Ramadan, A Month of Mercy

30 Pages·0.883 MB·English

by  Shaykh Saud al-Khalaf

Ramadan
A Month of Mercy
By: Our Noble Shaykh. Dr. Saud Al-Khalaf الله هظفح
“And He is the One who accepts
repentance from His slaves, and
forgives their sins, and He knows
what you do.”
[Surah Ash-Shura, Ayah 25]
Ramadan:
A Month of Mercy
By: Our Noble Shaykh. Dr. Saud Al-Khalaf الله هظفح
Head of the Saudi Academic Association of The Study of Creed, Religious Sects and Schools of
Intellectual Thought.
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Translated by Muhammad Abdullahi Elmi and
Ismail Farah Ismail (May Allāh Forgive Them)
Ramadan 1441/ May 7,2020
[Verily] all praise is for Allāh; we seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge
with Allāh from the evil of our souls [and from our bad deeds]. Whomsoever
Allāh guides will never go astray, and whomsoever Allāh leaves astray, no one
can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except
Allāh [alone and without any partner] and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is
His slave and Messenger.
This lecture is a short explanation of Allāh’s statement:
َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ّ َّ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َّ ُ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ َ
¹نولعفت ام ملعيو تِ ئيِسلا نِ ع وفعيو هِدِابعِ نع ةبوتلا لبقي يذِ لا وهو
“And He is the one Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives their sins, and He
knows what you do.” ²
I will give a small explanation on this verse, and I ask Allāh to benefit me with
it, then whoever is listening, from the students of knowledge and the Muslims.
Allāh has opened a great door of earnings and gains for us with this verse and its
meaning. Allāh said about Himself that He accepts repentance from His slaves,
so with that, He opens a door for them that there is no success with it except by
His opening, and no prosperity and no victory except by his opening.
He reiterates about Himself (Subhan Allāh) that he accepts repentance from a
slave if he repents as Allāh said about himself:
ُ َّ ٱ ُ َّ َّ ٱ َ ُ َ َّ ٱ َّ أ َ َٰ َ َّ ٱ ُ ُ ۡأ َ َ َ ۡ َ َ َ ۡ َّ ٱ ُ َ ۡ َ َ ُ َ َّ ٱ َّ أ ْ ٓ ُ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ أ
³ميحِرلا باوتلا وه للا ناو تِ قدصلا ذخايو ۦهِدِابعِ نع ةبوتلا لبقي وه للا نا اوملعي ملا
“Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqat (alms,
charities) and that Allah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, the Most
Merciful?” ⁴
And as He stated at the beginning of Surah Al-Ghafir:
َ ۡٱ ۡ َ َ ُ َّ َ َٰ ٓ َ ۖ ۡ َّ ٱ َ ۡٱ َ ۡ َّ ٱ َ َ ۢ َّ ٱ َ
⁵ُريصِ ملا هِيلإِ وۖه لإِ هلإِ ل لِ وطلا يذِ بِ اقعِ لا دِ يدِ ش بِ وتلا لِ بِاقو بِ نذلا رِ فِاغ
“The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower (of
favours), La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), to Him is the final
return.” ⁶
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Allāh (ىلاعتو كرابت) with our many shortcomings and our many sins, He (Allāh) has
availed us in knowing that He is the Acceptor of Repentance. In another verse,
He has also availed us in knowing that He loves those who repent.
