them and mothers will sacrifice their own comforts for the comforts of their children. Hence it is only the true Rabb, Allah subhana wa ta’ala and those parents that will sustain and provide for the children. The parents will share in the happiness and sorrow of their children. Even when their children become adults and live far away the parents will cry and make dua for their children. The love of the parents is instilled in them by Allah and this love is pure. Both the true Rabb and the parents have rights.
In fact when a person does Taubah he needs to look at what rights are due to Allah and his parents. Then there is a third person, who sustains you. Your parents take care of your physical upbringing but inside you is your soul. The Rooh also needs to be provided for and for the nourishment of the Rooh, Allah subhana wa ta’ala has selected some special people known as the friends of Allah, who have been give the duty to feed the souls of mankind. These friends of Allah are gentle kind people with so much love for Allah’s creation in their hearts. So much so that they save those souls who are close to the Hellfire and pull them back towards Allah. And this is the third time the word rabb applies.
Their love for Allah’s creation is so much that they spend their days and nights worrying for the people and their mission becomes to save as many people as they can from the Hellfire. They are the doctors of the souls who heal the diseased and ill souls.
The rights are for the One true Lord who is Allah, the temporary rabb who are the parents and the spiritual rabb, who sustains and cares for the Rooh who are the blessed Mashaa’ikh of the Deen. These men of Allah are constantly consumed by their duty to Allah and wake up in the middle of the night to make duas for people with whom they have no family relations.
The Sheikh will have no blood relations with his mureed yet he will worry for him and that makes him the spiritual father. Remember that if you are not fulfilling the rights of Allah, your parents and your Sheikh then you are in a very precarious position.
Rabbana zalamna, zalamna is injustice. So a person accepts that after all the favours that Allah has bestowed upon him, he has continued to be unjust towards himself by sinning. The first thing is regret and remorse for the sins that have been committed. A person must accept that he has wronged himself by disobeying Allah. A person remembers the mercy and Rahmah of His Lord while confessing his sins to Allah. While remembering that despite his disobedience to Allah, Allah continued to feed him and provide him with the provisions of life such as clothes and cars. And not only does he acknowledge his sins he also remembers how Allah kept his transgressions hidden from the world. He realises that he continued to sin despite knowing that Allah watching and is very remorseful of his attitude.
There is another point here to note regarding those people that have been so consumed by their sins that Shaytaan has surrounded them and made them busy in activities that take a person far from Allah. And Shaytaan tells them not to worry and continue sinning because Allah is forgiving and merciful. He tells them that they are crazy not to enjoy themselves with sin because Allah is very forgiving, so they have no need to worry about Taubah and leaving their sins.
Now, yes, it is true that Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful. There is no doubt in that. And yes the Messenger of Allah salallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the Rahmat-ul-lil-aalameen (mercy to the worlds). But when a person sins, Taubah becomes essential. In the Qur’an, Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells the people that when they did zulm upon themselves they should go to His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and repent and that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would make dua of maghfirah for them.
Shaytaan however tells us to continue sinning. He tells us to keep shaving our beards, keep listening to music and dancing. He tells us to vist the Haramain but to continue sinning at the same time. Remember that Shaytaans biggest trick is to make a person trivialise his sins.
My brothers, the Haramain and the Raudah Mubarak are definitely blessed places to visit and plces for maghfirah. So to go there and not make Taubah would be wrong. When oyu go there, make sure to repent for your sins. Shaytaan however has tricked the majority of people that visit these sacred places. They seem to think that by just being there they are blessed and have no concern for giving up the sins that they do on a regular basis.
The condition of the Auliya’Allah was such that they would spent their nights in worship. There feet would swell from standing before their Lord in worship. Yet when the morning would come, they would call upon Allah saying, “O my Lord, I have committed so many sins, please forgive me for it is only Your mercy and fadhal that can save me”
Remember that even if we think we are steadfast upon the Deen, we are still in need of repentance because Shaytaan makes us think we are perfect. It is one of Shaytaan’s deceptions that he keeps telling us that we are fine the way we are living our lives and that there is no need for Taubah.
My friends, do not be offended when I say that it is not right that we visit the blessed Raudah with clean shaven faces and a multitude of sins for which we have not repented. Do not play a game with the Deen, for by doing so we only deceive ourselves.
Zalamna anfusnaa (we have wronged ourselves). To accept your sins and have regret and remorse is the first step of Taubah. Those who do not accept they have done anything wrong when they sin are categorised as arrogant. People who are stubborn upon their sins and do not care if they are doing any wrong. They do not like it if anyone advises them against their sins and continue to do so as if it is the norm. Allah states that those who see nothing wrong in being sinful and disobedient to Allah are of the mutakabbireen (arrogant people).
There are two groups. Firstly there are those who are stubborn in their ways and have no concern for Taubah and these people whether they realise it or not are with Shaytaan. The second group are those people, who after they have sinned are overcome by regret and remorse and turn to Allah in repentance and these are the people with Adam alayhi salaam.
So those people who are from the arrogant, who continue to sin without any shame or regret, who despite verbally saying the words of Taubah make no change to their lives. They continue to sin, and this stubbornness of theirs makes them the friends of Shaytaan.
