The Author added an extra two Hadeeths, but the title remained the same, because it is known amongst Scholars that any little addition will not change anything.
Hadith #41 is a weak Hadith.
Main Idea of the Hadith: The Vastness and Greatness of Allah's Forgiveness and the Means of Acquiring it.
This Hadith has a great status amongst the Scholars because it is the greatest Hadith in the Sunnah which revives hope in sinners. It opens the door for those who indulge in sin, and dispels the feeling of desperation in them, by showing them the vast forgiveness of Allah.
In addition to that, this Hadith shows the high status of Tawheed, and the great forgiveness Allah has prepared for the People of Tawheed.
This is a Hadith Qudsi.
Explanation of the Hadith:
يا ابن آدم
O Son of Adam
This is the style of calling (نداء). The Hadith starts with a divine call to every human being; a call of forgiveness and mercy.
Some say that the Name "Adam" is an Aramaic Name, others say it is a Hebrew name which means "Sand", and there are those who say it is Arabic and comes from "آدمي الأرض" (Sand of the Earth) while others say the meaning means to join two things together (Adam عليه السلام was created from water and sand).
Adam عليه السلام was the first human being Allah created. Allah blew life into him and taught him the names of everything, then commanded the Angels to bow down to him, and all the Angels prostrated except Iblees. Allah mentioned the story of Adam عليه السلام in different parts of the Quran. Adam عليه السلام is a noble Prophet, not a Messenger, as mentioned in the Hadith:
It was narrated from Abu Umaamah that a man said: “O Messenger of Allaah, was Adam a Prophet?” He said, “Yes, and Allaah spoke to him.” The man asked, “How much (time) was there between him and Nooh?” He said, “Ten centuries.” ]Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 14/69; and by al-Haakim, 2/262.]
There is some significance in Allah addressing us as the Sons of Adam عليه السلام. Since the main Idea of the Hadith is committing sin and forgiveness, it is appropriate, because the first to commit sin was Adam عليه السلام, then he repented to Allah, and Allah forgave him. This is a kind of encouragement and giving of hope for those who commit sins.
This Hadith tells us 3 Means of acquiring the Forgiveness of Allah:
1) Supplication (الدعاء)
إنك ما دعوتني و رجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان فيك و لا أبالي
As long as you invoke Me and put your hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have committed, and I shall not mind.
الدعاء is the essence of worship and is a direct connection between the slave and his Lord. The term has been mentioned 90 times in the Quran, with different meanings, two of which are:
1) Calling others
Allah says in Surat An-Nur [24:63]:
"Make not the calling of the Messenger (Muhammad) among you as your calling of one another. Allah knows those of you who slip away under shelter (of some excuse without taking the permission to leave, from the Messenger). And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them."
2) Supplication (Invoking and pleading Allah, seeking good)
In Surah Al-Baqarah [2:186]:
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright."
Allah commanded the believers to supplicate to Him in Surah Ghafir [40:60]:
"And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"
The Prophet ﷺ also said,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحِي إِذَا رَفَعَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَيْهِ يَدَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا خَائِبَتَيْنِ
Indeed, Allah, is Hayy, Generous, when a man raises his hands to Him, He feels too shy to return them to him empty and rejected. [At-Tirmithi]
And he showed us that Allah gets angry if one does not supplicate. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَيْهِ
Indeed, he who does not ask Allah, he gets angry with him. [At-Tirmithi]
In order for a supplication to be answered, it must meet the following conditions:
1) It should be performed with an attentive heart; conscious of what it is saying
2) One must be confident in the response of Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
ادْعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَنْتُمْ مُوقِنُونَ بِالإِجَابَةِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَجِيبُ دُعَاءً مِنْ قَلْبٍ غَافِلٍ لاَهٍ
Call upon Allah while being certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not respond to a supplication from the heart of one heedless and occupied by play. [At-Tirmithi]
3) One should show his weakness, humiliation, poverty, and need to Allah.
4) One should insist and persist in asking and avoiding saying, "O Allah forgive me, if you wish"
The Prophet ﷺ said:
قَالَ اللَّهُ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي
Allah said, 'I am to my slave as he thinks of Me, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him). [Al-Bukhari]
5) One should be patient and not hasty
The Prophet ﷺ said,
يُسْتَجَابُ لأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ فَيَقُولُ قَدْ دَعَوْتُ رَبِّي فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِبْ لِي
The supplication of one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and say- I supplicated my Lord but it was not granted. [Sahih Muslim]
Having hope is one of the keys of having your supplication answered. One should have good expectations of Allah. Having hope in Allah has four forms:
1) The one who indulges in sin and hopes for Allah's Forgiveness at the same time without quitting, repenting, or feeling regret. Such a person is deceiving himself.
2) The one who falls into shortcomings, fears the anger and punishment of Allah, to the extent he falls into despair. He does not have hope in Allah's forgiveness. This person should be careful and not let his fear overcome his hope in Allah's forgiveness.
3) One performs acts of obedience to Allah but fears that Allah will not accept it. This person should have hope that Allah will accept his good deeds.
