Repentance (Al-Tawbah)
Praise be to Allah, who loves those who are ever-penitent. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, the only God who has no partner. He is the Doer of good, the Ever-Relenting, the Merciful, the Pardoner of sins, the Forgiver, and the Generous who says: "But turn all together to God in repentance, O you believers, so that you may be successful." (24:31) I also bear witness that our master Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. Allah has preferred him over many others and selected him to be His Messenger. He (pbuh) said: "O people, repent to Allah for I repent to Allah one hundred times a day." May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our master Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
O servants of Allah!
I call upon myself first and all of you to be God-fearing and obey Him, Exalted be He, who says: "And whoever fears God, He shall make for him a way out of every difficulty. Moreover, He shall provide for him from where he has never conceived." (65:2-3)
O believers!
Allah, Glory be to Him, has commanded us to turn to Him in repentance whenever we commit a minor or a major sin. The Prophet (pbuh) has made clear that the best among the sons of Adam are those who are ever-penitent. He (pbuh) said: "Every son of Adam sins and the best one among the sons of Adam are the penitent." As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, the month of goodness and forgiveness, every Muslim should hasten and have the initiative to do good deeds, turn to Allah in repentance and enjoy an excellent resort (awaiting in the Hereafter), reflect on his former directions and reorient himself, and observe sincerity in whatever that comes until the hearts are completely refined. We should get ready to receive Ramadan's goodness and be showered with its mercy through refining our souls. Every man is liable to commit sins every day, but the winner is the one who turns to Allah in repentance, seeking forgiveness for his sins and the loser is the one who is persistent on it and hence he will blame himself. Allah, the Almighty says: "Moreover, these are the ones who when they commit any act of obscenity, or wrong themselves with sin, they remember God, to whom they are accountable, and so seek forgiveness for their sins. For who is it that forgives sins but God? Nor do they persist in whatever wrong they have done when they know it is wrong." (3:135)
O Muslims!
Allah, Exalted be He, has instilled into human beings the inclination to do good and the ability to do evil and corruption. He, the Almighty says: "… and informed it with consciousness of its wickedness and its righteousness." (91:8) He, Glory be to Him, has invited all of us to purify our souls and strengthen the good side of everyone of us through true repentance from former sins as well as a renewal of covenant with Allah not to repeat them in the future. Consequently, Allah will be so pleased with His servant for his repentance. Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than one among youwith his camel in a waterless desert when (that camel) with his provision of food and drink is lost by him, and he, having lost all hope (to get it,) lies down in the shadow disappointed about his camel, and there suddenly he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nose string and then out of boundless joy says: O Lord, You are my servant and I am Your Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight."
O servants of Allah!
Among the requirements of true repentance is true remorse towards man's shortcomings in fulfilling his obligations towards Allah, as he meets Allah's favor on him by committing a sin or by overlooking Allah's blessings on him. It is the duty of every Muslim to use whatever Allah has blessed him; of limbs, organs, money, and favors in whatever way that pleases Allah, the Almighty as well as whatever that achieve the well-being for himself, his family and the society. True repentance entails one who repent to behave well towards the people, to be more obliged after a time of recklessness and to make up for missed obligations. The doors of heavens are opened before those who repent and Allah will forever continue to call upon His servants saying: "Are there any one asking for forgiveness? Are there any one looking forward to turn in repentance to Me?" Moreover, Allah's hand is extended to accept the repentance of whoever that draws closer to Him, who turns to Him and who seeks His forgiveness. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah extends his hand during the night to accept the repentance of the sinner of the day, and He extends his hand during the day to accept the repentance of the sinner of the night, until the sun rises from the west."
It is our duty to renew our repentance, and not to feel so helpless and hopeless because of our sins that we despair that Allah will not forgive us, for indeed, the mercy of Allah is ever near to those who excel in doing good. We shall not restrict our relation towards God by drawing closer to Him in some seasons and occasions. Moreover, our seeking for forgiveness shall not be restricted to just uttered words without the regret of the heart and a positive response of the mind and the limbs. Among the conditions of accepting repentance is that the man shall not commit sin openly, rather he should be thankful towards his Lord for concealing his sins in this worldly life and He is more generous and merciful to conceal them in the Hereafter. Allah, Glory be to Him, will not reveal his secrets since he is from among the pardoned Ummah. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "All the people of my Ummah would get pardon for their sinsexcept those who publicize them. And (it means) that a servant should do a deed during the night and tell thepeople in the morning that he has done such and such, whereas Allah has concealedit. And he does a deed during the day and when it is night he tells the people, whereas Allah has concealed it."
May Allah, the Almighty make us successful to be among those who turn to him in a true repentance as well as those who are ever-penitent and help us obey Him and those He has ordained us to obey. Allah, Exalted be He, says: "O you who believe! Obey God, and obey the Messenger, and those (Muslims) charged with authority."(4:59).
Second Sermon
O believers!
Among the conditions of the acceptance of the repentance is to hate sin, ask Allah's forgiveness whenever you remember it, determine not to repeat it, be on the path of doing what is good and right since righteous environment helps create obedient community, render the rights back to their owners, and apologize to whomever you did any wrong if they are alive or invoke Allah for them and ask Allah's forgiveness for them if they are dead. Whoever is successful to fulfill these conditions, he is entitled to be loved by Allah, as He, the Almighty states: "Indeed, Allah loves those who are ever-penitent." Let everyone who is supported by Allah and turn to Him in repentance to know that Allah loves him, bestows bounty on him, and this is a sign for Allah's pleasure towards him. It is our duty towards those who repent to encourage, honor and praise them and not to remind them of their unpleasant past or disobedience. Repentance washes away the sins as the water washes away the dirt. Moreover, forgiveness strengthens the heart and the body. It is through repentance, we can renew our faith and purify ourselves. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "All human beings commit wrong and the best of those who err are those who repent."
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