Continuation of the explanation of the statement of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in the context of the hadith of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) that He said Sahih Muslim 2577a This is also part of the complete grace of Allah upon the servant, that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) offers him the opportunity to seek forgiveness from Allah and to repent to Him, even though He says Sahih Muslim 2577a meaning all sins, from associating partners with Allah, disbelief, major sins, and minor sins, all of them are forgiven by Allah, but only after the person seeks forgiveness from his Lord. Therefore He said, "So seek forgiveness from Me and I will forgive you," meaning ask Me for forgiveness so that I may forgive you. But forgiveness is not merely for a person to say "O Allah, forgive me" meaning that seeking forgiveness is not merely saying "O Allah, forgive me" but it is obligatory to have a sincere repentance by which the person repents to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Sincere repentance is that which gathers five conditions:
The first condition is that the person be sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in it, not being driven to repent by showing off to people or making them hear of it, nor seeking to draw near to them with anything, but rather intending by the repentance to return to Allah in truth. Sincerity is a condition in every deed, and among the righteous deeds is repentance to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said[An-Nur 24:31]
And among them is that the person feels remorse. The second condition of repentance is that the person feels remorse for the sin that occurred from him, meaning that he should grieve and regret and know that he committed a mistake so that he feels remorse for it. As for if committing the mistake and not committing it are equal in his estimation, then this is not repentance. It is necessary that he feel remorse in his heart, a remorse where he wishes that this sin had not occurred from him.
And the third is that he abandons the sin, for there is no repentance with persistence in sins, as Allah the Exalted said[Ali 'Imran 3:135] As for if he says that he is repentant from the sin while he is persisting in it, then he is a liar and mocking Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For example, if he says "I repent to Allah from backbiting" but whenever he sits in a gathering he backbites the servants of Allah, then he is a liar in his repentance. And if he says "I repent to Allah from usury or interest" but he is persisting in it, selling with usury or interest and buying with usury or interest, then he is a liar in his repentance. And if he says "I repent to Allah from listening to singing" but he is persisting in it, then he is a liar in his repentance. And if he says, "I repent to Allah from disobeying the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in letting the beard grow," but he shaves it while saying "I repent to Allah from shaving it" then he is a liar. And so it is with all sins; if the person is persisting in them, then his claim of repentance is a lie and his repentance is not accepted.
And of that, meaning of abandoning the sin and ceasing from it, is that he returns the injustices to their owners if the sin is in the rights of people. If it was by taking wealth, let him return the wealth to the one from whom he took it. If the person has died, let him return it to his heirs. If it is difficult for him to know the heirs, or the man forgot, or the man went to a place where he cannot be found, such as if he is a foreigner who goes and returns to his country and one does not know where he is, then in this case he gives out what he owes as charity, intending it for the owner of the wealth who is seeking it. If the sin was in backbiting and the one who was backbitten has known that this man backbited him, then it is necessary that he go to him and seek his forgiveness. And his brother who comes to him to apologize to him should accept and forgive him, because if your brother comes to you apologizing and admitting the sin, then pardon him and overlook it, for Allah loves those who do good. But if he does not accept to forgive the backbiting except for some money, then give him money, give him from the money until he is satisfied and forgives you.
Likewise, if the sin was an insult between you and someone, until you hit him, for example, then repentance from that is that you go to him and seek his forgiveness and say, "Here I am before you, hit me as I hit you," until he forgives you. The important thing is that ceasing from the sin, if it is for a human being, is that you seek his forgiveness, whether it was an injustice of wealth, body, or honor.
The fourth condition is that he resolves not to return to it in the future. If he repents and abandons the sin, but in his heart he thinks that if the opportunity arises he will return to his sin, then that repentance is not accepted from him. This is the repentance of a player. But he must resolve. If he resolves and then it is decreed that his soul suggests to him afterwards and he commits the sin, then that does not invalidate the previous repentance, but he needs a new repentance from the sin a second time.