4) The best form is to combine both fear and hope in your heart; like two wings of a bird. Both emotions should be balanced in your heart. This will guide you to avoid committing sins and continue performing acts of obedience. Allah praised those who have both feelings in their hearts in Surah Az-Zumar [39:9]:
"Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah's Signs and Verses)."
The saying, "And put your hope in me (و رجوتني)" implies the combining of hope and fear. As long as you keep supplicating to Allah, and have hope and fear, Allah will forgive you regardless of the quality and quantity of your sins, and He will not consider it a big matter.
There are times, due to the repetition of the same sin or the accumulation of sins, the slave feels despair. Allah warns us from despairing in His Mercy, because it is a Major Sin. In Surah Yusuf [12:87]:
"O my sons! Go you and enquire about Yusuf (Joseph) and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah's Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah's Mercy, except the people who disbelieve."
We should always remember the vastness of Allah's Mercy in order that we do not despair.
Hope should not be restricted to forgiveness of sins. We should hope for His Mercy in all matters in our lives; such as hoping that He will give victory to the poor and oppressed in the land. Allah gave victory to His Messengers when they were in a weak state and with few believers.
Some read Surah Yusuf [12:110] and think that even the Messengers despaired in the Mercy of Allah. This is not true at all:
"(They were reprieved) until, when the Messengers gave up hope and thought that they were denied (by their people), then came to them Our Help, and whomsoever We willed were delivered. And Our Punishment cannot be warded off from the people who are Mujrimun (criminals, disobedients to Allah, sinners, disbelievers, polytheists)."
The Messengers never despaired in the Mercy of Allah, because they are the most certain and confident in the Mercy of Allah, and are immune from falling into despair. The meaning of this verse is that the Prophets reached the stage of despair of the believing of their people in their message; not from the victory of Allah.
2) Asking Forgiveness (الإستغفار)
يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السّماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك
O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and then you asked forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you
عنان either means:
1) The Clouds
2) The Borders of the Sky
3) What the sight can reach of the sky
This metaphor indicates the multitude of sins, as if it is a physical form that fills the space between the sky and earth. But no matter how great it is, it will never be greater than the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah.
We know the Story of the Man who killed 99 men, and yet Allah still forgave him.
This is the virtue of إستغفار. Even if your sins reached the sky, as long as you ask Allah to forgive you, Allah will forgive you.
Linguistically the word إستغفار comes from the word غفر، مغفرة which means to cover something in order to protect it from harm or dirt.
E.g. The soldier wears a helmet (المغفر)
Every time the person commits a sin, feels remorse, repents, makes إستغفار, Allah will forgive him regardless of the quality or the quantity of his sin.
Allah commanded the believers in His Book to make إستغفار. In Surah Al-Muzzamil [73:20]:
"And seek Forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful."
In Surah Az-Zumar [39:53]:
"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."
The Prophet ﷺ said,
لولا أنكم تذنبون ؛ لخلق الله خلقاً يذنبون، فيستغفرون، فيغفر لهم
Were you not to commit sins, Allah would create people who would commit sins and ask for forgiveness and He would forgive them. [Muslim]
The Prophet ﷺ said,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ فِي الْيَوْمِ إِلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day. [Sahih Muslim]
Abdullah Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه said,
كنا نعد لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في المجلس الواحد مائة مرة: "رب اغفر لي، وتب على إنك أنت التواب الرحيم
We counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting: Rabb- ighfir li, wa tubb 'alayya, innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Rahim. (My Rabb! Forgive me and pardon me. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning with compassion and Ever Merciful. [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmithi]
What has the Prophet ﷺ done to seek forgiveness, and what have we done in comparison?
There are many forms of استغفار, the best of which is called سيد الإستغفار (The Master of Forgiveness):
There are other virtues besides this:
1) Allah's Praise
In Surah Aal-Imran [3:17]:
"(They are) those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night."
2) Allah will not punish those who seek forgiveness
In Surah Al-Anfal [8:33]:
"And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness."
3) It is a means of increasing wealth, offspring, more provision and rain.
It is not enough to make استغفار. The Hadith implies توبة (Repentance).
Evidence: Surah Hud [11:90]:
"And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn unto Him in repentance. Verily, my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving."
What is repentance? To choose to abandon a sin one has actually or that which he has not committed. Meaning, he should abandon falling into a similar sin he committed in the future.
استففار is mentioned individually in Surah An-Nisa [4:106]:
"And seek the Forgiveness of Allah, certainly, Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Sometimes, they are mentioned together. In Surah Al-Maa'idah [5:74]:
"Will they not repent to Allah and ask His Forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"
If they are mentioned together, they take different meanings:
إستغفار = Asking forgiveness by tongue
توبة = Repenting and leaving the sin by tongue, heart, and limbs.
Conditions of the Acceptance of Repentance:
1) Abandoning the sin. One should not repent by tongue while he still commits it with limbs.
2) Not persist in the sin.
In Surah Aal-Imran [3:136]:
"For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah's Orders)."
