4 Sha'bn, 1436

(22 May, 2015)

"O you who believe! Turn to Allh in sincere Tawbah! It may be that your
Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which
rivers flow."
[At-Tahrm: 8]
 A Soldier of At-Tawhd
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1
 Introduction

One of the beautiful Names and Attributes of Allh ( )is At-Tawwb i.e. the One Who
accepts Tawbah (repentance). Tawbah is one of the great blessings which Allh ( )has
bestowed upon mankind and is a sign of His Infinite Mercy. Allh ( )says:

And I am At-Tawwbur-Rahm (i.e. the One Who accepts repentance, the Most
Merciful).
[Al-Baqarah: 160]

Indeed, irrespective of how much the slave transgresses or how great his sins are, At-
Tawwbur-Rahm is always ready to accept his sincere Tawbah. The Prophet ( )said:

.
.
Verily, Allh stretches out His Hand during the
night, so that the one who sins during the day can repent,
and He stretches His Hand out during the day, so that the
one who sins during the night can repent, until the sun rises
from the west.
[Sahh Muslim: 2759]

Such is the Mercy of Ar-Rahmn, for indeed Tawbah is the lifeline that He ( )has thrown
to the son of dam ( ) in order to save him from drowning in sin.

The Definition and Ruling of "Tawbah"

The Arabic word Tawbah literally means return, however what is intended by this term,
from the Islamic perspective, is the act of turning back from sin and disobedience to Allh
and returning to His obedience. It is the consensus of the Ulam that Tawbah is
obligatory, and thus one must make Tawbah from all his sins. They also agree that it must be
done immediately and that it is not permissible to delay for indeed one does not possess
knowledge of his/her appointed time (i.e. death). Allh ( )says:

-


Allh accepts only the Tawbah of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and
repent soon (afterwards); it is they to whom Allh will forgive and Allh is Ever All-
Knower, All-Wise. And of no effect is the Tawbah of those who continue to do evil deeds

2
until death faces one of them and he says: Now I repent; nor of those who die while they
are disbelievers. For them, We have prepared a painful torment.
[An-Nis': 17-18]

Al bn Ab Talhah reported that Ibn Abbs ( ) said about the statement: (and
repent soon [afterwards]), meaning Until just before he (or she) looks at the angel of
death.

The Conditions of Tawbah

The word Tawbah is a comprehensive term with deep meaning. It is not, as some people
may think, merely words to be uttered whilst persisting in sin. Consider Allhs Statement:

Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in Tawbah.
[Hd: 3]

It is apparent, from this yah, that Tawbah is something more than seeking forgiveness and
thus the Ulam have agreed upon a number of conditions that must be fulfilled in order for
ones Tawbah to be accepted by Allh (). If the sin is attached to the rights of Allh
( )Alone then there are three conditions that must be met:

1. Giving up the sin immediately.

2. Regretting what has happened in the past.
3. Resolving not to go back to it.

However, if the sin is connected to the right of another person there is a fourth condition that
must be fulfilled, in addition to the three listed above:

4. Making amends with the person(s) whom one has wronged, or asking for their forgiveness.

It should be noted that there are some additional matters of importance which are also
connected to Tawbah, such as:

1. Tawbah is an act of Ibdah (i.e. worship), hence it should be performed with Ikhls. That
is to say, the slave should give up the sin solely for the Sake of Allh ( )and not for any
other reason such as a worldly benefit, or not being able to do it, or being afraid of what
people will say, etc. For example, the person who gives up a sin because it may affect his
standing or reputation among people, or because it may cost him his job or some other
worldly possession, cannot be described as having performed Tawbah. Likewise, the person
who gives up sins for the sake of his health cannot be described as having repented, such as a
person who gives up Zin (fornication) and immoral actions out of fear of contracting a
disease.

2. He should feel repelled by the sin and the harm it causes. This means that Tawbah cannot
be accompanied by feelings of enjoyment and pleasure when remembering past sins, or
wishing to go back to it in the future.

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3. He should hasten to repent. Hence delaying
Tawbah is in and of itself a sin for which repentance
is required.