The fifth is that the repentance be in the time in which it is accepted. If the time has passed, repentance does not benefit. When does the time pass? The time passes when a person faces death. When death faces him, there is no repentance; if he repents, it will not benefit him, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted[An-Nisa 4:18] Now there is no benefit in it. And for this reason, when Pharaoh was drowned, he said [Yunus 10:90] and it was said to him, "Now?" meaning, do you say this now? [Yunus 10:91] The time has passed. And for this reason, it is obligatory for the person to hasten with repentance, because he does not know when death will overtake him suddenly. How many people have died suddenly and unexpectedly? So let him repent to Allah before the time passes.
As for the second thing in which repentance is missed, it is when the sun rises from its west. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the sun now moves by the permission of Allah on the earth, and when it sets, it prostrates under the Throne of the Merciful (Mighty and Majestic) and seeks permission from Allah. If He permits it, it continues in its course, otherwise it is said, "Return from where you came," so it returns by the permission of Allah and His command, and it rises upon the people from the west. At that time, all people will believe; all people will repent and return to Allah, but that will not benefit them. Allah the Exalted said[Al-An'am 6:158] meaning at death [Al-An'am 6:158] meaning the Day of Resurrection for the Reckoning [Al-An'am 6:158] meaning the rising of the sun from its west [Al-An'am 6:158]
These are five conditions for repentance; it is not accepted except with them. So you, my brother, must hasten with repentance to Allah and returning to Him as long as you are in the time of respite, before that does not happen for you.
And know that if you repent to Allah with a sincere repentance, then Allah will accept your repentance, and perhaps He will raise you to a higher rank than your current rank. Look at Adam, your father, where Allah forbade him from eating from the tree, so he disobeyed his Lord by the whispering of Satan to him. Allah the Exalted said[Taha 20:121-122] When he repented, he attained being chosen; Allah chose him and he became in a higher rank than he was before he disobeyed his Lord, because the disobedience caused him shame and modesty before Allah, and turning to Him and returning to Him, so his state became a higher state than before.
And know that Allah is more joyful with the repentance of His believing servant than a man who was on his mount, and on it was his food and drink, in a desert land where there was no one, so he lost the camel and sought it but did not find it, so he slept under a tree waiting for death. Then he found the rein of his camel hanging on the tree, having come to him by Allah, so he took its rein and said, out of the intensity of his joy, "O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord" He made a mistake; he intended to say "O Allah, You are my Lord and I am Your servant" but he made a mistake out of the intensity of his joy. When a person’s joy is intense, he does not know what he says, just as when his anger is intense, he does not know what he says. So Allah is more joyful with the repentance of His believing servant than this man was with his camel. We ask Allah to accept our repentance and yours, and to grant us turning to Him.
The reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted in the context of the hadith of Abu Dharr "Sahih Muslim 2577a "
O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.
يا عبادي إنكم تخطئون بالليل والنهار وأن أغفر الذنوب جميعا فاستغفروني أغفر لكمyou sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins
إنكم تخطئون بالليل والنهار وأنا أغفر الذنوب جميعاThe first condition is that the person be sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in it, not being driven to repent by showing off to people or making them hear of it, nor seeking to draw near to them with anything, but rather intending by the repentance to return to Allah in truth. Sincerity is a condition in every deed, and among the righteous deeds is repentance to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said
And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
وتوبوا إلى الله جميعا أيه المؤمنون لعلكم تفلحونAnd among them is that the person feels remorse. The second condition of repentance is that the person feels remorse for the sin that occurred from him, meaning that he should grieve and regret and know that he committed a mistake so that he feels remorse for it. As for if committing the mistake and not committing it are equal in his estimation, then this is not repentance. It is necessary that he feel remorse in his heart, a remorse where he wishes that this sin had not occurred from him.
And the third is that he abandons the sin, for there is no repentance with persistence in sins, as Allah the Exalted said
and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.