Allāh said:
َ ّ َ َ ُ ۡٱ ُّ ُ َ َ َّٰ َّ ٱ ُّ ُ َ َّ ٱ َّ
⁷نيرِ هِ طتملا بحِ يو نيبِوتلا بحِ ي للا نإِ
“Indeed, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify
themselves .” ⁸
Verily the Prophet ﷺ has given us an example of Allāh’s love for the repentance
of His slave, and His happiness with that repentance. Anas ibn Malik هنع الله يضر
reported that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Allāh is more pleased with the
repentance of a servant when he turns towards Him (in repentance) than one
among you who rides his camel into a waterless desert, where the camel carries
both his food and drink, and the camel strays; having lost all hope of its return,
(meaning he lost hope of finding it, or from it returning to him) so he comes
upon a tree and lies down in its shade, distressed about his camel; when all of a
sudden, he finds the camel standing before him. He takes hold of his reins and,
out of boundless joy, says, “O Lord, you are my servant, and I am your Lord.” He
commits this mistake out of extreme joy” .⁹
Look at the example the Prophet ﷺ gives us of Allāh’s happiness with His
slave if he repents to Him. He uses this man as an example and his form of
transportation that had his provisions, food and drink. He perhaps was sure
about his destruction after it (the camel) left him. Then it was standing in front
of him, and what was the magnitude of this man’s happiness? The Prophet ﷺ
said, “Allāh is even happier…” Subhan Allāh! With His abundant richness over
us ىلاعت و هناحبس, and that He is our Lord, our Master, our Creator and we are His
slaves. And we are in need of Him, and He is free of any need from us.
With all of that, our Prophet ﷺ informs us with what can motivate you O’
Muslim to repent to Him لاعو لج. He will be pleased with your repentance, love
you, reward you and give you success and guidance. Then, He makes you from
the people of Jannah, and that is the goal. All of this is for you, Allāh (لجو زع) is
not in need of anything in the heavens and the earth.
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Allāh says:
َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ّ َّ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َّ ُ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ َ
¹نولعفت ام ملعيو تِ ئيِسلا نِ ع وفعيو هِدِابعِ نع ةبوتلا لبقي يذِ لا وهو
“And He is the One Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives/pardons their sins” ²
And above that, he accepts repentance, and he has opened the door of repentance.
Abu Musa Al Ash’ari (هنع الله يضر) reported: the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah, the Exalted,
will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day
may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners
of the night may repent until the sun rises from the west.” ¹⁰
Allāh’s (ىلاعتو كرابت) Hand is stretched out, calling the people to repent, in the night
and day & in day and night. If you had sinned during the night, then it’s upon
you to repent in the day, and if you have sinned during the day for verily Allāh’s
Hand is stretching out in the night for you to repent for the action you have
committed. Repentance is an open door for you, O’ Slave of Allāh, so don’t miss
it. Let not this present life deceive you, for it departs with its people from sunrise
to sunset, our journey and our boat is to a specific destination, this is what
we witness from sunrise to sunset, this is our journey to a specific destination
(Death).
We are limited in days, we spend it during our lifetime, and it finishes. We have
limited breaths; when our time comes (Death), then we travel. We climb the night
and day until our term (Death) and the Shaytaan (devil) is observing us, so we
don’t repent, because he knows Allāh (لجو زع) accepts repentance, The Devil uses
means against us, but the most dangerous one is procrastination. It was narrated
that Hassan al Basri said: “Procrastination is a soldier from the soldiers of Iblis
(Satan)”. I will repent, I will do the action, I will return the rights to its people, I
will, I will, I will, until it reaches you or your term comes to you (Death), or you
go to your terms (Death), and you haven’t left off procrastination (I will).
Abu Jalad said, “I found that procrastination is a soldier from the soldiers of
Iblis (Satan); it has caused destruction to a lot of the creation from the creations
of Allāh.” Then what is obligatory upon all of us is to worry of that and that we
devote ourselves to repentance. Devote ourselves to repentance! And we make
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that an expiation of what we have done from our shortcomings or our sins, and
we devote ourselves to that.
As Allah said:
ٓ
ُ َّ ٱ ُ ُ َ َ َٰ ْ أ َ َ َ ُ ُ َ َّ ُ ٖ َ َٰ َ َ ٓ ُّ ٱ َ ُ َ ۡ َ َ َّ َّ ٱ َ َ ُ َ ۡ َّ ٱ َ َّ
للا بوتي كئِلواف بٖ يرِ ق نمِ نوبوتي مث ةلهجبِ ءوسلا نولمعي نيذِ للِ للِ ا ىلع ةبوتلا امنإِ
ٗ َ ً َ ُ َّ ٱ َ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ
¹¹اميكِ ح اميلِع للا ناكو مۗ هِ يلع
“Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and
repent soon afterwards; it is they to whom Allah will forgive,and Allah is Ever All-Knower,
All-Wise.” ¹²
And Allāh said (in warning):
َّ َ ُ ُّ ٱ ُ ۡ َ َ َ ۡ ُ ُ ْ ُ َ ۡ َ ۡ ٱ َ َ َّ ٱ ْ ُ َ َ ۡ ُ َ ُ أ ْ ٓ ُ َ َ ۡ أ ً َ َٰ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َّٱ َ
لإِ بونذلا رفِغي نمو مهِ بِونذلِ اورفغتساف للا اوركذ مهسفنا اوملظ وا ةشحِ ف اولعف اذإِ نيذِ لاو
¹³نَ ومُ لَعۡ يَ مۡ هُ وَ اْولُعَ فَ امَ ىٰ لَعَ اْورُّصِ يُ مۡ لَوَ للُ َّ ٱا
“And those who, when they have committed fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or
wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none
can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they
know.” ¹⁴
Meaning you follow up your sin with repentance and return back to Allāh (زع
لجو). Don’t persist in that action (in sin) because it is what will destroy you. As
for a sin occurring, the Shaytaan (The Devil) is steadfast, and he has means and
ways, but Allāh (لجو زع) made the medicine of disobedience (to be) repentance.
He (Allāh) made the medicine of sins seeking forgiveness and returning back to
Him, and its doors are open (repentance). What’s upon us, my Muslim brothers
is for us to not have any negligence on these meanings. Repentance, in reality,
is an occupation for life, an occupation for you O Muslim for your entire life.
Any time you have committed a sin or a shortcoming - as we are all sinners
- just like the Prophet said, “All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of
sinners are those who repent.” ¹⁵ , Every time you commit a sin, follow it with
repentance and righteous actions. Ask Allāh and have the determination to be
firm. When you’re repenting, be determined to be firm until Death reaches you.
Refrain from the disobedience of Allāh.
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¹⁶نُ يقِيَلۡٱا كَ يَتِاۡأيَ ىٰ تَّحَ كَ بَّرَ دۡ بُعۡٱاوَ
“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. Death).” ¹⁷
And the meaning of ‘certainty’ is Death, and that is the conclusion for the Muslim
to do actions from the time of puberty (the book starts) until he dies until his
soul leaves him. While he is upon this example and path (by the Permission of
Allāh), he will sustain the prosperity and success from Allāh.
We return back to the verse in Surah Ash-Shura:
َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ّ َّ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َّ ُ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ َ
¹نولعفت ام ملعيو تِ ئيِسلا نِ ع وفعيو هِدِابعِ نع ةبوتلا لبقي يذِ لا وهو
“And He is the One Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives their sins, and He
knows what you do.” ²
And Allāh’s (لاعو لج) statement about forgiveness means, erasing of the effect, as
they (the Arab poets) say
“the winds erased the remnants; if it dissolves it and obliterates it”
just like walking in the deserts, a person will see the traces of their footprints if
they get lost, but if there comes wind, it will wipe away those traces, to the extent
that if you try looking at it again, it will not be familiar to you and you won’t be
able to see it. Why? Because the wind had wiped away the traces.
The forgiveness of Allāh in this verse is the removal of the sin by Allah for
His slave, meaning Allāh removes the sin from His slave, and it doesn’t leave
any traces, and that is from the greatest of attainments for the slave. From the
greatest favour, Allāh has bestowed on His slave is that He forgives the traces of
his sins. Verily sins leave traces on one’s self, one’s child, one’s wealth and in this
life and the Hereafter. From the Grace of Allāh, is that if His slave repents, He
(Allāh) will remove the traces of his sins. As if it wasn’t there.
