Allah ta'ala has granted us the ability to perform good deeds. A human being does not have the ability to perform any good deed unless Allah ta'ala enables him to do so.
Allah ta'ala has blessed us with the Kalimah, yet we still disobey Him. If a person sins despite having faith, then he is disobedient because there is a spiritual sickness within him. Even one act of disobedience and failing to follow a single command of Allah ta'ala is enough for a person to be recorded as disobedient.
There are only two ways by which sins are erased after they are committed: either through punishment in the Hellfire or through sincere repentance to Allah ta'ala. Otherwise, a person remains burdened by those sins. Even if a person engages in abundant worship, he remains a sinner until he sincerely repents.
Every night we should assess our spiritual balance sheet and seek forgiveness from Allah ta'ala. It is a Sunnah to recite Istighfar before retiring to sleep. Each night we should repent sincerely and resolve not to repeat those sins the following day. This firm intention is one of the conditions of true repentance.
Before going to sleep, we should seek forgiveness and recite the Sunnah du'as.
We often fail to reflect upon why we commit sins. If we do not reflect over our sins, we place ourselves in great danger of the punishment of the Hereafter. We may worship Allah ta'ala, but our worship alone does not erase our sins. To believe otherwise is a dangerous misconception. Rather, we must protect our worship by abstaining from sins. If a person worships Allah ta'ala while continuing to indulge in sins without repentance, he is jeopardising the reward of his good deeds.
Why Do We Commit Sins?
We commit sins because there is a spiritual sickness within our hearts. If we do not admit that we are spiritually ill, then we cannot be cured. If we neither control this sickness nor show concern about it, it will continue to spread. If we do not control our sins, they may eventually lead us towards disbelief.
When a person becomes spiritually sick, he gradually loses concern for the Hereafter. He begins to reject opportunities for good deeds and no longer worries about committing sins. His enjoyment of the Deen diminishes. He no longer recognises the seriousness of his sins and feels no remorse after committing them. Likewise, he feels no regret for missing opportunities to perform good deeds or for engaging in wrongdoing.
He becomes unconcerned about abandoning the Sunnah and neglecting prayer in congregation. This is because the sickness within his heart has weakened his concern for the Hereafter. Therefore, every day we should assess the level of concern we have for our Hereafter.
Allah ta'ala praises those who perform good deeds. We should feel happiness when Allah ta'ala grants us the ability to perform a good deed, and we should feel sadness when we miss an opportunity to do good.
Allah ta'ala honours a believer by granting him opportunities to perform righteous deeds, such as acts of worship. Even expressing gratitude to Allah ta'ala for enabling us to perform a single prayer is itself a form of du'a, because du'a is an expression of gratitude to Allah ta'ala. However, if a believer has a spiritual sickness and lacks concern for the Hereafter, then he will have little concern for his prayers and will merely perform them to fulfil the obligation.
In Hadith Qudsi Shareef it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ said:
> "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running." [Bukhari Shareef]
Everything depends upon the belief and certainty of a believer. Allah ta'ala has created Paradise for us, so we should strive to attain its highest ranks. Our striving for Paradise is determined by the strength of our faith and certainty, and Allah ta'ala deals with us according to that certainty. The greater a believer's certainty in the Kalimah, the greater the reward Allah ta'ala will grant him in the Hereafter, and the higher his rank will be.
A person who truly possesses belief and certainty will accept and implement the commands of Allah ta'ala. The proof of true faith is found in one's actions. The stronger a person's faith, the more he will implement the commands of Allah ta'ala. The weaker his faith becomes, the more he will become immersed in sins and the less concern he will have for the Hereafter.
We learn that a person commits sins and abandons prayer because his faith and certainty have weakened. For example, he no longer truly believes in the consequences and punishment for neglecting prayer.
The stronger a person's faith becomes, the greater the enjoyment and satisfaction he experiences in worship. Such a person can never willingly abandon worship. Without faith and certainty, a person will have little regard for worship.
If a person truly understood the value and honour of the Sunnah, he would never abandon it.
Allah ta'ala is the Controller of the entire universe, and He is in complete control of all our affairs. He does whatever He wills, and no one has the right to question or complain about His decisions.
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
"Master of the Day of Judgment." [1:4]
Allah ta'ala is the Owner of the Day of Judgement.