Those people who turn to Allah with regret and remorse, and lower their gaze out of humility will demonstrate true change in their lives and their homes. These people will then continue to be patient on the path through good and bad times. They are the people who have indeed done Taubah and Jannah awaits them after they die. The taubah that makes a man humble and this method of Taubah is the Sunnah of Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam.
وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا
and if You do not forgive us
The third point of Taubah is mentioned here in this dua. So the first step was to recognise the favours of Allah and be filled with regret, the second step was to realise that you have harmed only yourself by doing the sin and accepting it as a sin and the third thing is to know that the only way to rectify the matter is to seek Allah’s forgiveness. It is at this point a person pleads with and begs Allah to forgive him. This step is the conclusion of the first two steps of Taubah. A person needs to be aware that the only way he can save himself is by seeking the forgiveness of Allah, and that without the mercy of Allah he will surely be doomed.
Now what is forgiveness? What are its principles? For example you wrong another human being. You will ask that person to forgive you. And while you are asking a person to forgive you, there will be two emotions that you will feel. The first feeling is that you will feel bad for having wronged that person (for example you may have sworn at them) and then the second feeling you will have is that in your mind you will be thinking that you will certainly not behave like that again.
When we seek forgiveness from Allah, these same two emotions should be running through us. To feel bad for committing sins and to have the intention to never do them again. With Taubah a person makes a true promise to Allah to refrain from sins.
وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers
This is the fourth point of Taubah. It is an appeal to Allah for His mercy.
For example, a person is in a court, and he pleads to the judge to have some mercy and pardon him for some crime. In the same we appeal to Allah for His mercy when we do Taubah.
A person is remorseful and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, but despite that he is aware that forgiveness comes with the mercy of Allah for He is the Ghafoor-ur-Raheem (The Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful). And it is at this fourth step of Taubah that a person can truly say that Allah is Ghafoor-ur-Raheem.
Those who are claiming that Allah is Ghafoor-ur-Raheem and will forgive them without any consideration for the first three steps of Taubah are deluded. Regret, seeking forgiveness, and the intention to leave sins are the things that give the person the right to ask for Allah’s mercy. Subhanallah. But Shaytaan has dug a trap for us and we continue to fall into it by thinking that Allah will forgives us without us having any regret nor any intention of leaving our sins.
The repenting person then declares that if Allah does not have mercy upon him then there is no way he can succeed. A person knows that he is nothing without the mercy of Allah.
My friends, a beautiful point is coming to mind and that is that no matter how sinful a person had been, if he is a believer then he will always have hope in Allah. In fact this sinful believer who is turning to Allah in repentance is rekindling and increasing his love for Allah with these special words of Taubah.
For example a child wants something from his mother, he might try to use emotional blackmail to get what he wants such as he might threaten to harm himself. This action of the child rekindles the passion of love that the mother has for her child and she gives her child what he wants because she wants no harm to come to her child.
So when a person begs for Allah’s mercy and says that he will be among the losers, the people of the hellfire if Allah does not forgive him, the immediately the Mercy of Allah envelops him. Allah says that He is Tawwaab-ur-Raheem (The acceptor of repentance, the Merciful). When Allah’s servant is crying and pleading and mentioning that he will be destroyed if Allah does not forgive him, then Allah has mercy upon His servant. Allah loves his servant when he turns to Him in repentance in the manner of Adam alayhi salaam, and forgives him his sins. And not only does Allah forgive him, but all his sins are transformed by Allah into good deeds. Subhanallah.
My brothers, Allah subhana wa ta’ala gave an invaluable gift to Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam. Do not ever leave this powerful gift. Shaytaan and our Nafs may try to take us towards haram and sinful things, but as long as we have this true method for Taubah we have hope. And there is no limit to how many times we do Taubah, but each Taubah should be in this manner. Each time the Taubah must contain these four steps. Step 1: To recognise the favours of Allah and that be humble before Him for He is our Rabb. Step 2: To accept that we have wronged ourselves by sinning and accept that we have been sinful. Step 3: To plead with Allah for forgives and step 4: To be hopeful of the mercy of Allah.
If we do Taubah in this manner then insha’allah we will be saved from the Hellfire. Do not be afraid of Taubah and do not let Shaytaan make you think that Taubah will be an obstacle in your worldly lives.
I pray to Allah to give us the taufeeq to practise all that has been mentioned today. Ameen.
The Taubah of Adam alayhi salaam
Tuesday 11th August 2020
21st Dhul-Hijjah 1441
نحمده و نصلى على رسوله الكريم،
قال الله تعالى فى القرآن المجيد،
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
إنّ الله وملإٍٰکتہ یصلّون على النّبى يا أيها الذين آمنوا صلّوا عليه و سلِّموا تسليما
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمد معدن الجود والکرم
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمدو الہ ألف الف مرّة
الّلهم صلى على سيدنا ومولانا محمد وآله وأصحابه وبارك وسلم
أما بعد
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٖ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Then ’Ādam learned certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Most-Relenting, the Most-Merciful.
(Surah Al Baqarah, verse 37)
Allah subhana wa ta’ala in His infinite wisdom, made the decision that Adam alayhi salaam and his descendants would live on this planet known as Earth. Adam alayhi salaam was placed on Earth and that was the decision of Allah.
Everything that happened before man’s arrival on Earth was in fact a preparation for life on Earth. The crown of khilafah that was given to Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam was not for representation in the heavens. It was in fact the crown for khilafah on the Earth.
Shaytaan thought that this crown of khilafah should have gone to him and not to Adam alayhi salaam, and it was this jealousy and arrogance that caused his downfall. When the world was being prepared, he thought that he would be the khalifah on the Earth since he could not see anyone around him that was more devout in worship. In fact he harboured that desire for status. However, as Allah says that He knows what we know not.
Allah prepared this world for Bani Adam. And it is the way of the world that when a person goes from one place to another, he goes with the expectation that he will find whatever he needs such as food and comforts etc. This Dunya has been made very beautiful by Allah subhana wa ta’ala, however Adam alayhi salaam had come here from Jannah, and compared to Paradise this Earth was nothing special. But for the descendants of Adam this world is a beautiful place with mountains, valleys, lakes, deserts, rainforests, oceans, rivers and the beauty of the sun setting in the sea. The moon on the fourteenth night and many other beautiful spectacles exist on Earth.
Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam had seen Paradise and knew of its beauty. However the Earth was also prepared with a landscape of natural beauty on Earth for the children of Adam alayhi salaam to give them an idea of how much more amazing Jannah will be.
It should also be noted that humans were not the first creatures on Earth. It had been around long before and many Shayateen and jinn had been living here before us.
Shaytaan has the power to run through the veins of people and he is the biggest enemy of mankind. He also has jinn who follow him and carry out his commands with the aim of leading men astray. A person has two enemies: Shaytaan and his own unlawful desires (from his Nafs). On top of this the Dunya is also populated by many evil things. Sins are all around us. Immodesty, disrespect and many other sins exist on this planet. The Earth is full of attractions that can take you away from Allah.
We have Shaytaan, our Nafs and the attractions of the Dunya to contend with. And then Allah has created us with certain natural inclinations that are not in any other creation. Unlike the angels who are created from Noor and have only one function which is to worship Allah and carry out any duties given to them, mankind has been created with inclination towards both ‘khayr’ (goodness) and ‘sharr’ (evil) within them. Hence both Khayr and Sharr are present within the various attractions of the world. And it will be human nature to have some inclination towards all attractions whether they be good or evil. So how can we protect ourselves from going towards evil attractions when it is something we desire to do?
This presence of both Khayr and Sharr is part of the test for human kind on Earth. Remember that the harder the test, the greater the reward and status will be for passing it. This life on Earth is very temporary. It seems that years will go by in the blink of an eye. The Mashaai’kh have stated that ‘good times do not last, and nor do the times of hardship. Do not be fearful of hardship, as this is all very temporary and the true life is the eternal life of the Akhirah’. Do not expect the Dunya to be Paradise, we are only here for a short time. Be strong and steadfast upon the Deen during both times of prosperity and times of hardship.
Allah ta’ala has placed this test upon us, hence He will certainly have given us the tools to pass this test despite all the sinful temptations of the world. When Shaytaan and the Nafs are pulling us towards evil, how can we still pass this test of life with success? We will need to overcome all these unlawful desires and not disobey Allah. If we succumb to our desires and hasten towards evil and live our lives in this manner then it should be noted that Allah has prepared the Hellfire for those who disobey Allah by indulging in evil without any repentance nor remorse.
My brothers, this is the story of life. The message of the Qur’an from Alif Laam Meen to wa’annaas is to save ourselves from evil and to hasten towards goodness but we have given our lives another purpose. We do what we want and whatever we feel, and forget the real purpose of life.
Remember that Sharr (evil) and Khayr (good) are opposites. Allah created both good and evil and then gave us the freedom of choice while giving us the strength and will to do both. However with these things Allah gave us warnings and guidelines and explained the rewards of goodness and the consequences of evil. Hence our objective is to go through life by steering clear of the objects of evil. Despite having the desire to do some evil things inside, it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from harm and this is the test of life.
A person goes through many phases in his life, and at each stage there is a test and a trial because a person is regularly faced by Khayr and Sharr in this world. And Allah informs us that he has given us the power to save ourselves from evil. And we also have the choice to fall in the trap of evil. This choice travels with us through all the weeks, months and years in our lives. All our daily actions and pursuits, whether it be family, friends or work, will consist of these two choices between khayr and sharr.
For example there will be wrong and right methods for doing business. There will be wrong and right methods for socialising or for having a relationship. There is a good and bad way to sit down and eat. Even in the action of drinking water, there is a good method and a bad method. Hence every action in life can be done in one of these two ways. We have the ability to choose whether we want to apply the method of khayr or the method of sharr in our actions.
Some people will make the excuse that they cannot control who they are and that it is in their destiny to be sinful and will not make any effort to change their ways. They say that if everything is already destined then what is the point of even trying?