The Prophet ﷺ would regularly ask Allāh for forgiveness and pardon, and He
never use to stop saying this supplication. He never left off those supplications
asking Allāh for forgiveness and pardon.
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Ibn Majah narrated that ibn Umar (May Allāh be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allāh would never leave off these supplications in the
morning or evening. .”
“O’ Allāh! I ask You for well-being and security in this world and in the Hereafter.
O’ Allāh! I ask You for forgiveness and for well-being in my Religion, my worldly
life, my family and my wealth. O Allāh! Conceal my faults and keep me safe
from that which I fear. O’ Allāh! Guard me from in front of me and from behind
me, and from my right and from my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge
in Your Greatness from being unexpectedly destroyed from beneath me.” ¹⁸
The Prophet ﷺ would ask Allāh for well-being and forgiveness, and he would
preserve these supplications, and that’s due to the greatness of Allāh’s forgiveness.
And when Abbas bin Abdul Mutalib (May Allāh be pleased with him) the uncle
of the Prophet ﷺ went to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and said:
“ O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ teach me a supplication. He ﷺ said, “Ask Allāh for
safety (from all evils in this world and in the Hereafter).” I waited for some days,
and then I went to him again and asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, teach me
to supplicate something from Allah.” He said to me, “O’ Al-`Abbas, the uncle of
the Messenger of Allah! Beseech Allah to give you safety in this life and in the
Hereafter.” ¹⁹
This should be our example O Muslims, and that is repenting to Allāh for all
sins and Asking Allāh for forgiveness for our sins and to remove its traces. That’s
why you must continually ask Allāh for well-being and forgiveness. Verily if
Allāh gives you success in your supplications, then know that acceptance, and
the reply will come with it because success of the supplication is success from
Allāh. If He (Allāh) gives you success, then know the reply will come with it, by
the will of Allāh.
As Allāh said:
ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ ۡ أ ٓ ُ ۡ ٱ ُ ُ ُّ َ َ َ َ
²⁰مكل بجِ تسا ينِوعدا مكبر لاقو
“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me, (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your
(invocation).” ²¹
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And it is upon us to benefit from this blessed month, the month of Ramadan,
and we have reached the middle of it, rather we have passed the middle mark
by a day, for it is a blessed month. A month full of mercy from the Lord of
the heavens and earth. He accepts from His servant’s obedience and forgives
their sins. Ramadan shows the reality of the Mercy of Allah, for His believing
servants; Ramadan is unlike any other (month).
And it was narrated from the Prophet ﷺ:
“May the one whom Ramadān enters upon and isn’t forgiven before it passes be
humiliated.” ²²
Meaning the distinctive quality of Ramadān is that indeed Allāh forgives (the
sins of) the people.
Regarding this, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The fasting of Ramadān to the next Ramadān is an expiation of the sins
committed in between them.”
Meaning, from one Ramadān to the next Ramadān Allāh forgives the sins. So
the Ramadān that we are in now in the year 1441H (2020CE) is an opportunity
for the neglectful, and it is a favourable opportunity for the procrastinators.
Furthermore, an opportunity to begin this blessed month on a new page with
Allāh لجو زع in order to cleanse (stained) pages, to whiten them with repentance,
to return back to Allāh and welcome righteous actions. For indeed Ramadān
was only legislated by Allāh لجو زع so it becomes a means to the attainment of
Taqwa (Piety), that which Allāh لجو زع loves.
As Allāh ىلاعتو هناحبس stated:
َ ُ َّ َ ۡ ُ َّ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ َ َ َّٱ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ُ َ ّ ٱ ُ ُ ۡ َ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ َ َّٱ َ ُّ أَٰٓ
²³نوقتت مكلعل مكلِبق نمِ نيذِ لا ىلع بتِـك امك مايصِ لا مكيلع بتِـك اونماء نيذِ لا اهياي
“O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious – see V. 2:2).” ²⁴
So that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious), meaning through the
duration of fasting, a person attains Taqwa of Allāh لجو زع which paves the way
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