4. One should keep away from the places of sin, as

being there may make him fall into sin again.

5. The slave should keep away from those who helped

him to commit sin or who are sinners themselves, lest
they should encourage him to transgress again. Verily, evil companions will turn against each
other on the Day of Judgement. Allh ( )says:

Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqn (the pious).
[Az-Zukhruf : 67]

6. One should follow-up evil deeds with righteous conduct, for indeed good deeds cancel out
bad deeds. The Prophet ( )said:

Have Taqw of Allh wherever you are, and follow up a wrong action with a good action,
it will efface it. And behave towards people with good character.
[At-Tirmdh: 1987]

Everyone falls into sin

Nobody should consider himself above committing sin, for indeed Allh ( )says:

He knows you well when He created you from the earth (dam), and when you were
fetuses in your mothers wombs. So, ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him
who has Taqw.
[An-Najm: 32]

Thus, it is Harm to ascribe purity to oneself for only Allh ( )knows best he who is
righteous. Moreover, the son of dam is weak and can only perform good deeds and become
righteous by the Grace of Allh (), Who says:

And had it not been for the grace of Allh and His mercy on you, not one of you would
ever have been pure from sins. But Allh purifies whom He wills, and Allh is All-Hearer,
All-Knower.
[An-Nr: 21]

4
Commenting on this yah Imm Ibn kathr ( ) said:

: ( )


Then He said: (And had it not been for the grace of Allh and His mercy on you, not
one of you would ever have been pure from sins) meaning, if He did not help whomever He
wills to repent and come back to Him and be purified from Shirk, evil and sin, and whatever
bad characteristics each person has according to his nature, no one would ever attain purity
and goodness.
[Tafsrul-Qurnil-Azm]

In addition, the Holy Prophet ( )said:

All of the children of dam commit sin, but the best of sinners are at-Tawwbn (i.e.
those who repent often).
[At-Tirmidh: 2499, Ibn Mjah: 4251]

Therefore, none of the children of dam ( )are

free from sin; hence we are all in need of Allhs
Mercy and Forgiveness.

Tawbah, as mentioned in the Holy Qurn

Indeed, man was created for the sole purpose of

worshiping and serving their Almighty Lord, which
includes turning to Him in Tawbah. So pleasing to
Ar-Rahmn is this noble act of 'Ibdah that if the slave were not to fall into sin He ()
would remove him from the life of this world and replace him with one who would sin and
turn to Him, seeking His forgiveness and Mercy. The Messenger of Allh ( )said:

!
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! If you did not commit sin, Allh would remove
you and would certainly replace you with people who would commit sin, and who would
then seek Allhs Forgiveness thus He will forgive them.
[Muslim: 2749]

Thus, the importance of Tawbah, as well as its great virtue, cannot be over emphasised and
can be appreciated by contemplating the numerous yt in the Book of Allh ( )in which
this noble deed is mentioned. We shall quote a few of these yt here (inshAllh):

1. The command to turn to Allh ( )in Tawbah:

5



O you who believe! Turn to Allh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will
expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow.
[At-Tahrm: 8]

2. Allh ( )loves those who turn to Him in Tawbah:

Truly, Allh loves those who turn unto Him in Tawbah and loves those who purify

themselves.
[Al-Baqarah: 222]

3. Allh ( )accepts the Tawbah of those who turn to Him:

Know they not that Allh accepts repentance from His servants and accepts the Sadaqt,
and that Allh Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.
[At-Tawbah; 104]

4. A goodly provision is promised to those who turn to Allh ( )in Tawbah, while those
who turn away are warned against a terrible punishment:

And seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in Tawbah, that He may grant

you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every
owner of grace. But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day.
[Hd: 3]

5. Following Tawbah up with good deeds:

When those who believe in Our yt come to you, say: Salmun Alaykum; your Lord
has written mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter
repents and does righteous good deeds, then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Al-Anm: 54]

6. Tawbah nullifies major acts of transgression, including Kufr and Shirk:

But if they repent, perform the Salh and give the Zakh, then they are your brethren in

religion. (In this way) We explain the yt in detail for a people who know.

