Monday, February 14, 2011
How to become a better muslim
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Whatever deeds one might have done, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere Taubah and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only is He willing to forgive all the sins of a believer who turns unto Him in sincere ‘taubah’, He will change their evil deeds done into good deeds in their ‘book of records’!
The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:
Whatever deeds one might have done, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere Taubah and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only is He willing to forgive all the sins of a believer who turns unto Him in sincere ‘taubah’, He will change their evil deeds done into good deeds in their ‘book of records’!
The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:
- One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
- Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
- Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
- Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:
(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:
Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:
The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:
When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas`ud
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant`s repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."
Thus my dear and beloved brothers & sisters in Islam, never never never ever despair of the vastness of the Grace and Mercy of your Lord Most Merciful. Absolutely regardless of the nature or number of one’s sins, absolutely regardless if one has committed sins as abundant as the foam in the sea or as much as would fill this earth…..if one turns in ‘taubah’ unto their Lord Most Merciful before they meet with their appointment of death and seeks sincere repentance, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 6499 Narrated by Abu Dharr
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said: that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: `He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those; And he who comes with vice, it is only for that that he is called to account. I even forgive him as I like, and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by a cubit, and he who draws close to Me by a cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)."
There is absolutely no limit to the vastness and magnitude of the Mercy of the Lord Most Merciful…..all it needs is that one, of their own free will, believes and turns to Him in ‘taubah’ and seek forgiveness for their sins…..at that very and instant moment, their Lord Most Gracious will wipe out every single sin from their ‘book of records’, and cleanse and purify them from their sins just as if one were just born from their mother’s womb!
It is not the mere reading or reciting of some verses or chants which alone can make one stay away from evil things….but it is the practical implementation in one’s life of the things one recites from the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah which can and will definitely help one, and gives one the knowledge, courage, and wisdom to stay away from doings deed which transgress the Prescribed Boundaries of Allah Subhanah.
First and foremost, immerse yourself wholeheartedly in reading the Glorious Quran with understanding in a language you understand best, even if only once……Allah is our witness, nothing brings one closer to Allah Subhanah than the recitation, comprehension, and the implementation of the Wise Guidance of the Lord Who Created!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:
We have sent down to you this Book (Al-Quran), which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibrahim verses 1-2:
This (Al-Quran) is a Book which We have sent down to you (O Prophet) that you may bring mankind, by the help of their Lord, out of the dark ways (of ignorance) into the Light (of knowledge), to the Way of that Lord, Who is All Powerful, and inherently All Praiseworthy, and the Owner of whatever is in the heavens and the earth.
The simple recitation of some verses or ‘duas’ or ‘wazifas’ by itself will not stop one from falling into temptation or sin…..but it is only when one sincerely strives to completely and unconditionally submit one’s will to the clear guidance of their Lord Most Merciful, they will be able to tread that Straight Path that leads to His Mercy and His Grace in this world and the Hereafter.
The one and only thing which has the power to stop one from falling into pertpetual sin is to constantly strive to develop what is known as ‘taqwa’ in the Glorious Quran!
This state of consciousness of standing in the Presence of the Majestic and Supreme Lord on One Inevitable Day is what Allah calls ‘taqwa’ or piety in His Quran; and it is this ‘taqwa’ which will inspire you all your life towards doing deeds that would earn you the Eternal Pleasure and Good Will of your Lord, and it is this same ‘taqwa’ which will inspire you to abstain from doing anything which would bring about His Unbearable Wrath and Anger.
‘Taqwa’ means to abstain from doing anything that would bring about the Wrath and Displeasure of the Lord All-Mighty; and to do deeds of righteousness which are commanded by Allah and His Messenger (saws). ‘Taqwa’ is to live every moment of ones life with the solemn belief that on One Inevitable Day every soul will be brought forth in the Presence of the Majestic Lord to give a full accounting of every one of his deeds. ‘Taqwa’ is to determine before doing anything whether the Lord Most Merciful will be Pleased or dis-pleased with the deed; if one determines that the Lord will be pleased with the deed, one must do it wholeheartedly; and if one determines that the deed would bring about the displeasure and Wrath of Allah Subhanah, one must strive one’s utmost to abstain from it. ‘Taqwa’ is to live every moment of one’s life consciously striving to do deeds which would earn one the Pleasure and Good Will of their Lord Most Merciful, and abstain from doing deeds which would bring about His displeasure and Wrath.
