RAMADAN: TIME FOR RELIGIOUS AND DIVINE REFLECTION (4)
By Babatunde Jose
One of the greatest lessons of Ramadan is seeking forgiveness of Allah. But to achieve that we need to understand the need to forgive each other. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “_It (Ramadan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell).” This is called “Rehmat”, meaning Mercy of Allah._
Islam teaches us to be forgiving and if someone sincerely asks for forgiveness, the wronged person should forgive him. Our beloved Prophet (SAW) said: _“Whoever suffers an injury and forgives (the person responsible), Allah will raise his status to a higher degree and remove one of his sins.”_
*Surely, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the most Forgiving, the Merciful’ (Quran 39:53)*. We then learn ‘*And the recompense of evil is punishment like it, but whoever forgives and amends, he shall have his reward from Allah; surely He does not love the unjust’ (Quran 42.40).*
Even the Bible said:_ _’Be kind and compassionate… forgiving each other…’ Ephesians 4:32_
A counsellor writes, ‘We have all been wounded’. Who wounded us? Those we love and those who love us. When we feel rejected, abandoned, abused, manipulated, or violated it’s usually by people close to us: our parents, our friends, our marriage partners, our children, our teachers, our pastors. This is what makes forgiveness so difficult.
It’s our hearts that are wounded! We cry out, “You, who I expected to be there for me, have failed me. How can I ever forgive you for that?” Though forgiveness may seem impossible, the God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, “In the name of Allah, I forgive you.”
But remember, there are two sides to forgiveness: giving and receiving. Although at first sight, giving seems harder, often we are not able to offer forgiveness because we haven’t fully received it ourselves.
Only as people who have tasted the joy of forgiveness can we find the inner motivation to give it. Why is receiving forgiveness so difficult? Because it’s hard to acknowledge that without your forgiveness I’m still affected by what happened between us.
I need you to help set me free and make me whole again. That requires not only a confession that we’ve been hurt, but also the humility to admit our dependence on the very one who hurt us. Yet, only when we’re able to receive forgiveness, can we truly extend it to others.’ That’s why the Bible says, _’Get rid of all bitterness… Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:31-32_
How do you break bitterness?
Admit that you feel bitter. You’ve got to know it’s there—and face it—in order to leave it behind.
Acknowledge who hurt you and that you hold on to the hurt. Ask yourself why you won’t let it go. …
Let go. …
Forgive. …
Change your expectations. …
Know that you are bigger than bitterness. …
*“. . . . if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly, He does not love wrongdoers. (Quran 42:40)*
The sunnah has mentioned many ways by which we can spiritually cleanse ourselves. The Prophet (SAW) advised us, _“Whoever commits a sin, and then performs wudhu, then offers prayers seeking forgiveness of God, God will certainly forgive him.”_
After this the Prophet (SAW) recited the verse: *And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins, – and who can forgive sins except Allah? – And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. (Quran 3:135)”*
The believer should strive to repent to Allah (SWT) regularly as repentance is our lasting need and the best of good deeds. We should realize that Allah (SWT) states in the Quran, *“Man was created weak.” (Quran 4:28)* and we will never be completely free of sins but those who repent regularly will have a higher status in the eyes of Allah (SWT).
One of the hardest things for us as human beings is to admit our mistakes. We have all experienced this when we have wronged another human being in the past. How shy did we feel to admit our wrong and say sorry to them! But as believers we must realize that when we sin, it is our Lord, Ar-Rahman that we deal with.
Allah (SWT) heartily welcomes our repentance and not only that, but He also rewards us for it! So, asking for forgiveness itself acts as a good deed.
Allah (SWT) says in hadith qudsi 34:*“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”* (Tirmidhi)
*HUTHBA 2*
*VIRTUES OF SEEKING ALLAH’S FORGIVENESS*
Allah wants us to be in constant remembrance of Him. He knows we are going to fall into sin, but he wants us to be those who constantly seek His forgiveness and ask for His mercy.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, _“By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.”_ [Muslim].
Why is Istighfar so important?
Istighfar Provides Sustenance, *“And (Noah) said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.” He will send rain from the sky upon you in continuing showers; And give you an increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. (Quran 71:10-12)*
Istighfar opens the door of mercy: *Declare (O Muhammad SAW) unto My slaves, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful. (Quran 15:49)*
Istighfar removes Stress and Anxiety. The Messenger of Allah said, “If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.” (Abu Dawud)
An Eraser of Sins: *“Then, verily! Your Lord for those who do evil (commit sins and are disobedient to Allah) in ignorance and afterward repent and do righteous deeds, verily, your Lord thereafter, (to such) is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 16:119)* *And Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness (Quran 8:33)*
Your Dua (Supplication) is accepted: *My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower. (Quran 38:35)*
This was the dua of Prophet Suleiman who started his dua by seeking forgiveness from Allah first then asking for his request. That request was granted and will stand until the day of judgement. Prophet Suleiman was given a kingdom that no one will ever be given after him.
The Prophet (SAW) said, the best supplication for seeking forgiveness (Syed-ul- Istighfar) is to say: _O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You have the power to pardon.’_
_He who supplicates in these terms during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah; and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah.”_ (Al-Bukhari)
May Allah make us among those who constantly seek His forgiveness and mercy.
*Barka Juma’at and Ramadan Kareem.*
*Babatunde Jose*