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 [At-Tawbah: 11]

7. Tawbah is only accepted from those who repent, believe, and then harbour no doubt:

And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes and does righteous deeds,
and then Ihtad.
[TaHa: 82]

Concerning Allhs statement (and then Ihtad.) Al bn Ab Talhah related that Ibn Abbs
( ) said, This means that he then does not doubt.

8. The doors of Tawbah are open even to the most evil of tyrants:

Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women, and then do not
turn (to Allh) in Tawbah, then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the
punishment of the burning Fire. [Al-Burj: 10]

Al-Hasan Al-Basr ( ) said: Look at this generosity and kindness. These people killed
Allhs Awliy and He still invites them to
make Tawbah and seek forgiveness.

9. Trials and calamities befall some in order

that they may repent:

See they not that they are put in trial once
or twice every year? Yet, they turn not in
Tawbah, nor do they learn a lesson (from it). [At-Tawbah: 126]

10. The command to kill the Mushrikn until they make Tawbah:

So when the Sacred Months have passed, then kill the Mushrikn wherever you find them,
and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every place of
ambush. But if they repent and perform the Salh, and give the Zakh, then leave their way
free. Verily, Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[At-Tawbah: 5]

Thus, he who ponders over these noble yt, with a sound and sincere heart, will conclude
that Tawbah is one of the greatest and most important deeds in Islm.

7
The Messenger of Allh ( )possessed an exalted standard of character, and was the most
grateful to Ar-Rahmn. Imm Ahmad recorded that Al-Mughrah bn Shu`bah ()
said:

:
:
The Prophet ( )used to pray until both his feet were swollen. He was asked, `Has not
Allh forgiven you all your sins of the past and of future. He said: [Should I not be a
thankful servant?]
[Al-Bukhr and Muslim collected this Hadth, as well as, the rest of the Group, except Ab
Dwud]

Such was his gratitude to Allh ( )that despite being forgiven and cleansed of all his sins,
he ( )said:

!
O people! Turn to Allh in Tawbah, for verily I turn to Him in Tawbah a hundred times a
day.
[Sahh Muslim: 2702]

We have not been given the glad tidings that all our acts of transgression have been forgiven,
yet how often do we turn to Allh ( )in Tawbah, so as to be purified from our
innumerable sins?

Obstacles in the Path of Tawbah

Indeed, we are incapable of enumerating the acts of transgression that we commit on a daily
basis, yet the majority of mankind are heedless and thus neglectful in regards to turning to
Allh ( )in order to be purified. Nothing has causes the son of dam ( ) to adopt
this nonchalant attitude except that he has fallen victim to the plots and tricks of Shaytn,
who said to Allh ():

"Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your
Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and
from their left, and You will not find most of them to be thankful.''
[Al-A'rf: 16-17]

Therefore, in order to achieve his aim, Ibls ( ) has placed many obstacles on the path to Tawbah
thereby hindering many of the slaves from seeking a means to their Most Gracious Lord. From among
these obstacles are the following:

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Belittling One's Sins

The fact that the sins committed by the children of

dam ( ) are divided into two categories, i.e.
major and minor sins, Shaytn has deceived many
causing them to belittle or totally disregard their
"minor" acts of transgression. Some have even been
deluded to the extent that they believe that are not
required to make Tawbah from minor sins as long as
they abstain from the major ones, citing Allh's
Statement:

"Those who avoid great sins and Al-Fawhish (immoral sins) except Al-Lamam (small faults and

minor errors) -- verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness."
[An-Najm: 32]

However, that an evil deed is categorised (according to the Shar'ah) as a "minor sin" does not exempt
it from being an act of disobedience to Ar-Rahmn for which one may be held accountable and thus
is required to make Tawbah. Allh ( )says:

- -

"That Day mankind will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds. So,
whosoever does good equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it. And whosoever does evil
equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it."
[Az-Zalzalah: 6-8]

It is therefore a sign of Taqw that the slave refrains from belittling his sins, irrespective of whether
they are categorised as major or minor acts of transgression. Indeed, disregarding one's acts of
disobedience to Allh ( )is not only a manifestation of one's ignorance of His Greatness (), but
is also the path that leads to the slave's destruction. The Holy Prophet ( )said:

"Beware of the sins that are belittled. For verily, they are gathered in a man until they destroy
him."
[Al-Musnad: 1/402]

Having Many Expectations

This a deadly disease of the heart which Shaytn uses to trick the slave into procrastinate in turning to
his Most Gracious Lord, thereby causing the slave to die in a state of sin. Allh ( )says:

"(The hypocrites) will call the believers: 'Were we not with you?' The believers will reply: 'Yes! But
you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward to our destruction; and you doubted, and
you were deceived by false hopes, till the command of Allh came to pass. And the deceiver
deceived you in regard to Allh'.''
[Al-Hadd: 14]

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Commenting on this yah, Imm Ibn Kathr ( ) said:

( . : :)
:) (
: ( ) .
"(and you were deceived by false hopes,) meaning: you said that you will be forgiven your sins; or,
they say it means: this life deceived you; (till the command of Allh came to pass) meaning: you
remained on this path until death came to you, (And the deceiver deceived you in regard to Allh)
`the deceiver' being Shaytn."
[Tafsrul-Qur'nil-'Azm]

Relying Solely on Allh's Mercy

This is the slaves' act of neglecting good deeds, in this case Tawbah, believing that Allh ( )will
always have mercy upon them. Thus, they belittle their sins and expect that Allh ( )will forgive
them whether they make Tawbah or not.

Those who have been afflicted by this misconception have indeed fallen victim to the evil plot of
Ibls, who has deceived them in regards to Allh's Mercy and His perfect system of justice. Hence,
they have transgressed the balance upon which the heavens and earth is established and that the slaves
were commanded to observe. Verily, Allh ( )says:

"Surely, your Lord is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Al-An'am: 165)

Therefore, Allh ( )is severe in punishment just as He is Merciful. There are many yt that
contain encouragement and discouragement and in which Allh (), at times, calls His servants to
Him with encouragement, describing Paradise and making them eager for what He ( )has with
Him. And at other times, He ( )calls them with discouragement, mentioning the Fire and its
torment and punishment, as well as, the Day of Resurrection and its horrors. Sometimes
Allh()mentions both so that each person is affected by it according to his or her qualities.

The Muslim is thus required to fear Allh's Punishment and perform good deeds in order to avert it,
and in fulfilling this obligation he/she can then hope for Allaah's Mercy, which includes acceptance of
his/her good deeds and forgiveness of one's short-comings and sins. Such is the balanced nature upon
which He ( )has created mankind. Hence, He ( )says:

"Declare unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My
torment is indeed the most painful torment."
(Al-Hijr: 49-50)

Despairing from Allh's Mercy

One of the greatest obstacles that stands between the slave and the Mercy of his Lord is the act of
despairing from the Mercy of the Most High. Many have been afflicted by this disease of the heart
and thus refrain from turning to Ar-Rahmn in Tawbah, despite His ( )Statement:

11





"Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against

themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allh, verily,
Allh forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.''
(Az-Zumar: 53)

Therefore, it is not befitting that a true believer thinks

that Allh ( )will not forgive him, and thus refrains from turning to Him in Tawbah. For indeed,
such an act is tantamount to disbelieving in Allh's Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes in addition
to amounting to a rejection of the above quoted yah. It is for this reason that the noble Prophet
Ya'qb ( ) said to his sons:

"and never give up hope of Allh's mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allh's mercy, except the
people who disbelieve.''
(Ysuf: 87)

So, the slave who truly believes in the promise of His Lord and knows with certainty that He ( )is
Al-Ghafrur-Rahm will never despair from His Mercy nor will he relent in turning to Him ( )in
Tawbah.

