Whoever Does Good…
يَقُولُ اللہُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَأَزِيدُ وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَجَزَاؤُهُ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا أَوْ أَغْفِرُ وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ ذِرَاعًا وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا وَمَنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً وَمَنْ لَقِيَنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطِيئَةً لَا يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغْفِرَةً
(صحیح مسلم رقم 2687)
Allah Most High is saying: “Whoever does a good deed shall get a reward of ten the like thereof, or I shall grant him even more. And whoever does an evil deed shall be requited the like thereof. And whoever does evil in weight of the earth and then meets Me without ascribing partners unto Me, I shall make forgiveness available to him in equal measure. And whoever draws unto Me by a span, I draw near unto him by an arm’s length. And whoever draws near unto Me by an arm’s length, I draw near unto him by two arms length. And whoever comes unto Me walking, I come to him running.”
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The Bounty of Fear..
إِنَّ التَّوْبَةَ تَغْسِلُ الْحَوْبَةَ، وَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَإِذَا ذَكَرَ الْعَبْدُ رَبَّهُ فِي الرَّخَاءِ أَنْجَاهُ فِي الْبَلَاءِ، ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: لَا أَجْمَعُ لِعَبْدِي أَبَدًا أَمْنَيْنِ، وَلَا أَجْمَعُ لَهُ خَوْفَيْنِ، إِنْ هُوَ أَمِنَنِي فِي الدُّنْيَا خَافَنِي يَوْمَ أَجْمَعُ فِيهِ عِبَادِي، وَإِنْ هُوَ خَافَنِي فِي الدُّنْيَا أَمَّنْتُهُ يَوْمَ أَجْمَعُ فِيهِ عِبَادِي فِي حَظِيرَةِ الْقُدُسِ، فَيَدُومُ لَهُ أَمْنُهُ، وَلَا أَمْحَقُهُ فِيمَنْ أَمْحَقُ
(حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء ج1 ص270)
Verily repentance washes away sins and good deeds erase evil deeds. When a servant remembers his Rabb in times of comfort and ease, then Allah جل جلاله shall save him in times of trial and affliction. This shall be so because Allah جل جلاله says: “I never combine two states of security for My servant, and I never combine two states of fear for My servant. If he does not fear Me in this world, then I shall make him fear on the Day (of Qiyaamah) which I gather My servants. And if he fears Me in this world, then I shall keep him safe on the Day on which I gather My servants (I shall keep him safe) in Hazeeratul Quds, and he shall be safe forever. I shall not punish him along with those whom I punish.”
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The Mercy of Allah Ta’ala on those Who are Ill
أنين المريض تسبيح وصياحه تهليل ونفسه صدقة ونومه على الفراش عبادة وتقلبه من جنب إلى جنب كأنما يقاتل العدو في سبيل الله يقول الله لملائكته اكتبوا لعبدي أحسن ما كان يعمل في صحته فإذا قام ثم مشى كان كمن لا ذنب له
(تاريخ مدينة السلام للخطيب البغدادي ص588 ج2)
An ill person’s groaning is Tasbīh, and his crying (due to pain) is Tahlīl. His breathing is charity and his sleeping on his bed is worship. His turning from one side to the other is like fighting the enemy in Allah’s جل جلاله path. And Allah جل جلاله, the Exalted says to His angels: “Record for My servant the very best of deeds he used to do while he was healthy.” Then when he gets up (after recovering from his disease), he becomes (free of sins) as he was when his mother gave birth to him.
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Illness and Sustenance?
وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي لَا أخرج أحدا من الدُّنْيَا أُرِيد أَغفر لَهُ حَتَّى أستوفي كل خَطِيئَة فِي عُنُقه بسقم فِي بدنه وإقتار فِي رزقه
(الترغيب والترهيب للمنذري ص151 ج4 و قال أخرجه رزين و لم أره)
Indeed, Allah جل جلاله, the Holy and Exalted says: “By My Glory and Majesty, I do not take the life of anyone whom I intend to forgive away from this world, until I have fully retributed whatever sins he has committed by causing him to fall ill and by straitening his provisions.”
Note
It is absolutely essential for a believer to have faith and conviction that difficulties are a source of forgiveness. When the mindset is properly focused, difficulties will be embraced with happiness because the servant knows that he will be taken care of by Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله.
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A Murderer Pardoned
كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا، فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ، فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا، فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، فَقَتَلَهُ، فَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ، فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ؟ انْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَإِنَّ بِهَا أُنَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللهَ فَاعْبُدِ اللهَ مَعَهُمْ، وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ، فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سَوْءٍ، فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّرِيقَ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ، فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ، فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ: جَاءَ تَائِبًا مُقْبِلًا بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللهِ، وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ، فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ، فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الْأَرْضَيْنِ، فَإِلَى أَيَّتِهِمَا كَانَ أَدْنَى فَهُوَ لَهُ، فَقَاسُوهُ فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ، فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ
(صحيح مسلم رقم2766)
On the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Sa’īd رضي الله عنه who has narrated that Sayyiduna Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Among those who were before you was a man who killed ninety nine men. He then asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth. He was then told about a monk. He went to him and confessed to him that he had killed ninety-nine men, and asked whether there was any way for him to repent. When the monk said; ‘No’, he killed him as well, thus completing one hundred. Thereafter he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth. He was then told about a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed one hundred men, and whether there was any way for him to repent. He said; ‘Yes. Who could come between a man and his repentance? Go to such and such a place, where such people live who worship Allah جل جلاله . Worship Allah جل جلاله together with them, and do not return to your land, for it is an evil land indeed.’ He then left. When he had covered half the distance, death came unto him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment argued regarding him. The angels of mercy said; ‘He repented and turned his heart towards Allah جل جلاله .’ The angels of punishment said; ‘He has never done any good deed!’ Then came an angel in the form of a human being, and they made him judge between them. He said; ‘Measure the distance between both lands. He shall be considered as belonging to the place to which he is closer.’ So they measured, and they found that he was closer to the land where he intended to go. So the angels of mercy took him.”
Reflections
There are immense lessons that we can learn from this incident;
- Irrespective of the gravity of the sin, Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله will certainly forgive.
- Regret, remorse and the fear of accountability are fundamental towards attaining forgiveness. There must be an intense desire to repent from the burden of transgression.
- Never lose hope and refer to the pious to assist one in achieving the objective.
- It is essential to leave the place of disobedience and proceed to the place of attaining the mercy of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله.