The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

07 Jumaadul Thaani 1447/28 November 2025

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Allah reminds us of our purpose in Surah adh-Dhariyat:

‏﴿وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ﴾ (51:56)
“I have not created jinnkind and mankind except to worship Me.”

Yet, as human beings, we are not infallible. We fall into mistakes and sin — sometimes repeatedly. When told to repent, we may feel overwhelmed by the weight of our past. But Allah’s doors remain wide open.

Allah’s Mercy Exceeds His Wrath

The Prophet ﷺ narrates from Allah:

‏﴿إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي غَلَبَتْ غَضَبِي﴾
“When Allah completed the creation, He wrote above His Throne: ‘My mercy prevails over My wrath.’”
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 3022; Sahih Muslim 2751

This hadith assures every believer that no sin is too great for Allah to forgive.

Understanding Tawbah and Istighfaar

Scholars explain:

الإستغفار (Istighfaar)

طلب الحماية من شر سيئات الماضي
Seeking protection and pardon from past sins.

التوبة (Tawbah)

رجوع إلى الله وطلب الحماية من شر سيئات المستقبل
Returning to Allah by abandoning sin and resolving not to return to it.

شروط التوبة (Conditions of Tawbah)

1. الندم — Sincere remorse
2. الإقلاع عن الذنب — Immediate abandonment of the sin
3. العزم على عدم العود — Firm determination not to return

Tawbah is not a ritual or a phrase — it is a heartfelt turning back to Allah.

Forgive Others to Be Forgiven

The Prophet ﷺ said:
‏ارْحَمُوا تُرْحَمُوا وَاغْفِرُوا يَغْفِرِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ
“Be merciful to others and you will receive mercy. Forgive others and Allah will forgive you.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 6541 — Sahih

If we want Allah’s mercy, we must show mercy to His creation.

Allah Calls All Sinners to Return

In the famous ayah of Surah Az-Zumar (39:53), Allah calls out lovingly:

‏﴿قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلٰى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهِ﴾
“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy.”

Ibn Kathir highlights that this ayah applies to all sinners — Muslim or non-Muslim — and that Allah forgives all sins, even if they are “as abundant as the foam of the sea.”

The saying of Imam Sha’rawi beautifully captures this spirit:
“How can I ask You when I am who I am… but how can I not ask You when You are who You are?”

Allah Welcomes Those Who Return

A profound hadith Qudsi states:

‏“مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ ذِرَاعًا…”
“Whoever draws close to Me by a handspan, I draw close to him by an arm’s length…”
Source: Sahih Muslim 2687

And:

‏“مَنْ لَقِيَنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطِيئَةً لَا يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغْفِرَةً”
“Whoever meets Me with sins filling the earth — without associating anything with Me — I will meet him with forgiveness equal to it.”

No matter how dark one’s past is, Allah’s mercy is greater.

The Man Who Killed 99 People

One of the most striking demonstrations of Allah’s mercy is the authentic narration found in:

• Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2766
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3470

A man murdered 99 people. He approached a monk and asked if he had any chance of repentance, the monk said no — so he killed him too, making it 100.

He then sought a true scholar who told him:

“Who stands between you and repentance?”

He was instructed to leave his life behind and migrate to a land of righteousness. On his journey, he passed away and the angels disputed over him. They disputed over whether his soul be taken by the angels of mercy or by the angels of punishment. Another Angel came down and suggested they measure the distance between the place of his passing and the land of righteousness and between the place of passing and his previous town. Allah caused the land to shift so that he would be closer to the land of the righteous and so he counted among the righteous — and he was forgiven.

Lesson:
No matter the magnitude of sin, sincere repentance is always accepted.

A Reflection from Imam al-Ghazālī

Imam al-Ghazālī writes in Iḥyā ‘Ulūm ad-Dīn:
“Within every human is the nature of angels, the nature of man, and the nature of the devil. One connected to sin is attached to the devil; one devoted to good is attached to the angels. Nothing purifies a person except the fire of repentance.”

Let us never despair of Allah’s mercy.
Let us return to Him with remorse, sincerity, and hope.

O Allah, grant us the ability to repent sincerely.
O Allah, forgive our sins, overlook our faults, and make us among those whom You love and accept.
اللهم اجعلنا من التوابين واجعلنا من المتطهرين.

May Allah accept our efforts and grant us true understanding, In sha Allah.