Remember that apart from the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, all humanity is given the choice. So how do some of these people become friends of Allah? Now some people will say that they were destined to become so that is why they are. And because Allah made it easy for them to do so whereas we find it difficult to stay from sins. Allah gave them kashf and status, he did not give us those things. My friends, this is not the case. The friends of Allah are human and so are we. They too have to face life with the choice of Khayr and Sharr and they too possess desires inside them. The difference is that we have succumbed to our desires, whereas they did mujahidah and fought so hard against any sinful desires that they eventually became pure. The friend of Allah understands the difference between good and evil and hence embraces the khayr and fights continuously against evil by refraining from it and eradicating its desire from his heart. Instead of complaining, if we did this too, then we too would become friends of Allah.
The Prophets are the only human beings that were created with innocence. i.e they had no desires for sin within them. All other men will have some desire for sin, however the friends of Allah work hard to eradicated any sinful desires within them and this is what is called tazkiyah of the Nafs.
This life is a place for hard work, and he who works hard to finish his sins, will succeed in this Dunya and in the Akhirah. Now if we feel too lazy to make any effort on this important thing then this is our choice. Even if a person of high spiritual status suddenly turns to Sharr, then he will certainly fall, hence life is a continuous struggle against evil.
The Hikmah of Allah is beyond our comprehension and we should never contest His decision. When Allah wishes to give a high status to a person, He may do so by making that person experience some difficult times in his life. Allah ta’ala may bring that sinful person back towards Him by making him pass through times of difficulty, illness, distress, worry, anxiety and sadness. And in his pain this person may turn to Allah. Although there are also cases of people turning to Allah without having faced any hardship, these cases seldom and very few. The Hikmah of Allah is beyond our understanding but most people who turn to Allah do so after facing some form of emotional or physical distress. And this is all because Allah wants to save us.
That difficulty and illness becomes a blessing when a person repents and turns to Allah because his hardships have reminded him of Allah. There are people who will still not turn to Allah in their hardship but that is their choice.
What I can say is that many a person has attained a status of wilayah after turning to Allah after experiencing some hardships in their lives. There are many hardships people can face such as illnesses and disputes. So when you are faced with hardship, then take it as a message from Allah that we need to amend our ways and turn to Allah in repentance and eradicate sins from our lives. And when a person turns to Allah, He elevates that person’s status and rank. This is one method by which a person can become closer to Allah.
Allah gives mankind the freedom to choose between good and evil. Now the human being is in a situation where he is surrounded by Sharr. And Shaytaan has said that he will come towards us from all directions to try and mislead us. So how can we be safe from him?
Remember that Adam alayhi salaam was made a khalifah of Allah. Allah placed on Earth a system by which to counter evil. Where there is evil there will be a method to defeat it. Subhanallah. Allah gives us assistance and the tools to protect ourselves from Shaytaan.
To this end, Allah subhana wa ta’ala gave Adam alayhi salaam a gift, such a powerful gift. A gift that when a person has almost given up and close to total despair will come to his rescue. What was this gift that completed Adam alayhi salaams preparation from life on Earth? A gift that was not only for Adam alayhi salaam but it was for all his children and descendants which includes us. This gift was the love for His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah subhana wa ta’ala wanted to spread this love among the whole of Bani Adam.
The greatest gift to Adam alayhi salaam was that Allah’s Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would be born from his offspring. Subhanallah.
Allah gave humanity His most beloved thing. And that is His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And this gift is greater and more powerful than any Sharr or evil. Despite all of Shaytaans evil, deception and trickery, it is all nothing in comparison to the power of goodness and beauty of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is Haq (truth). Such a great truth and light that all darkness fades before it. And with this gift Allah gave another gift of truth and that was ‘Haqq-e-Taubah’ (The truth of repentance). Repentance is such a great gift to mankind that when a person repents sincerely, Allah subhana wa ta’ala wipes away his sins and cleans him of all his past transgressions. It is indeed a massive favour from Allah. The taufeeq to do Taubah is an amazing gift from Allah subhana wa ta’la.
The children of Adam were given this method to purify themselves. We have been told that if we commit a sin which is very likely as mentioned in a Hadeeth, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once asked the Sahaba if a person could walk through water without getting wet, the Sahabah replied that a person would get wet, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that in the same way a person will not be able to completely avoid the Dunya while living in it. So Allah has given us a beautiful solution.
Men commit many sins such as stealing, fornication and crime. People become disobedient to Allah in many ways. But all is never lost as long as a person utilises the gift of Taubah. Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells us that if we repent sincerely before the angel of death comes to us, then He will wipe away all our sins and take us close to Him. Allahu akbar, my friends what a great favour this is.
Shaytaan, his cronies and our own Nafs all work hard on trying to take us down the wrong path and try their best to lead us to the Hellfire but sometimes in his final moments a person repents from all his sins before death arrives.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala accepts the sincere repentance of His servant even if it is only five minutes before death was due to arrive to him. Subhanallah, all his sins are erased.
Taubah is a great tool and resource for a human being. Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam was sent to the world with this ‘truth’. Allah states in the Qur’an:
فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٖ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِۚ
Then ’Ādam learned certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala prepared Adam alayhi salaam for life on Earth. Then Adam alayhi salaam received ilhaam from his Lord. Allah taught Adam alayhi salaam some kalimaat.