Thinking One is Saved by Virtue of His Deeds

Another obstacle in the path of Tawbah is the notion that due to one's numerous good deeds one will
be saved regardless of whatever sins he commits, or whether he repents from them or not. Those who
have fallen into this trap rely on yt such as Allhs Statement:

"Verily the good deeds remove the evil deeds."

(Hd: 114)

However, the slave should fear Allh ( )and refrain from ascribing purity to himself, for indeed
regardless of how many good deeds one performs he/she does not know whether they have been
accepted by Ar-Rahmn. Thus, Khalilullh (Prophet Ibrahm) and his son Isma'l ( ) while
raising the foundations of the Sacred House implored Allh (), saying:

"Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower.''

(Al-Hajj: 127)

Therefore, from among the characteristics of the pious is the act of performing good deeds and
invoking Allh (), hoping for His acceptance and fearing His rejection. Thus He ( )says:

"And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to
return to their Lord."
(Al-Mu'minn: 60)

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Ibn Kathr () , commenting on this yah, says:

: ( ) :

:
( ) :
:



:


"(And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to
return to their Lord) means, they give in charity, fearing that it may not be accepted from them
because of some shortcoming or failure to meet the required conditions of giving. This has to do with
fear and taking precautions, as Imm Ahmad recorded from `'ishah: I said: "O Messenger of Allh:
(And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear...) Are these the ones who steal
and commit Zin and drink alcohol while fearing Allh'' The Messenger of Allh replied: [No, O daughter
of Ab Bakr. O daughter of As-Siddq, the one who prays, fast and gives in charity, fearing Allh.] This
was recorded by At-Tirmidh, and Ibn Ab Htim recorded something similar in which the Prophet
said:[No, O daughter of As-Siddq, they are the ones who pray and fast and give in charity while
fearing that it will not be accepted from them, (It is these who hasten in the good deeds.)] This is
also how Ibn `Abbs, Muhammad bn Ka`b Al-Quraz and Al-Hasan Al-Basr interpreted this yah."
(Tafsrul-Qur'nil-'Azm]

Lessons from the previous generations

These are just a few of the obstacles that Shaytn has placed in the path of Tawbah, and
against which the slave should be on his guard. Indeed, in the stories of the past generations
there are numerous lessons to be learnt from those who turned to Ar-Rahmn seeking His
forgiveness. Allh (), says:

So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.
(Al-Arf: 176)

The story of the one who killed ninety-nine people, before killing another thus committing a
hundred murders, is one from which contains many lessons for those who reflect. The
Prophet ( )said:

: . .
. . :
: :
12
 .
. .
:
. : .
. : .

There was a man from among the people who preceded you, who had killed ninety-nine
people. He inquired about the most knowledgeable person on the earth and he was thus
directed to a Rhib (worshiper). So he went to him and informed him that he had killed
ninety-nine people, (asking) if there was any Tawbah for him. He (the Rhib) said: [No].
So he killed him thereby completing one hundred (murders). Then (once again) he
inquired about the most knowledgeable person on earth and (this time) was directed to a
man (who was) an lim. He informed him that he had killed a hundred people, (and
asked) if there was any Tawbah for him. The man (lim) said: [Yes]. And who (can) come
between him and Tawbah? [Proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people
who worship Allh so worship Allh with them. And dont return to your land for it is a
land of evil]. So, he proceeded until he reached half way along the road (to the land) when
death came to him. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment then disputed
regarding his case. The angels of mercy said: [He has come repentantly, approaching
Allh with (sincerity in) his heart]. And the angels of punishment said:[Verily, he did not
perform any good] So an angel approached in the form of a human being. Thus they
appointed him (as an arbitrator) between them. He then said: [Measure the distance
between the two lands, whichever of the two he is closest to is where he belongs]. They
therefore measured it and found that he was closer to the land he intended (to migrate to)].
Thus the angels of mercy took his soul.
[Sahh Muslim: 2766]

Verily, the lessons and Fiqh-related issues that this

beautiful Hadth contains are abundant and thus, for the
sake of brevity, five thereof shall be briefly mentioned:

1. Refraining from despair

Regardless of how much one transgresses the limits set by Allh (), or how great the sin
is, one should never despair from the Mercy of Ar-Rahmn. The man mentioned in this
Hadth killed ninety-nine people and sought forgiveness, and when he was told that there is
no Tawbah for him he killed again thus committing one hundred murders. Despite that, this
man continued to seek the Mercy of Allh (), remaining persistent in his quest for
forgiveness. Allh ( )says:

Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy
of Allh, verily, Allh forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Az-Zumar: 53)

13
2. Warning against instilling despair into the hearts of others

The man killed the Rhib as a result of being informed that there was no Tawbah for him.
How can one expect the sinner to desist from his act(s) of transgression if he is made to
believe that there is no hope for him? Indeed, to fill the hearts of the slaves with despair is not
from the teachings of Islm. Allh ( )says:

When those who believe in Our yt come to you, say: Salmun Alaykum; your Lord
has written mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter
repents and does righteous good deeds, then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Al-Anm: 54)

Therefore, to discourage the slaves of Ar-Rahmn from turning to Him in Tawbah is an act of
transgression in itself which also requires Tawbah. Narrated Ab Hurayrah () ,
who said:

:



-

I heard Allhs Messenger ( )saying: {There were two fraternal persons among the
Children of Israel. One of them was engrossed in committing sins while the other was
devoted to worship. The devotee used to see his fellow committing sin and advise him:
Desist from doing so. One day when he found his fellow committing sin. He said to him:
Avoid it. His fellow said: Leave me alone. Have you been sent out as a vigilant on me? The
devotee said: By Allh, He will neither forgive you nor admit you to Paradise. When they
died, they were gathered before the Lord of the worlds. Allh asked the devotee: Were you
assured of knowing Me or were you having power over what was in My Hands? Then He
said to the sinner: Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy; and ordered the angels about the
devotee: Lead him to Hell}
(After narrating this Hadth) Ab Hurayrah said: By Him in Whose Hand is my soul: One
word spoken by the devotee ruined his good deeds in the world as well as in the Hereafter.
(This Hadth is sound and reported by Abu Dd in his Sunan)

3. Seek religious knowledge from the Ulam

Verily, Islm is built upon knowledge: Knowledge which Allh ( )revealed to the
Prophets () . Thus, guidance is dependent upon believing in and following that
which Allh ( )has revealed to the Prophets and Messengers () . Imm Ab
Muhammad al-Hasan bn Ali al-Barbahr ( ) says:

14
 :- "
"
And know may Allh have mercy upon you that the Dn comes from Allh it is not
in accordance with the intellect and opinions of men. The knowledge of this Deen is with
Allh and His Messenger, so do not follow anything with your desire, lest you should go out
the Dn and then exit (the fold of) Islm.
(Sharhus-Sunnah)

The Ulam are the inheritors of the Prophets ( ) and are thus charged with the
duty of explaining and clarifying that which Allh ( )has revealed, as well as extracting
and issuing religious rulings (Fatw) from the divine text. It was for this reason the man
mentioned in the Hadth sought the most knowledgeable person on earth and not a pious
layman. This Hadth highlights the potential harm that occurs as a direct result of taking
Fatw from unqualified individuals.

4. Allhs Infinite Mercy

In another narration of this Hadth it is said that Allh ( )commanded the land from which
the man had migrated to distance itself and the land to which he was migrating to come closer
(Sahh Muslim: 2766). Indeed, this is an example of Allhs Infinite Mercy which He
bestows upon whomever He wills from among His slaves. Whenever the son of dam (
)takes a step towards his Lord the Most High draws closer to him, as is narrated in a
Hadth Quds. On the authority of Ab Hurayrah () , who said that the Prophet
( )said:

. :
.
.
Allh said: I am as My servant thinks of Me. And I am with him when he makes
mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if
he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it.
And if he draws near to Me by the span of a palm, I draw near to him by a cubit. If he draws
near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by the space covered by two arms. If he walks
towards Me, I hasten towards him.
(Muslim: 2675)

5. The Importance of Hijrah

It is important to note that the lim mentioned in this Hadth instructed the murderer to
proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people who worship Allh so
worship Allh with them. And dont return to your land for it is a land of evil. The murderer
who sought Allh's forgiveness was thus commanded to perform Hijrah in order to attain the
Mercy of Ar-Rahmn.