If one studies the Glorious Quran, one would realize that more often than not, wherever Allah Subhanah Promises His slaves the Eternal Gardens of Paradise, the manifestation of the term ‘taqwa’ is almost always associated with it!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 133:
133 Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth; prepared for the ‘Muttaqeen’.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 50 Surah Qaaf verses 31-33:
31 And the Garden will be brought nigh to the ‘Muttaqeen’, no more a thing distant. 32 (A voice will say) "This is what was promised for you, for everyone who turned (to Allah) in sincere repentance who kept (his law).
33 "Who feared (Allah) Most Gracious unseen and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him):
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 52 Surah Tur verses 17-18:
17 As to the ‘Muttaqeen’ they will be in Gardens and in Happiness
18 Enjoying the (Bliss) which their Lord hath bestowed on them and their Lord shall deliver them from the Penalty of the Fire.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 68 Surah Qalam verse 34:
34 Verily for the ‘Muttaqeen’ are Gardens of Delight in the Presence of their Lord.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 31:
31 Gardens of Eternity which they will enter: beneath them flow (pleasant) rivers: they will have therein all that they wish: thus doth Allah reward the ‘Muttaqeen’
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verses 15-16:
15 Say: "Is that (fire) better or the eternal Gardens promised to the ‘Muttaqeen’? For them that is a reward as well as a goal (of attainment). 16 "For them there will be therein all that they wish for: they will dwell (there) for aye: a promise to be prayed for from thy Lord."
Thus, in conclusion, the absolute best way to bring about this reformation in our hearts to get close to the Remembrance of our Lord Who Created us; and the best way to Remember our Lord is to read, understand, obey, follow and completely submit ourselves to His Glorious Message which He Himself revealed for our guidance, The One and Only Glorious and Noble Quran!
Allah is our witness, one who sincerely submits himself to the Glorious Message of their Lord will find that his whole life will become a life spent in the worship and praise of His Lord; their prayers, their fasts, their zakat, their Hajj, their every work, their every relationship with their fellow man, in fact, his every single deed will be aligned to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of their Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Insha Allah.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:
Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:
The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:
When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas`ud
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant`s repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."
Thus my dear and beloved brothers & sisters in Islam, never never never ever despair of the vastness of the Grace and Mercy of your Lord Most Merciful. Absolutely regardless of the nature or number of one’s sins, absolutely regardless if one has committed sins as abundant as the foam in the sea or as much as would fill this earth…..if one turns in ‘taubah’ unto their Lord Most Merciful before they meet with their appointment of death and seeks sincere repentance, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 6499 Narrated by Abu Dharr
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said: that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: `He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those; And he who comes with vice, it is only for that that he is called to account. I even forgive him as I like, and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by a cubit, and he who draws close to Me by a cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)."
There is absolutely no limit to the vastness and magnitude of the Mercy of the Lord Most Merciful…..all it needs is that one, of their own free will, believes and turns to Him in ‘taubah’ and seek forgiveness for their sins…..at that very and instant moment, their Lord Most Gracious will wipe out every single sin from their ‘book of records’, and cleanse and purify them from their sins just as if one were just born from their mother’s womb!
It is not the mere reading or reciting of some verses or chants which alone can make one stay away from evil things….but it is the practical implementation in one’s life of the things one recites from the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah which can and will definitely help one, and gives one the knowledge, courage, and wisdom to stay away from doings deed which transgress the Prescribed Boundaries of Allah Subhanah.
First and foremost, immerse yourself wholeheartedly in reading the Glorious Quran with understanding in a language you understand best, even if only once……Allah is our witness, nothing brings one closer to Allah Subhanah than the recitation, comprehension, and the implementation of the Wise Guidance of the Lord Who Created!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:
We have sent down to you this Book (Al-Quran), which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibrahim verses 1-2:
This (Al-Quran) is a Book which We have sent down to you (O Prophet) that you may bring mankind, by the help of their Lord, out of the dark ways (of ignorance) into the Light (of knowledge), to the Way of that Lord, Who is All Powerful, and inherently All Praiseworthy, and the Owner of whatever is in the heavens and the earth.