And these kalimaat are very powerful and a great wealth for mankind. Yet we continually fall in the trap of Shaytaan and run away from this. He keeps telling us not to repent. He gives us excuses and makes us think that our world will turn upside down if we turn in repentance to Allah. Shaytaan makes us fearful of Taubah. He makes us scared of something that is the great source of salvation. Allah tells us to ignore Shaytaan and turn to Him in repentance. And remember, we can do Taubah again and again. If we slip up we must turn to Allah. Provided that each time this repentance is sincere. A person may get tired of doing istighfaar but Allah will never tire from forgiving His servant. Subhanallah.
For example you walk outside and your gaze is attracted to appearance of a non-mahrum, Shaytaan will get happy that he has caused you to commit zina of the eyes. But if you immediately realise your mistake and turn away and seek the forgiveness of Allah then that will be like a slap in the face of Shaytaan. Remember there are no limits to how many times we can turn to Allah in repentance, yet Shaytaan has made us think that it is a difficult thing to do with negative impact on our worldly lives. Shaytaan has imprisoned us in this fear that has made us afraid to do Taubah. He tries to herd us away from the greatest tool for wiping away our sins.
In the above verse Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells us that He gave Adam alayhi salaam some kalimaat to recite and then He forgave him. Allahu akbar. He taught Adam alayhi salaam the method for Taubah. And these kalimaat have been revealed in the Qur’an:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
(Surah Al-A’raaf, verse 23)
The first thing to note here is that despite all the beautiful names and attributes of Allah, He gave the word Rabb (Lord). To call upon him with the words Rabbana (Our Lord) and these are the words by which to call upon Allah when repenting. Allah has many attributes, but only the attribute ‘Rabb’ (Lord) is mentioned in this verse. He did not mention any of His other attributes such as Ar-Rahmaan (The Compassionate), Ar-Raheem (The Merciful), Al-Malik (The Master), Al-Quddoos (The Sacred), As-Salaam (The Giver of Peace), Al-Mu’min (The Granter of Belief), Al-Muhaymin (The Protector), Al-Azeez (The Almighty), Al-Jabbaar (The All-Powerful), Al-Mutakabbir (The Supreme), Al-Khaaliq (The Creator), Al-Baari’ (The Initiator), Al-Musawwir (The Designer), Al-Ghaffaar (The Forgiver), Al-Qahhaar (The Triumphant), Al-Wahhaab (The Bestower), Ar-Razzaaq (The Provider of Sustenance), Al-Fattaah (The Reliever), Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing), Al-Qaabidh (The Absolute Seizer), Al-Baasit (The Expander (of provision), Al-Khaafidh (The Subjugator (of evil)), Ar-Raafi’ (The Exalter), Al-Mu’izz (The Bestower of honour), Al-Mudhill (This Giver of dishonour), As-Samee’ (The All-Hearing), Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing), Al-Hakam (The Judge), Al-Adl (The Just), Al-Lateef (The Gentle), Al-Khabeer (The All-Aware), Al-Haleem (The Forbearing), Al-Azeem (The Most Great), Al-Ghafoor (The Oft-Forgiving), Ash-Shakoor(The Multiplier of Rewards), Al-‘Aliyy (The Most High), Al-Kabeer (The Great), Al-Hafeedh (The Preserver), Al-Muqeet (The Nourisher), Al-Haseeb (The Bringer of Judgment), Al-Jaleel (The Majestic), Al-Kareem (The Generous), Ar-Raqeeb (The Ever-Watchful), Al-Mujeeb (The Accepter of Invocation), Al-Waasi’ (The All-Encompassing), Al-Hakeem (The Wise), Al-Wadood (The Affectionate), Al-Majeed (The All-Glorious), Al-Baa’ith (The Resurrector), Ash-Shaheed (The Witness), Al-Haqq (The Truth), Al-Wakeel (The Trustee), Al-Qawiyy (The Strong), Al-Mateen (The Firm), Al-Waliyy (The Helper), Al-Hameed (The All-Praiseworthy), Al-Muhsiyy (The Accounter), Al-Mubdi (The Orginator), Al-Mu’eed (The Restorer), Al-Muhyiyy (The Giver of Life), Al-Mumeet (The Bringer of Death), Al-Hayy (The Living), Al-Qayyoom (The Subsisting), Al-Waajid (The Unfailing), Al-Maajid (The Illustrious), Al-Waahid (The Unique), Al-Ahad (The One), As-Samad (The Eternal), Al-Qaadir (The All-Powerful), Al-Muqtadir (The Determiner), Al-Muqaddim (The One Who Brings Forward), Al-Mu’akhir (The One Who Puts Far Away), Al-Awwal (The First), Al-Aaakhir (The Endless), Adh-Dhaahir (The Manifest), Al-Baatin (The Hidden), Al-Waaliy (The Patron), Al-Muta’aaliy (The Most High), Al-Barr (The Good) At-Tawwaab (The Acceptor of Repentance), Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger), Al-Afuww (The Forgiver), Ar-Ra’oof (The Kind), Malik-ul-Mulk (The Owner of all Sovereignty), Dhul-Jalaal-e-wal- Ikraam (Lord of Majesty and Honour), Al-Muqsit (The Requiter), Al-Jaami’ (The Gatherer), Al-Ghani (The Independent), Al-Mughni (The Emancipator), Al-Maani’ (The Shielder), Adh-Dhaar (The Afflictor), An-Naafi’ (The Benefactor), An-Noor (The Light), Al-Haadi (The Guide), Al-Badee’ (The Incomparable), Al-Baaqi (The Everlasting), Al-Waarith (The Inheritor of All), Ar-Rasheed (The Guide to the Right Path) or As-Saboor (The Patient).
