FORGIVING AND FORGIVEN

Alhamdulillah my brothers and sisters in Islam, we have finally reached the month of Syaban. There is only less than a  month before the coming of Ramadhan and during these time our beloved prophet (may allah bless him and grant him peace) would recite this doa in hoping that Allah would grant him the chance to meet Ramadhan.

‘Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha'aban wa ballighna Ramadhan'

  “O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan.”
[Narrated by at-Tabarani and Ahmad]

From the doa, we realize how important it is to actually experience Ramadhan every year but it is sad that muslims nowadays don’t put their best effort in taking all the reward Ramadhan has to offer. Verily, Ramadhan is blessed month where the Quran was revealed, the Angels in large numbers descend down to earth during the Night of Qadr, the shayatin cuffed and hence providing the golden opportunity to increase in taqwa so that we may survive the remaining month in the battle with nafs and syaitan.

Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Bukhari)

Another goal during Ramadhan is also to be forgiven from all the past sins and this goal must be achieved as in the hadith from the prophet (may allah bless him and grant him peace):

Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “May the man before whom I am mentioned – and he does not send salat (praises) upon me – be humiliated. And may a man upon whom Ramadan enters and then passes and his sins are not forgiven, be humiliated. And may a man whose parents (or one of them) reached old age in his presence, and they were not a cause for his entrance to Paradise, be humiliated.” (At-Tirmidzi. Classed as hasan sahih by Sh.Albani)

Dear Brothers and sisters, the way to be forgiven by Allah is of course taking care of your fast, tarawih, staying up during the last ten days of ramadhan for Lailatul Qadr, Tilawatul Quran. Everyone should strive and do their best to gain the pleasure of Allah through these means. However, one should never ever forget that we in our Deen there are habluminallah and habluminannas. Let us shed some light on this amazing verse from surah An-Nur.  

And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (An-Nur: 22)

This is a verse that came down after the slander against Ummul Mu’minin A’ishah (radiallahu anha). Among the people who are involved in false accusation is Mistah ibn Uthaha (radiallahu anhu) who Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiallahu anhu) used to provide because of latter kinship and his poverty. Therefore, after Allah proved Aishah’s innocence through the revelation of verse 11 in the same surah, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiallahu anhu) said: “By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah anything after what he has said about A’ishah”.  So, Allah revealed the verse above.

Immediately, Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) said “Yes, by Allah I wish Allah should forgive me”. So, he resumed the aid he gave to Mistah. He then continued on saying: “By Allah, I will never withhold it from him at all”.

From this, we learn a very important lesson. Forgiving others of their mistake is a way of gaining the forgiveness of Allah. We as humans are never without mistakes and sins towards Allah. And some sins are just too grave that we think that Allah is never going to forgive but He asked us to never be deprived of His rahmah.

Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Unlike the Creator, the creation (i.e human) is always finding faults of others, and they find it difficult to forgive those who wronged them even for the most trivial of things. However, at the same time, in their solah they recite ‘Rabbighfirli (Ya Rabb, forgive me), after solah they say “Astarghfirullah (I seek the forgiveness of Allah), in their dua’ they ask “Allhummaghfrilana (Oh Allah, please forgive us) without shame expecting to be forgiven while they do not have the heart to forgive others.

Here, we should compare ourselves with the Sahabah. Think, how great of a sin is to slander the wife of Rasulallah, the daughter of his best companion and the Mother of The Believers? Does it even deserve to be forgiven? Yet, Abu Bakr was (radiallahu anha) willing to pardon and overlook everything for the sake of the forgiveness of Allah. There are many other narrations that talks on how forgiving the Rasulallah and the Companions are and we should follow their virtue as they are the best of people.

Narrated ‘Abdullah (radiallhu anha) The Prophet (sallallahu ala alaihissalam) said, “The best amongst the people are those living in my century (generation), and then those coming after them, and then those coming after the latter. Then there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths, and their oaths will precede their witness.” (Sahih Bukhari)

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, reconcile amongst yourselves for He will reconcile among the believers in the akhirah.

There will be two men from this Ummah that will come before Allah (Azza Wa Jalla). One man will say, “so and so has transgressed against me and I want from his good deeds.” Allah will tell him, “do you see this great palace in paradise?” And the man will look at the palace, and Allah will say to him, “it will belong to you if you forgive your brother today.” And the man will forgive him. Rasulullah (sallallahu ala alaihissalam) said at the end of this hadith:  “safeguard yourselves from Allah, and reform and reconcile amongst yourselves, indeed Allah will reconcile between the believers (on the Day of Judgment).” (Narrated by al-Hakeem with authentic chain)

Editor: Mohd Hafizudin Mohd Zaki

President 2013/2014

Muslim Society (MSOC)

International Medical University (IMU) Bukit Jalil.