The simple recitation of some verses or ‘duas’ or ‘wazifas’ by itself will not stop one from falling into temptation or sin…..but it is only when one sincerely strives to completely and unconditionally submit one’s will to the clear guidance of their Lord Most Merciful, they will be able to tread that Straight Path that leads to His Mercy and His Grace in this world and the Hereafter.
The one and only thing which has the power to stop one from falling into pertpetual sin is to constantly strive to develop what is known as ‘taqwa’ in the Glorious Quran!
This state of consciousness of standing in the Presence of the Majestic and Supreme Lord on One Inevitable Day is what Allah calls ‘taqwa’ or piety in His Quran; and it is this ‘taqwa’ which will inspire you all your life towards doing deeds that would earn you the Eternal Pleasure and Good Will of your Lord, and it is this same ‘taqwa’ which will inspire you to abstain from doing anything which would bring about His Unbearable Wrath and Anger.
‘Taqwa’ means to abstain from doing anything that would bring about the Wrath and Displeasure of the Lord All-Mighty; and to do deeds of righteousness which are commanded by Allah and His Messenger (saws). ‘Taqwa’ is to live every moment of ones life with the solemn belief that on One Inevitable Day every soul will be brought forth in the Presence of the Majestic Lord to give a full accounting of every one of his deeds. ‘Taqwa’ is to determine before doing anything whether the Lord Most Merciful will be Pleased or dis-pleased with the deed; if one determines that the Lord will be pleased with the deed, one must do it wholeheartedly; and if one determines that the deed would bring about the displeasure and Wrath of Allah Subhanah, one must strive one’s utmost to abstain from it. ‘Taqwa’ is to live every moment of one’s life consciously striving to do deeds which would earn one the Pleasure and Good Will of their Lord Most Merciful, and abstain from doing deeds which would bring about His displeasure and Wrath.
If one studies the Glorious Quran, one would realize that more often than not, wherever Allah Subhanah Promises His slaves the Eternal Gardens of Paradise, the manifestation of the term ‘taqwa’ is almost always associated with it!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 133:
133 Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth; prepared for the ‘Muttaqeen’.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 50 Surah Qaaf verses 31-33:
31 And the Garden will be brought nigh to the ‘Muttaqeen’, no more a thing distant. 32 (A voice will say) "This is what was promised for you, for everyone who turned (to Allah) in sincere repentance who kept (his law).
33 "Who feared (Allah) Most Gracious unseen and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him):
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 52 Surah Tur verses 17-18:
17 As to the ‘Muttaqeen’ they will be in Gardens and in Happiness
18 Enjoying the (Bliss) which their Lord hath bestowed on them and their Lord shall deliver them from the Penalty of the Fire.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 68 Surah Qalam verse 34:
34 Verily for the ‘Muttaqeen’ are Gardens of Delight in the Presence of their Lord.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 31:
31 Gardens of Eternity which they will enter: beneath them flow (pleasant) rivers: they will have therein all that they wish: thus doth Allah reward the ‘Muttaqeen’
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verses 15-16:
15 Say: "Is that (fire) better or the eternal Gardens promised to the ‘Muttaqeen’? For them that is a reward as well as a goal (of attainment). 16 "For them there will be therein all that they wish for: they will dwell (there) for aye: a promise to be prayed for from thy Lord."
Thus, in conclusion, the absolute best way to bring about this reformation in our hearts to get close to the Remembrance of our Lord Who Created us; and the best way to Remember our Lord is to read, understand, obey, follow and completely submit ourselves to His Glorious Message which He Himself revealed for our guidance, The One and Only Glorious and Noble Quran!
Allah is our witness, one who sincerely submits himself to the Glorious Message of their Lord will find that his whole life will become a life spent in the worship and praise of His Lord; their prayers, their fasts, their zakat, their Hajj, their every work, their every relationship with their fellow man, in fact, his every single deed will be aligned to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of their Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Insha Allah.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