Subhanallah, the Name by which a person calls upon His Lord for forgiveness is ‘Rabb’, he says ‘Rabbana’ (My Lord). From all the attributes of Allah, our connection is strongest with the word ‘Rabb’. Allah is our Lord, our controller and sustainer. From our births to the times that we die, our dependency is upon our Rabb. Each stage of our lives requires provision and it is our Rabb (Lord) that provides. No matter the age or condition of a person, the Lord sees and provides what we need. Take for example a new-born child who begins to learn how to feed from the milk of its mother. This is indeed a sign of Allah’s wisdom. And from that milk the baby attains nourishment to support all his internal organs and outer body and development. This sustenance is received by the baby despite having no teeth in its mouth. And as the baby becomes a child and begins to grow some teeth, Allah provides food suitable for the child’s age. And when he is fully grown Allah gives him a variety of food and drink as sustenance.
Subhanallah, Allah reminds us to be grateful and appreciate what we are given. And those who are grateful, do indeed turn to their Lord and say, ‘All Praise is for You, for You are the One who provides, You gave us food and drink and most of all gave us Imaan’. So to call upon Allah with the words ‘Rabbana’ (My Lord), was taught to Adam alayhi salaam.
When the servant says’ Rabbana’, he acknowledges Allah is the one who gave him everything yet he sinned and this is a sign of remorse and acceptance that there is no other way and that it was very bad of me to disobey the One from whom I get everything.
An example of that is that a good, modest and pious person will always remember someone who has helped them, with either money or any other favour or kindness.
And since one of the conditions of Taubah is regret, the use of the word Rabbana, immediately creates a condition of regret in the mind of the person who is repenting. Feeling shameful, regretful and having humility before Allah is essential in Taubah.
And this method of Taubah started with Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam. For countless years, Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam would fall onto his knees in Taubah, and his regret was not that he lost the life in Jannah but His regret and shame was that he had disobeyed a command of Allah. He was remorseful that he had made a mistake after being given such a high status and favour from Allah.
Taubah is so powerful that it can stop a person from entering the Hellfire. A person may have lived a sinful life for many years, but if one day he has regret, remorse and then turns to Allah in repentance, Allah will forgive him.
This is the point to remember when we do sincere Taubah. It is the Taubah done in this manner that makes Jannah the destination and the Hellfire very distant. Those tears that are shed in remorse and regret during Taubah are very precious. Repentance without regret is not repentance and in fact we should even repent from such fake forms of repentance.
The second step of Taubah is:
ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا
we have wronged ourselves
It is to recognise that we have harmed ourselves by disobeying Allah. We have oppressed ourselves, been unjust and wronged ourselves. Oppression (Zulm) can come in many forms, for example if you slap someone, swear at someone, take someone’s wealth and to take someone else’s right is Zulm. And the punishment for Zulm will be whatever Allah has prescribed for it.
Big punishments has been described in the Ahadeeth regarding opressors. If you deny the rights of people that are due to them, that is Zulm. For example, if a husband does not fulfil the rights of his wife, he is committing an act of oppression, and if a wife does not fulfil the right of her husband, them she is committing an act of oppression too. Now there is another point here. Remember that the Shari’ah does not say that if a person is a Zaalim (oppressor) towards you then you must also become a zaalim (oppressor) towards them. Just because one person is being sinful, it does not mean the other person should also commit those sins. So when faced with oppression, a person should not become vengeful, but should rather stand for what is true and right. We must always keep ourselves within the limits of the Shari’ah and Sunnah.
There is another point I would like to mention. If you are following the rules of Islam, but in your heart you are feeling that they are too restrictive for you and you have this internal battle with yourself where you are continuously doubting whether Allah’s decree in law is correct, then be careful that this could endanger your Iman. Make your condition such that you become pleased with what Allah has decreed. The stronger the Iman, the more love with which a person will embrace the commands of Allah subhana wa ta’ala.
Returning to the method of Taubah. The first thing was to have humility and recognise that we have wronged ourselves and been oppressors to ourselves. This is why we call upon Allah with the words ‘Rabbana’ (Our Lord). There are three occasions in the Qur’an where Allah has used the word ‘Rabb’ for connection with the human race. In one place Allah has said:
وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرٗا
And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."