ولم يصروا على ما فعلوا وهم يعلمونAnd of that, meaning of abandoning the sin and ceasing from it, is that he returns the injustices to their owners if the sin is in the rights of people. If it was by taking wealth, let him return the wealth to the one from whom he took it. If the person has died, let him return it to his heirs. If it is difficult for him to know the heirs, or the man forgot, or the man went to a place where he cannot be found, such as if he is a foreigner who goes and returns to his country and one does not know where he is, then in this case he gives out what he owes as charity, intending it for the owner of the wealth who is seeking it. If the sin was in backbiting and the one who was backbitten has known that this man backbited him, then it is necessary that he go to him and seek his forgiveness. And his brother who comes to him to apologize to him should accept and forgive him, because if your brother comes to you apologizing and admitting the sin, then pardon him and overlook it, for Allah loves those who do good. But if he does not accept to forgive the backbiting except for some money, then give him money, give him from the money until he is satisfied and forgives you.
Likewise, if the sin was an insult between you and someone, until you hit him, for example, then repentance from that is that you go to him and seek his forgiveness and say, "Here I am before you, hit me as I hit you," until he forgives you. The important thing is that ceasing from the sin, if it is for a human being, is that you seek his forgiveness, whether it was an injustice of wealth, body, or honor.
The fourth condition is that he resolves not to return to it in the future. If he repents and abandons the sin, but in his heart he thinks that if the opportunity arises he will return to his sin, then that repentance is not accepted from him. This is the repentance of a player. But he must resolve. If he resolves and then it is decreed that his soul suggests to him afterwards and he commits the sin, then that does not invalidate the previous repentance, but he needs a new repentance from the sin a second time.
The fifth is that the repentance be in the time in which it is accepted. If the time has passed, repentance does not benefit. When does the time pass? The time passes when a person faces death. When death faces him, there is no repentance; if he repents, it will not benefit him, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted
But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now,"
وليست التوبة للذين يعملون السيئات حتى إذا حضر أحدهم الموت قال إني تبت الآنI believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the Muslims."
آمنت أنه لا إله إلا الذي آمنت به بنو إسرائيل وأنا من المسلمينAnd you had disobeyed [Him] before and were of the corrupters?
وقد عصيت قبل وكنت من المفسدينAs for the second thing in which repentance is missed, it is when the sun rises from its west. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the sun now moves by the permission of Allah on the earth, and when it sets, it prostrates under the Throne of the Merciful (Mighty and Majestic) and seeks permission from Allah. If He permits it, it continues in its course, otherwise it is said, "Return from where you came," so it returns by the permission of Allah and His command, and it rises upon the people from the west. At that time, all people will believe; all people will repent and return to Allah, but that will not benefit them. Allah the Exalted said
Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them
هل ينظرون إلا أن تأتيهم الملائكةor your Lord should come
أو يأتي ربكor that there come some of the signs of your Lord
أو يأتي بعض آيات ربكThe Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good.
يوم يأتي بعض آيات ربك لا ينفع نفسا إيمانها لم تكن آمنت من قبل أو كسبت في إيمانها خيراThese are five conditions for repentance; it is not accepted except with them. So you, my brother, must hasten with repentance to Allah and returning to Him as long as you are in the time of respite, before that does not happen for you.
And know that if you repent to Allah with a sincere repentance, then Allah will accept your repentance, and perhaps He will raise you to a higher rank than your current rank. Look at Adam, your father, where Allah forbade him from eating from the tree, so he disobeyed his Lord by the whispering of Satan to him. Allah the Exalted said
And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. (122) Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him].
وعصى آدم ربه فغوى ثم اجتباه ربه فتاب عليه وهدىAnd know that Allah is more joyful with the repentance of His believing servant than a man who was on his mount, and on it was his food and drink, in a desert land where there was no one, so he lost the camel and sought it but did not find it, so he slept under a tree waiting for death. Then he found the rein of his camel hanging on the tree, having come to him by Allah, so he took its rein and said, out of the intensity of his joy, "O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord" He made a mistake; he intended to say "O Allah, You are my Lord and I am Your servant" but he made a mistake out of the intensity of his joy. When a person’s joy is intense, he does not know what he says, just as when his anger is intense, he does not know what he says. So Allah is more joyful with the repentance of His believing servant than this man was with his camel. We ask Allah to accept our repentance and yours, and to grant us turning to Him.
The reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted in the context of the hadith of Abu Dharr "