Allah ta'ala could have used the word حاكم, yet He chose the word مالك. Why?
A judge passes judgement according to the laws and regulations of the court or land. Even if he personally wishes otherwise, he cannot go beyond the limits of the law. A master or an owner, however, has complete authority over what he owns. He does as he pleases, and no one can stop him or challenge his decisions.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
> "Allah will bring a believer close and [shelter him] and ask him, ‘Do you recognise such and such sin? Do you confess to such and such sin? He will say, ‘Yes, my Rabb. Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess [all] his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will then say: ‘I concealed your sins in the world and today, I will forgive you.’ He then will be given his book of good deeds." [Bukhari Shareef]
Allah ta'ala is the Judge and the Controller of the universe, and none can challenge His decisions.
Allah ta'ala says that He is with the believer when the believer remembers Him. If we remember Him, He will remember us. This is the means of drawing close to Allah ta'ala. Through His remembrance, a person's rank is elevated, his connection with Allah ta'ala is strengthened, and this closeness is incomparable to any worldly achievement.
It is a great shame that we often attend gatherings of dhikr without passion, enjoyment, or certainty. Instead, we attend merely out of routine and habit.
Allah ta'ala will deal with us in the Hereafter according to the level of certainty we possessed in the Deen. If we fail to cure the sickness of our hearts, we will remain weak believers. A person who has no passion for good deeds, no regret over his sins, and no sincere repentance places himself in great danger and may even leave this world without faith.
The Nabi ﷺ said:
> "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah's) mercy envelops them, Sakinah, or tranquillity descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him." [Muslim Shareef]
The angels travel throughout the heavens searching for gatherings of dhikr. When they find such gatherings, they call the other angels to join them. They all gather around those engaged in the remembrance of Allah ta'ala until the space between the earth and the heavens is filled with angels. It is a great shame that many of us do not truly believe in this reality.
We must strengthen our faith and certainty; otherwise, we risk a terrible outcome in the Hereafter.
How Do We Strengthen Our Belief?
By sitting in the company of those whose faith and certainty are already strong.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.
Allah ta'ala has granted us the ability to perform good deeds. A human being does not have the ability to perform any good deed unless Allah ta'ala enables him to do so.
Allah ta'ala has blessed us with the Kalimah, yet we still disobey Him. If a person sins despite having faith, then he is disobedient because there is a spiritual sickness within him. Even one act of disobedience and failing to follow a single command of Allah ta'ala is enough for a person to be recorded as disobedient.
There are only two ways by which sins are erased after they are committed: either through punishment in the Hellfire or through sincere repentance to Allah ta'ala. Otherwise, a person remains burdened by those sins. Even if a person engages in abundant worship, he remains a sinner until he sincerely repents.
Every night we should assess our spiritual balance sheet and seek forgiveness from Allah ta'ala. It is a Sunnah to recite Istighfar before retiring to sleep. Each night we should repent sincerely and resolve not to repeat those sins the following day. This firm intention is one of the conditions of true repentance.
Before going to sleep, we should seek forgiveness and recite the Sunnah du'as.
We often fail to reflect upon why we commit sins. If we do not reflect over our sins, we place ourselves in great danger of the punishment of the Hereafter. We may worship Allah ta'ala, but our worship alone does not erase our sins. To believe otherwise is a dangerous misconception. Rather, we must protect our worship by abstaining from sins. If a person worships Allah ta'ala while continuing to indulge in sins without repentance, he is jeopardising the reward of his good deeds.
Why Do We Commit Sins?
We commit sins because there is a spiritual sickness within our hearts. If we do not admit that we are spiritually ill, then we cannot be cured. If we neither control this sickness nor show concern about it, it will continue to spread. If we do not control our sins, they may eventually lead us towards disbelief.
When a person becomes spiritually sick, he gradually loses concern for the Hereafter. He begins to reject opportunities for good deeds and no longer worries about committing sins. His enjoyment of the Deen diminishes. He no longer recognises the seriousness of his sins and feels no remorse after committing them. Likewise, he feels no regret for missing opportunities to perform good deeds or for engaging in wrongdoing.
He becomes unconcerned about abandoning the Sunnah and neglecting prayer in congregation. This is because the sickness within his heart has weakened his concern for the Hereafter. Therefore, every day we should assess the level of concern we have for our Hereafter.
Allah ta'ala praises those who perform good deeds. We should feel happiness when Allah ta'ala grants us the ability to perform a good deed, and we should feel sadness when we miss an opportunity to do good.
Allah ta'ala honours a believer by granting him opportunities to perform righteous deeds, such as acts of worship. Even expressing gratitude to Allah ta'ala for enabling us to perform a single prayer is itself a form of du'a, because du'a is an expression of gratitude to Allah ta'ala. However, if a believer has a spiritual sickness and lacks concern for the Hereafter, then he will have little concern for his prayers and will merely perform them to fulfil the obligation.
In Hadith Qudsi Shareef it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ said:
> "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running." [Bukhari Shareef]
Everything depends upon the belief and certainty of a believer. Allah ta'ala has created Paradise for us, so we should strive to attain its highest ranks. Our striving for Paradise is determined by the strength of our faith and certainty, and Allah ta'ala deals with us according to that certainty. The greater a believer's certainty in the Kalimah, the greater the reward Allah ta'ala will grant him in the Hereafter, and the higher his rank will be.
A person who truly possesses belief and certainty will accept and implement the commands of Allah ta'ala. The proof of true faith is found in one's actions. The stronger a person's faith, the more he will implement the commands of Allah ta'ala. The weaker his faith becomes, the more he will become immersed in sins and the less concern he will have for the Hereafter.
We learn that a person commits sins and abandons prayer because his faith and certainty have weakened. For example, he no longer truly believes in the consequences and punishment for neglecting prayer.
The stronger a person's faith becomes, the greater the enjoyment and satisfaction he experiences in worship. Such a person can never willingly abandon worship. Without faith and certainty, a person will have little regard for worship.
If a person truly understood the value and honour of the Sunnah, he would never abandon it.
Allah ta'ala is the Controller of the entire universe, and He is in complete control of all our affairs. He does whatever He wills, and no one has the right to question or complain about His decisions.
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
"Master of the Day of Judgment." [1:4]
Allah ta'ala is the Owner of the Day of Judgement.
Allah ta'ala could have used the word حاكم, yet He chose the word مالك. Why?
A judge passes judgement according to the laws and regulations of the court or land. Even if he personally wishes otherwise, he cannot go beyond the limits of the law. A master or an owner, however, has complete authority over what he owns. He does as he pleases, and no one can stop him or challenge his decisions.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
> "Allah will bring a believer close and [shelter him] and ask him, ‘Do you recognise such and such sin? Do you confess to such and such sin? He will say, ‘Yes, my Rabb. Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess [all] his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will then say: ‘I concealed your sins in the world and today, I will forgive you.’ He then will be given his book of good deeds." [Bukhari Shareef]
Allah ta'ala is the Judge and the Controller of the universe, and none can challenge His decisions.
Allah ta'ala says that He is with the believer when the believer remembers Him. If we remember Him, He will remember us. This is the means of drawing close to Allah ta'ala. Through His remembrance, a person's rank is elevated, his connection with Allah ta'ala is strengthened, and this closeness is incomparable to any worldly achievement.
It is a great shame that we often attend gatherings of dhikr without passion, enjoyment, or certainty. Instead, we attend merely out of routine and habit.
Allah ta'ala will deal with us in the Hereafter according to the level of certainty we possessed in the Deen. If we fail to cure the sickness of our hearts, we will remain weak believers. A person who has no passion for good deeds, no regret over his sins, and no sincere repentance places himself in great danger and may even leave this world without faith.
The Nabi ﷺ said:
> "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah's) mercy envelops them, Sakinah, or tranquillity descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him." [Muslim Shareef]
The angels travel throughout the heavens searching for gatherings of dhikr. When they find such gatherings, they call the other angels to join them. They all gather around those engaged in the remembrance of Allah ta'ala until the space between the earth and the heavens is filled with angels. It is a great shame that many of us do not truly believe in this reality.
We must strengthen our faith and certainty; otherwise, we risk a terrible outcome in the Hereafter.
How Do We Strengthen Our Belief?
By sitting in the company of those whose faith and certainty are already strong.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.