(Surah Al-Israa, verse 24)
Allah subhana wa ta’ala is the Rabb, however Allah has called our parents as the temporary sustainers. The true Rabb is Allah, and the temporary sustainers are the mother and the father of a person. From this we can imagine the status of the mother and the father. And surely there are rights due to them from their children. Now this in itself is a vast topic, and on another day I will discuss with you the rights that are due to the parents. Their rights are so important that we cannot comprehend them. For example if a person’s mother is calling him while he is praying then he is permitted to break his prayer and attend to his mother as she may be in need of essential assistance. It has also been stated that if you smile at your father, you will get the reward of Hajj. A Sahabi asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if that reward was for every time you smile at your father, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied that yes each time you look at your father in this way you will get that reward. Subhanallah. The status of the parents is such that Paradise lies in their feet (meaning that serving them takes us to Jannah). The Qur’an tells us to not even say ‘uff’ in front of them, meaning do not behave in any way that will cause them any anguish or discomfort. Why? Because they are ‘rabb’ who raised and supported you when you needed it in your infancy and your childhood.
The permanent and true Rabb is Allah. And it is He who placed the feelings of love, affection and care in the hearts of the parents. Parents will devote their lives for their children. Fathers will work hard day and night to support them and mothers will sacrifice their own comforts for the comforts of their children. Hence it is only the true Rabb, Allah subhana wa ta’ala and those parents that will sustain and provide for the children. The parents will share in the happiness and sorrow of their children. Even when their children become adults and live far away the parents will cry and make dua for their children. The love of the parents is instilled in them by Allah and this love is pure. Both the true Rabb and the parents have rights.
In fact when a person does Taubah he needs to look at what rights are due to Allah and his parents. Then there is a third person, who sustains you. Your parents take care of your physical upbringing but inside you is your soul. The Rooh also needs to be provided for and for the nourishment of the Rooh, Allah subhana wa ta’ala has selected some special people known as the friends of Allah, who have been give the duty to feed the souls of mankind. These friends of Allah are gentle kind people with so much love for Allah’s creation in their hearts. So much so that they save those souls who are close to the Hellfire and pull them back towards Allah. And this is the third time the word rabb applies.
Their love for Allah’s creation is so much that they spend their days and nights worrying for the people and their mission becomes to save as many people as they can from the Hellfire. They are the doctors of the souls who heal the diseased and ill souls.
The rights are for the One true Lord who is Allah, the temporary rabb who are the parents and the spiritual rabb, who sustains and cares for the Rooh who are the blessed Mashaa’ikh of the Deen. These men of Allah are constantly consumed by their duty to Allah and wake up in the middle of the night to make duas for people with whom they have no family relations.
The Sheikh will have no blood relations with his mureed yet he will worry for him and that makes him the spiritual father. Remember that if you are not fulfilling the rights of Allah, your parents and your Sheikh then you are in a very precarious position.
Rabbana zalamna, zalamna is injustice. So a person accepts that after all the favours that Allah has bestowed upon him, he has continued to be unjust towards himself by sinning. The first thing is regret and remorse for the sins that have been committed. A person must accept that he has wronged himself by disobeying Allah. A person remembers the mercy and Rahmah of His Lord while confessing his sins to Allah. While remembering that despite his disobedience to Allah, Allah continued to feed him and provide him with the provisions of life such as clothes and cars. And not only does he acknowledge his sins he also remembers how Allah kept his transgressions hidden from the world. He realises that he continued to sin despite knowing that Allah watching and is very remorseful of his attitude.
There is another point here to note regarding those people that have been so consumed by their sins that Shaytaan has surrounded them and made them busy in activities that take a person far from Allah. And Shaytaan tells them not to worry and continue sinning because Allah is forgiving and merciful. He tells them that they are crazy not to enjoy themselves with sin because Allah is very forgiving, so they have no need to worry about Taubah and leaving their sins.
Now, yes, it is true that Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful. There is no doubt in that. And yes the Messenger of Allah salallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the Rahmat-ul-lil-aalameen (mercy to the worlds). But when a person sins, Taubah becomes essential. In the Qur’an, Allah subhana wa ta’ala tells the people that when they did zulm upon themselves they should go to His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and repent and that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would make dua of maghfirah for them.
Shaytaan however tells us to continue sinning. He tells us to keep shaving our beards, keep listening to music and dancing. He tells us to vist the Haramain but to continue sinning at the same time. Remember that Shaytaans biggest trick is to make a person trivialise his sins.
My brothers, the Haramain and the Raudah Mubarak are definitely blessed places to visit and plces for maghfirah. So to go there and not make Taubah would be wrong. When oyu go there, make sure to repent for your sins. Shaytaan however has tricked the majority of people that visit these sacred places. They seem to think that by just being there they are blessed and have no concern for giving up the sins that they do on a regular basis.
The condition of the Auliya’Allah was such that they would spent their nights in worship. There feet would swell from standing before their Lord in worship. Yet when the morning would come, they would call upon Allah saying, “O my Lord, I have committed so many sins, please forgive me for it is only Your mercy and fadhal that can save me”
Remember that even if we think we are steadfast upon the Deen, we are still in need of repentance because Shaytaan makes us think we are perfect. It is one of Shaytaan’s deceptions that he keeps telling us that we are fine the way we are living our lives and that there is no need for Taubah.
My friends, do not be offended when I say that it is not right that we visit the blessed Raudah with clean shaven faces and a multitude of sins for which we have not repented. Do not play a game with the Deen, for by doing so we only deceive ourselves.