The word Hijrah, according to the Arabic language means to abandon or to migrate
from one land to another. However, the meaning according to the Sharah is the act of

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migrating from the land of Shirk and Kufr to the land of Tawhd and mn. The Muslim is
required to disbelieve in, reject, and disassociate himself from all forms of Kufr and acts of
disobedience to Allh (), and this is the essence of Tawbah. Hijrah, therefore, serves as a
vehicle to achieve this noble aim and is a practical demonstration of one's disassociation from
all that which is displeasing to Allh (). Hence, the Prophet ( )said:

The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe, and the Muhjir is
he who abandons that which Allh has prohibited.
(Al-Bukhr: 10)

The Muslim who sincerely intends to turn to his Lord

in Tawbah is thus obliged to:

Reject Kufr (including its system of governance) and

shun all acts of disobedience to Allh ()
Disassociate himself from the Kuffr and the sinners
Abandon the lands and places of Kufr and sin

Imm An-Nawaw () , in commenting on the Hadth of the man who killed a hundred
people, said:

. (
)


(Regarding) his statement (proceed to such and such land, for verily in it there are people
who worship Allh so worship Allh with them. And dont return to your land for it is a
land of evil) the Ulam said: (In this i.e. the Hadth is the recommendation that the one
seeking Tawbah should disassociate himself from the places in which he committed sins, as
well as from the companions who helped him to commit them. He should sever ties with them
as long as they remain in their condition (of sin, etc.) and exchange them for the company of
the people of good and righteousness, and (the company of) the Ulam and pious
worshipers and gain benefit from their company, thereby confirming his Tawbah due to
that)
(Sahh Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawaw: 9/85)

Seeking Allhs Pleasure

Verily, the attainment of Allhs Pleasure is a blessing that is greater than Jannah itself and is
thus the aspiration of every sincere believer. The Most high says:

Allh has promised the believers men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow

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to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in gardens of `Adn (Eden; Paradise). But
the greatest bliss is the good Pleasure of Allh. That is the supreme success.
(At-Tawbah: 72)

In addition, the Prophet ( )said:

. ! :
: ! :
: ! :

Allh will say to the people of Paradise, O residents of Paradise! They will say,
Labbayka (here we are!), our Lord, and Sadayk (we are happy at your service!) and all
the good is in Your Hand. He will ask them, Are you pleased? They will say, Why would
we not be pleased, O Lord, while You have given us what You have not given any other of
your creation? He will say, Should I give you what is better than all this? They will say,
O Lord! What is better than all this? He will say, I will grant you My Pleasure and will
never afterwards be angry with you.
(Sahh Muslim: 2829)

O Muslim! If you are sincere in your quest to attain the Pleasure

of Allh (), then know that there is nothing more pleasing to
the Most High than the sincere Tawbah of the slave who has
transgressed against his soul. Anas bn Mlik ()
reported that Allhs Messenger ( )said:

Allh is more pleased with the Tawbah of His servant who turns towards Him in
repentance than one amongst you who is on his camel in a waterless desert and then loses
it whilst his (provision of) food and drink is on it. Thereafter, having lost all hope (to get it
back) he approaches a tree and lies down in its shade, distraught about his camel. Then,
whilst in that state, he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its nose-
string and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, You are my servant and I am Your
Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
[Muslim: 2747]

Therefore, hasten towards the Pleasure of Ar-Rahmn and delay not for indeed death is a
reality and nobody knows when his appointed time will arrive. Turn to your Lord before you
return to Him ( )and know that the doors of Tawbah are open until the sun rises from the
west, after which it will no longer be accepted.

All praise is due to Allh, the Lord of all that exists. And may His Blessings
and Peace be upon the Messengers

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