Remove the Black Dot

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said,

All the children of Adam constantly err, but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent.

[Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Hakim]

The noble companion, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radiAllahu anhu) said,

The believer sees his sins as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he feared was about to fall upon him, whereas the wicked sees his sins like a man who finds a fly settle upon his nose, so he does this (the narrator brushed it away from his nose).

Sometimes we assume that it is only those who have committed grave sins that need to return to Allah. But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:

Beware of sins which are treated as being minor, just like a people who encamp in the center of a valley, so someone brings a stick of firewood and someone else brings a stick until they are, therefore, able to bake their bread. Likewise, sins which are treated as being minor, and for which the person is taken to account, will destroy him.

[Ahmad]

A Muslim should realize the greatness of his Lord, the One free and far from all imperfections, and His tremendous Power and Might. We should not think of the sin as being great or small, major or minor, rather look at Whom we have sinned against.

A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins grow.”

When a person commits a sin, a black dot appears on the heart. When the heart is covered in black, a seal is then put on it and the door of guidance is shut on it. The sins which are ignored, neither repented for nor erased by the doing of good deeds, cause their doer’s destruction.

So, every time we mess up, we return to Allah recognizing that what we did was truly horrible and we ask for His forgiveness because we know He is forgiving, and that His Mercy encompasses everything. If we seek forgiveness sincerely and Allah accepts our repentance, not only does He forgives us, but He turns those bad deeds into good – imagine that years of sinning could turn into years of rewards.

Allah Almighty says,

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّـهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ حَسَنَـٰتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٠ ...

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (70)

[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:70]

A poet said:

It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligation.
Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But loosing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.
Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people’s heedlessness is even more perplexing.
Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam taught Aisha (radhiAllahu anha)

Verily tawba (repentance) from sin is regret[ing the action] and seeking forgiveness.

[Bayhaqi]

The internal component is to regret what we have done – whether it is a small lie, a glance at something we shouldn’t be looking at, being heedless or even something greater. The external component is to ask Allah for forgiveness.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: “Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” [Bukhari]

وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩

"And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected - (87) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." [Qur’an Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]

May Allah make us of those who constantly return to Him for forgiveness and of those who come to Allah with a sound heart.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

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