Zalamna anfusnaa (we have wronged ourselves). To accept your sins and have regret and remorse is the first step of Taubah. Those who do not accept they have done anything wrong when they sin are categorised as arrogant. People who are stubborn upon their sins and do not care if they are doing any wrong. They do not like it if anyone advises them against their sins and continue to do so as if it is the norm. Allah states that those who see nothing wrong in being sinful and disobedient to Allah are of the mutakabbireen (arrogant people).
There are two groups. Firstly there are those who are stubborn in their ways and have no concern for Taubah and these people whether they realise it or not are with Shaytaan. The second group are those people, who after they have sinned are overcome by regret and remorse and turn to Allah in repentance and these are the people with Adam alayhi salaam.
So those people who are from the arrogant, who continue to sin without any shame or regret, who despite verbally saying the words of Taubah make no change to their lives. They continue to sin, and this stubbornness of theirs makes them the friends of Shaytaan.
Those people who turn to Allah with regret and remorse, and lower their gaze out of humility will demonstrate true change in their lives and their homes. These people will then continue to be patient on the path through good and bad times. They are the people who have indeed done Taubah and Jannah awaits them after they die. The taubah that makes a man humble and this method of Taubah is the Sunnah of Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam.
وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا
and if You do not forgive us
The third point of Taubah is mentioned here in this dua. So the first step was to recognise the favours of Allah and be filled with regret, the second step was to realise that you have harmed only yourself by doing the sin and accepting it as a sin and the third thing is to know that the only way to rectify the matter is to seek Allah’s forgiveness. It is at this point a person pleads with and begs Allah to forgive him. This step is the conclusion of the first two steps of Taubah. A person needs to be aware that the only way he can save himself is by seeking the forgiveness of Allah, and that without the mercy of Allah he will surely be doomed.
Now what is forgiveness? What are its principles? For example you wrong another human being. You will ask that person to forgive you. And while you are asking a person to forgive you, there will be two emotions that you will feel. The first feeling is that you will feel bad for having wronged that person (for example you may have sworn at them) and then the second feeling you will have is that in your mind you will be thinking that you will certainly not behave like that again.
When we seek forgiveness from Allah, these same two emotions should be running through us. To feel bad for committing sins and to have the intention to never do them again. With Taubah a person makes a true promise to Allah to refrain from sins.
وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers
This is the fourth point of Taubah. It is an appeal to Allah for His mercy.
For example, a person is in a court, and he pleads to the judge to have some mercy and pardon him for some crime. In the same we appeal to Allah for His mercy when we do Taubah.
A person is remorseful and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, but despite that he is aware that forgiveness comes with the mercy of Allah for He is the Ghafoor-ur-Raheem (The Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful). And it is at this fourth step of Taubah that a person can truly say that Allah is Ghafoor-ur-Raheem.
Those who are claiming that Allah is Ghafoor-ur-Raheem and will forgive them without any consideration for the first three steps of Taubah are deluded. Regret, seeking forgiveness, and the intention to leave sins are the things that give the person the right to ask for Allah’s mercy. Subhanallah. But Shaytaan has dug a trap for us and we continue to fall into it by thinking that Allah will forgives us without us having any regret nor any intention of leaving our sins.
The repenting person then declares that if Allah does not have mercy upon him then there is no way he can succeed. A person knows that he is nothing without the mercy of Allah.
My friends, a beautiful point is coming to mind and that is that no matter how sinful a person had been, if he is a believer then he will always have hope in Allah. In fact this sinful believer who is turning to Allah in repentance is rekindling and increasing his love for Allah with these special words of Taubah.
For example a child wants something from his mother, he might try to use emotional blackmail to get what he wants such as he might threaten to harm himself. This action of the child rekindles the passion of love that the mother has for her child and she gives her child what he wants because she wants no harm to come to her child.
So when a person begs for Allah’s mercy and says that he will be among the losers, the people of the hellfire if Allah does not forgive him, the immediately the Mercy of Allah envelops him. Allah says that He is Tawwaab-ur-Raheem (The acceptor of repentance, the Merciful). When Allah’s servant is crying and pleading and mentioning that he will be destroyed if Allah does not forgive him, then Allah has mercy upon His servant. Allah loves his servant when he turns to Him in repentance in the manner of Adam alayhi salaam, and forgives him his sins. And not only does Allah forgive him, but all his sins are transformed by Allah into good deeds. Subhanallah.
My brothers, Allah subhana wa ta’ala gave an invaluable gift to Hadhrat Adam alayhi salaam. Do not ever leave this powerful gift. Shaytaan and our Nafs may try to take us towards haram and sinful things, but as long as we have this true method for Taubah we have hope. And there is no limit to how many times we do Taubah, but each Taubah should be in this manner. Each time the Taubah must contain these four steps. Step 1: To recognise the favours of Allah and that be humble before Him for He is our Rabb. Step 2: To accept that we have wronged ourselves by sinning and accept that we have been sinful. Step 3: To plead with Allah for forgives and step 4: To be hopeful of the mercy of Allah.
If we do Taubah in this manner then insha’allah we will be saved from the Hellfire. Do not be afraid of Taubah and do not let Shaytaan make you think that Taubah will be an obstacle in your worldly lives.
I pray to Allah to give us the taufeeq to practise all that has been mentioned today. Ameen.
وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانا اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