khutbah of taubah (repentence))

By Shaykh Watheq AlOboudi, 8.04.11

“With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Very-Merciful[1]

Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds. May there be blessings and peace upon our master, Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, etc.
Allah most-exalted says ‘O you who believe, turn to Allah with a faithful repentance.’ (Tahrim, Cool

Know my dear brother Muslim, that Allah most High mentions the word ‘Repentance’ in the Qur’an 41 times in its various linguistic and grammatical forms – there are many ayats regarding it, such as His saying, most-exalted “And repent to Allah O believers, all of you, so that you may achieve success.”
The word “Tawbah” has to do with feeling regret (over one’s wrongs) and returning to Allah, Blessed, most-High. The ummah conclusively agrees that it is obligatory, due to the knowledge that (unrepented) sins and disobedience destroy (oneself), and distance him from Allah most-High. Ayats from the Qur’an indicate that Allah most-High extends His mercy (rahmat), and benefitting love to His servants in order to accept their repentance and erase their misdeeds.
Through His rahmat (mercy) Allah changes the bad deeds of the repentant one into good deed, and then rewards him for his act of repentance, and for his return to His vastness/welcome.
Repentance and seeking forgiveness are a door from the doors of power, wealth, and riches for man, both materially and intangibly.
Know that Allah most-Allah does not like avenging and punishing the believers; rather, he is Very-Merciful and loving to the believers who turn back to Him. Actually, the anger of Allah is only shown to the persistent rejecter of truth, constant in his sins, addicted to breaking the prohibitions of Allah. As for the remorseful one, he is close to the rahmat (mercy) of Allah, according to the saying of Messenger of Allah “Remorse is his repentance.” Also, repentance is seeking forgiveness of Allah with the tongue, remorse is with the heart, and to leave the sin is with the limbs. The conditions of repentance as stated by Imam an-Nawawi, are to abandon the sin, regret it, and determine to never return to it. Other scholars also add to undo injustices to others. Indeed repentance continues to be accepted as long as it does not raise the sun from the west or it (the soul) reaches the throat ما لم تطلع الشمس من مغربها وما لم يغرغر.
Know that that Allah the most high, with the majesty of His power, praise be to Him, is pleased if the slave repents sincerely. Anis bin Malik relates that the Messenger of Allah said "Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out, 'O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord'. He commits this mistake (of calling to Allah, I am your Lord) out of extreme joy."
Luqman said to his son ‘Oh my son do not delay tawbah (repentance) for death may come at any time’.
Allah most-Exalted says in the Qur’an “No one knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in which land he will die. Surely, Allah is All Knowing, All Aware.”
So how many beloved ones have we last who were just with us last Ramadan – and today they are under dirt…what did they take with them? Nothing, save a few meters of white fabric and their deeds which will be weighed for them, or against them.
Oh those whose age has began to wear them down, if you have not repented you have burnt the thobe of your religion with an oversight, so patch it up by asking for forgiveness.
Oh soul, repent for indeed death may be close, and desires are difficult and cause chaos. Do you not see destiny and how we put it together? So that one follows another. We pervade each day with death. We see in its battleground the ruins of our dead. Oh soul I will leave money and that which belongs to me behind and depart from this world naked.
Kab al-Ahbar reported that Musa, the Prophet of Allah said “Oh Lord don’t make me soul which will be killed on the Day of Judgment.” To which Allah said “Do I not forgive you oh Musa” he replied “Yes, but I fear what I will see of your justice will be in my heart on the Day of Judgment. And Allah said “may you not see it”
It is narrated that Hasan al-Basri said “When Allah forgave Adam the angels congratulated him and Jibril and Mikael came down to him and said “Oh Adam, the delight of your eye is Allah’s forgiveness to you”. To which Adam said “Oh Jibril, after this forgiveness I have a question, where is my station?” Then Allah revealed to him “Oh Adam you inherited fatigue, hardship and also forgiveness. For whoever supplicates me, his place is like yours, and whoever asks me for forgiveness I will not hold back as, really, I am close and one who answers, oh Adam, I gather the remorseful from their graves, happy and laughing, and their supplications are answered.
On the authority of ibn ‘Abbas “Wah’shi came to the Prophet and said ‘Oh Muhammad, I came to you seeking protection, so grant me safety so I may listen to the words of Allah.’ So, the Prophet accepted his attendance, despite his (Wah’shi’s) killing and mutilating his uncle, Hamza . He (Wah’shi) (then) said “I used to associate partners with Allah, killed a soul He forbade, and fornicated…would Allah accept my repentance?” So Rasul Allah fasted until the verse was revealed….“- and those who do not invoke any other god along with Allah, and do not kill a person whom Allah has given sanctity, except rightfully, nor do they fornicate; and whoever does it, shall face the recompense of his sin, the punishment will be doubled for him, and he will remain there disdained, for ever, except the one who repents and believes and does good deeds, then Allah will replace the evils of such people by good deeds, and Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.” He recited it to him (Wahshi), who replied ‘I see conditions I might not fulfill…so I’m at your side (waiting) to listen to the word of Allah.
So the following was revealed; “Surely, Allah does not forgive that a partner is ascribed to Him, and He forgives anything short of that for whomsoever He wills. Whoever ascribes a partner to Allah commits a terrible sin.”
He called him recited the ayah. So Wah’shi said ‘maybe I am from those whom He doesn’t wish’, I shall be by your side until I hear the word of Allah. So “Say (on My behalf), “O servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful.” was revealed. Wahshi said “yes, now I do not see any conditions!” He declared Islam and was a good Muslim. Wahshi took part in the killing of Musaylama the Liar in the Ridda Wars and he used to say ‘In Jahiliyya I killed the best of people and in Islam I killed the worst of people.’

Ali bin Abi Talib said “In the Quran there is no ayah that is more expansive than this “Say (on My behalf), “O servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful.”
There are many hadiths regarding this statement…. “Allah extends His hand at night so he can forgive the sinner of the day and extends His hand at day to forgive the sinner of the night, until the until the Sun reaches its setting-point”
The Prophet also said “All sons of Adam are sinners, and the best of the sinners are those who repent”
O Muslims the month of Ramadan is an opportunity for sinners to turn back to Allah, to renew their faith and announce their repentance to Allah.
O those who believe, return to Allah from your sins, a return that is sincere. A repentance that is truthful with no return to sin. May Allah erase and forgive all your sins, and enter you into heavens where rivers flow from beneath its palaces and trees, and increase seeking forgiveness, Allah quotes Sayyidna Nuh in the Qu’ran “So I said, ‘Pray to your Lord for your forgiveness, Indeed He is Very-Forgiving, -and He will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance, and will help you with riches and sons, and will cause gardens to grow for you, and cause rivers to flow for you.
O Allah make us from those who repent and those who are purified; through mercy from you oh Most Merciful of the Merciful.

[1] All Quranic explanations (not translation – it is impossible to translate Qu’ran) are taken from Mufti Taqi Uthmani’s text.

بارك الله فيك وجزاك الله خير الجزاء
barak allah feek wa jzak allah khaer aljzaa

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