Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam.Burhan bhai.

I am a Muslim ,believe in `There is no one worthy of worship except Allah and Mohammed is his `Abd` and last Messenger. Except this `Kalma` ,i have nothing in my record book. I am an incorrigible sinner who keep reverting to sins even after `taubah` ,who doesn`t at all feel ashamed in breaking vows made to Allah.Becoz of breaking `taubah` ,my heart has grown hard like stones.It feels as if Allah has put a stamp on my heart. I vowed to Allah that i would always be Grateful to Him for the millions,zillions blessings and `nehmah` He bestowed on me BUT unfortunately i didn`t keep my words. I am as ungrateful as ever . What should i do now? i know Allah is Oft-forgiving and Merciful but i fear making vows to Him because i am not confident whether i would be able to restrain myself from sins in future.My `Imaan` is not at all strong and i dislike myself about it. People make `taubah` and then stick to their words but thats not at all the case with me.I forgot my words and showed ungratefulness to Allah. could you please tell me the status of such people who break their taubah?

Jazak Allah. waiting for your reply. 

 

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Answer:

 

Breaking of taubah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Beloved sister in Islam, your letter is evidence that you sincerely believe in Allah Subhanah and fear the Inevitable Day of Accounting in His Majestic Presence;  and that your imaan is indeed alive and strong.   May Allah Subhanah increase your imaan and make it stronger, and accept your repentance and Taubah.  Ameen.

 

If any one starts believing that he is very pious, infallible, and does not commit sin;  he is indeed fooling none but himself!   It is the sign of faith and imaan,  that a person feels humble and self-effacing at all times in front of the All-Mighty Lord; and constantly fears his position and state when he will finally be called to account for his deeds in the Presence of the Majestic and Sovereign Lord.   Your this humility and fear is evident from your letter, and that is precisely the condition of imaan and piety.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: “All of the Children of Adam are sinners;  and the best (or most loved) of the sinners (in the sight of Allah) are the ‘tawwabeen’ (those who constantly turn to their Lord in repentance).”

 

Your Statement: It feels as if Allah has put a stamp on my heart.

Beloved sister in Islam, if Allah had (and we seek refuge in Allah from saying this) put a ‘stamp’ on your heart,  you would never even bother to write this letter or fear your accounting in the Court of Allah Subhanah!   The rebels and constant deniers of Truth, on whose hearts Allah Subhanah puts the ‘stamp’, are never so humble to their Lord and Creator;  for Shaitaan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them,  and they do not fear their accounting in the Presence of their Majestic Lord!  

 

There is not a person who has ever walked on this planet earth, other than the infallible and noble Prophets of Allah, who can claim that they have never sinned, or have in truth been grateful to their Lord in full!  It is indeed nothing but the unending Grace and unlimited Mercy of the Merciful Lord,  that He accepts our repentance again and again,  and forgives us our innumerable sins and short-comings! 

 

Thus my beloved sister in Islam, we must trust our Merciful Lord,  and never ever despair of His Sublime and Unending Mercy and Grace.  Just take a look and sincerely ponder over this beautiful Message from the Most Merciful in His Glorious Book of Guidance:

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy!  Surely,  Allah forgives all sins.   He indeed is the All Forgiving,  All Merciful.   Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you;  for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

 

Allah Subhanah has left the doors of accepting Taubah and Repentance open for His slaves until one meets with his appointment of death!   No matter what and how many sins one might have done;  if one turns to his Merciful Lord in sincere Taubah and seeks repentance,  the Merciful Lord has promised to forgive all sins;  provided one seeks repentance before his appointment of death!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:When those come to you who believe in Our Signs,  say: "Peace be on you!  Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy.  Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance,  and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct),  Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful."

  

Your Statement: could you please tell me the status of such people who break their taubah?
If at the time of seeking Taubah and repentance, one is really sincere and has made a solemn covenant with his Lord never to repeat the sin again, and tried his level best to adhere to his covenant; but due to his weakness and short-comings,  forgets his covenant with Allah Subhanah or is unable to control himself when in a situation and commits the sin again, and again seeks sincere repentance;  it is expected that Allah Subhanah will accept his repentance and turn towards him in Mercy;  for He indeed is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

 

One may get tired for asking for Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness,  but the Merciful Lord will never tire of accepting the sincere repentance of his believing slaves!  Such is the Sublime and Infinite Mercy of the One Who is Most Merciful. 

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Tahreem verse 8: O ye who believe!  Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills, and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,  the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him.  Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands while they say "O Our Lord!  Perfect our Light for us and grant us Forgiveness; for Thou has Power over all things."

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.598         Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard the Prophet (saws) saying, "If somebody commits a sin and then says, 'O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!' and his Lord says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).'  Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin).' Then he remains without committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it. I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes.

 

But if one commits a sin and seeks repentance for the sake of repentance,  and his intention at the time of seeking repentance is to break his Taubah immediately after seeking repentance or break it at a later date…then it will not be counted and accepted as sincere repentance;  but it is as if he has made a mockery of Allah’s Mercy!    

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:Allah likes such good people very much, who,  if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin,  remember Allah instantly,  and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings.  For who,  but Allah,  can forgive sins?   (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did.   These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah,  and with Gardens beneath which canals flow,  and they will reside therein forever!   How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

 

Thus my beloved sister, no matter what and how many sins we might have committed in the past,  we must never ever let Shaitaan make us despair of the Mercy of our Merciful Lord.  Turn to Him in sincere repentance, and strive as much as possible to adhere to your promise that you made with Him that you will not return to the sin again; it is expected that you will find your Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.  

 

One might want to do the following things, which might Insha Allah help him/her stay firm and steadfast on the path of Truth:

Make sincere supplication to Allah Subhanah and seek His Help, His Guidance, and His Mercy.

Everytime one is faced with the opportunity to commit the sin again,  remember that he/she has made a solemn covenant with the Lord of the Worlds,  and remember that One Day there will be a severe accounting for all one does on this earth.

Read the Glorious Quran constantly with understanding; for it is indeed the absolute best reminder of one’s ultimate goal.

Strive to make God-fearing and pious friends,  and strive earnestly to stay away from evil company and friends who invite towards sin.

Always remember that the All-Seeing, All-Knowing Lord is well-aware of every single deed of His slaves,  and One Inevitable Day, He will gather everyone to account for each and every one of our deeds! 

 

Hadith Qudsi 34

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said that Allah Subhanah, the High and Exalted that He is says: “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 at it.”

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 442         Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Anas heard the Prophet (saws) say: ‘Allah, the Exalted, has said: "O son of Adam! Certainly I shall continue to pardon thee so long as thou supplicatest Me and hopest (for My forgiveness), whatever may be thy faults and sins, I don't care. O son of Adam, even if thy sins pile up as high as the sky, and thou askest for My forgiveness, I will forgive thee. O son of Adam, if thou comest to Me with an earthful of defaults and meetest Me, not associating anything with Me, I will come to thee, with an earthful of forgiveness."

 

May Allah Subhanah forgive yours and our innumerable sins and short-comings,  and encompass and envelope us in His Infinite Mercy and Grace. 

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan