By Shaykh 'Alee Ibn Abdur Rahman Al Hudhayfee – Imam of Haram

 

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Prophet, his household and companions.

 

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared. Fear of Allaah is the protection against the torment of the Hereafter. Know that Allaah created humans as fallible beings; hence He multiplies the reward for any righteous deeds and records for them a single demerit for any misdeed they commit. Allaah says,

 

“Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not be wronged.” (Al-An‘aam 6:160)

 

The Messenger of Allaah said, “Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written. He then showed (the way) how (to write). If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him); and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times: and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allah will write one bad deed (in his account).” (Al-Bukhaaree)

 

Allaah ordains various ways by which one can earn great rewards. The Messenger of Allaah said, “Observing five daily prayers, performing Jumu‘ah prayers one after another and observing fasting in Ramadaan every year removes the sins committed in-between as long as the major sins are avoided.” (Muslim)

 

The Messenger of Allaah also said, “Faith consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And modesty is a part of faith.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

 

He said, “Do not disdain any good deed even if it is to meet your brother with a smiling face.” (Muslim)

 

He also said, “Allaah loves that His when a servant of His eats or drinks that he should thank Him for that.” (Muslim)

 

Brethren in Islaam! As Allaah has ordained different ways of righteous deeds, He also blocked ways that lead to evil and forbidden things. Allaah says,

 

“Say (O Muhammad) "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge.” (Al-A‘raaf 7:33)

 

The Messenger of Allaah said, “Whatever I forbid you from doing refrain from it and whatever I command you to do, do it as much as you can.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

 

The source of all good and happiness is to make a sincere repentance to Allaah. Allaah says, “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Noor 24:31)

 

Repentance means to turn back to Allaah and to have a determination not to go back to the sin again or to repent to Allaah from neglecting obligations. This should be done with total sincerity. One must also regret over the committed sins and neglected obligations.

 

Allaah protects His servant’s good deeds with his sincere repentance. He also removes his sins and prevents calamities from befalling him. Allaah says,

 

“Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? (The answer is none) – except the people of Yoonus (Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.” (Yoonus 10:98)

 

Qataadah said in his commentary on this verse, “No city has ever benefited from its belief after the punishment of Allaah had come and it was thereafter spared except the people of Prophet Yoonus. When they missed their Prophet and they were sure that the torment was impending on them, Allaah cast repentance into their hearts and they sincerely and humbly return to Allaah for forty nights. When Allaah saw that they were sincere in their repentance and regret, He drove away the punishment from them.” Allaah also says,

 

“And (commanding you): "Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace (i.e. the one who helps and serves the needy and deserving, physically and with his wealth, and even with good words). But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).” (Hood 11:3)

 

Repentance is compulsory on every Muslim. The perpetrators of minor or major sins must repent to Allaah lest he dies on that sin. For insistence on a minor sin leads to major ones. The observer of obligatory acts who refrains from forbidden sins also needs to repent to Allaah because of the defects that might occur in his performed obligatory deeds. The Messenger of Allaah said, “O you people! Repent to Allaah and seek for His forgiveness. For I seek Allaah’s forgiveness 100 times in a day.” (Muslim)

 

Repentance is a great way to achieve many rewards and less evil. Allaah says,

 

“And those who invoke not any other (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Furqaan 25:68-70)

 

Fellow Muslims! Remember greatness of Allaah’s mercy and bounty when He accepts the repentance and erases the sins of the sinner. Allaah is kind to the poor sinner and He rewards him for his repentance. He opens for him doors of purity and righteousness. The Messenger of Allaah said, “Allaah stretches out His Hand in the night so that the sinner during the day might repent and stretches His Hand in the day so that the sinner during the night repent.” (Muslim)

 

Repentance is one of the greatest acts of worship and the most beloved to Allaah. Allaah says, “But as for him who repented (from polytheism and sins), believed (in the Oneness of Allaah, and in His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)) and did righteous deeds (in the life of this world), then he will be among those who are successful.” (Al-Qasas 28:67)

 

The Prophet said, “Certainly, Allaah is happier when any of His servants repents than a man who finds his lost camel in a waterless desert.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

 

Making repentance is one of the qualities of the Prophets and sincere believers. Allaah says, “Allaah has forgiven the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Muhajiroon (Muslim emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madeenah) and the Ansaar (Muslims of Al-Madeenah) who followed him (Muhammad) in the time of distress (Tabook expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of Kindness, Most Merciful.” (At-Tawbah 9:117)

 

He also says about Prophet Moosaa, “He (Moosaa) said: "Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.” (Al-A‘raaf 7:143)

 

Allaah also says, “(The believers whose lives Allaah has purchased are) those who repent to Allaah (from polytheism and hypocrisy, etc.), who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast (or go out in Allaah’s Cause), who bow down (in prayer), who prostrate themselves (in prayer), who enjoin (on people) all that is good and forbid (people) from all that is evil and who observe the limits set by Allaah. And give glad tidings to the believers.” (At-Tawbah 9:112)

 

Brethren in faith! Repentance is not only made with tongue but with all parts of the body. And the day in which Allaah accepts the repentance of His servant will be the best day of his life after which he will never become unhappy again. Ka‘b bin Maalik said while narrating the story of his staying behind in the Battle of Tabook after Allaah the revelation of the verse in which Allaah accepted his repentance: “When I saluted the Messenger of Allaah, he said while happiness vividly showed on his face: ‘Rejoice on the best day of your life.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

 

Fellow Muslims! We are presently surrounded with great dangers and crises from which there is no way out except through making a sincere repentance to Allaah and abandoning all sins. It is then that Allaah can show His mercy on us and remove all our sorrows. The scholars said: “If the sin is only between a servant and his Lord in which no rights of a human is involved, the conditions of repentance from it are the following:

 

One: To abandon the sin forthright.

Two: To regret committing the sin.

Three: To determine not to go back to it again.

 

But if the sin involves the right of a human, the repentant Muslim must in addition to the above conditions, return the right to its owner or ask him for forgiveness.

 

Repenting from all sins is compulsory. If someone however repents from only some of his sins, his repentance from that particular sin will be valid.

 

Fellow Muslims! Turn to Allaah in repentance. For it is Allaah who showers His blessings on you and He is the One Who provides you with all your needs. Remember the stories of those who sincerely repented after they had been blinded by sins and lusts. They became, by virtue of their repentance, conscious Muslims who were saved from the shackles of perdition and became like new born babies.

 

“O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) – the Day that Allaah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and (with their Records – Books of deeds) in their right hands. They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.” (At-Tahreem 66:8)

 

Fellow Muslims! Remember that you will stand in front of your Lord on the Day of Resurrection. Remember that you will be rewarded for everything that you do. Do righteous deeds while you are still in this world. Also make many supplications. For Allaah accepts the call of His suffering servants and He gives those who ask. Allaah says,

 

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” (Al-Baqarah 2:186)

 

Fellow Muslims! Remember your brethren in Palestine and Iraq in your prayers. Invoke Allaah to remove their sufferings.

 

Dear brethren! Always call yourselves with the name given to you by Allaah. Allaah says, “It is He (Allaah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur’aan), that the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform prayers, give Zakaah and hold fast to Allaah (i.e. have confidence in Allaah, and depend upon Him in all your affairs). He is your Lord, what an Excellent Lord and what an Excellent Helper!” (Al-Hajj 22:78)

 

You should therefore beware of adopting the names of those groups who follow the ways of the time of ignorance and who are hostile to Islaam and Muslims. These atheist groups aim at causing enmity and disaffection among the Muslims by calling them undesirable names.

 

You should also remember other persecuted Muslims all over the world. Invoke Allaah to rescue them from their enemies and to give glory to Islaam and the Muslims.