3) One should leave it sincerely for the sake of Allah alone; not out of fear of people.
In Surah Al-Bayyinah [98:5]:
"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat: and that is the right religion."
4) Feeling regret and remorse
There are people who repent but they do not feel regret for the sins they have committed. This is not true repentance.
5) Having a firm resolve to not return back to the sin
If one intends to go back to the sin, he has not sincerely repented. This is different from having a sincere intention to not repeat the sin, but you fall into it again and again unintentionally. The nature of the son of Adam is weak; he may fall into the same sin again. All he needs to do is renew his repentance again.
6) If the sin involves taking the right of others, the person should return it back to its owners.
If the person who you owe the right dies, you should give it to his heirs, and if he does not have heirs, you should pay it as charity.
If the sin is with regards to the rights of Allah, because He is Generous and Merciful, it is enough to ask forgiveness. There are however some acts which require expiation.
E.g. A person who does not pay Zakat or fast should make up for it.
7) To rush to perform Tawbah at the time of acceptance
If he repents in the time in which Tawbah is not accepted, Allah will never accept it. There are two times:
a) When ones soul reaches his throat
Since we do not know when our souls will reach our throat, we should repent immediately. Allah said in Surah An-Nisa [4:18]:
"And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds 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."
The Prophet ﷺ said,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ
Indeed Allah accepts the repentance of a slave as long as (his soul does not reach his throat). [At-Tirmithi]
b) When the Sun rises from the West (General Time)
This is one of the Major Signs of the Day of Judgement.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
من تاب قبل أن تطلع الشمس من مغربها تاب الله عليه
He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him. [Muslim]
3) Tawheed (التوحيد)
يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة
O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth, then you meet Me with associating a partner with Me, I would come to you with enough forgiveness to fill it (the earth)
Tawheed is the greatest reason and most significant cause of forgiveness.
In Surah Al-An'am [6:82]:
"It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided."
This part of the Hadith is an evidence that we will meet Allah on the Day of Judgement. Allah says in Surah Al-Kahf [18:110]:
"Say (O Muhammad): "I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord."
The person meets Allah on the Day of Judgement, after committing all these sins, which fill the earth. If he comes without associating a partner with Allah, Allah will come to him with forgiveness as big as the earth. This is the virtue of Tawheed.
Allah said in Surah An-Nisa [4:48]:
"Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin."
This shows us the grace of Allah upon the People of Tawheed and it shows us that all sins are small in front of the Greatness of Tawheed.
The Phrases of the Hadith:
لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السّماء - Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky
لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا - Were you to come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth
All these expressions are regarding those who indulge excessively in sins and are burdened with them, not just any normal person. And yet, Allah will still forgive them, so what about the believers who prevent themselves from indulging in sins? We should have hope in the Mercy of Allah.
These phrases also reflect the weak nature of human beings, who always fall into sins. Whoever does not insist on sins, Allah will forgive him as long as he does not die on Shirk.
We should understand and implement Tawheed in our lives. The misunderstanding of Tawheed will cause people to fall into prohibited acts without them realizing.
-> One must believe and implement all the three types of Tawheed
-> One should fulfill all the obligations towards Allah; submit to His Will, worship Him
-> One should avoid all forms of Shirk, the Major and Minor, in saying and actions.
-> One should avoid Ar-Riyaa which is Minor Shirk and avoid al-Bid'ah (Innovation), because it leads to the weakening Tawheed.
The opposite of Tawheed is Shirk.
What is the meaning of Shirk?
To direct an act of worship to other than Allah.
E.g. To direct your worship to a Prophet or a Wali.
Shirk is the biggest injustice to oneself and the greatest type of disobedience of Allah. In Surah Al-Luqman [31:13]:
"And (remember) when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed."
If one commits Shirk, He will be admitted into Hellfire.
The Effects of Shirk:
1) Shirk is behind the rejection and invalidation of good deeds
In Surah Al-An'am [6:88]:
"This is the Guidance of Allah with which He guides whomsoever He will of His slaves. But if they had joined in worship others with Allah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them."
In Surah An-Nisaa [4:116]:
"Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away."
2) Allah has forbidden Paradise for those who commit Shirk
In Surah Al-Maa'idah [5:72]:
"Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah ['Iesa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary)." But the Messiah ['Iesa (Jesus)] said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers."
The three means of forgiveness of sins mentioned in the Hadith are the following:
1) Supplication
2) Seeking Forgiveness
3) Tawheed
All the aforementioned means depend on Tawheed. You supplicate to Allah alone, you seek forgiveness from Allah alone. This is the Greatness and importance of Tawheed.
This Hadith is the last Hadith in the Book. It shows us the importance of Tawheed in the life of the believer. As the book ends with Tawheed, the life of the Muslim should end with Tawheed.
Some Scholars said that it is of the good authorization of this book that the author ended with seeking the forgiveness of Allah, in order to open the door of hope for people before they die.
Other Scholars said that it is as if the author is asking the forgiveness of Allah for his shortcomings in authoring the Book.
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