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:

Asalam-Aylaykom Rahmatu-Lah

Dear Brother firstly thank you for asnwering all the questions previously,

THIS QUESTION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

In the past when i was living in jahelliya, i used to consume alocohol, i came accross a Hadith:

Allah's Messenger (saw)  said, "If anyone drinks wine Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he again repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents Allah will not forgive him, but will give him to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell."

[Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Darimi

 
Dear Brother i have repeated that sin when i was living as a jahil more than 4 times and for some years. This Hadith really make me worried as this Hadith is telling me Allah Almighty will not forgive me and i will be made to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell. I fit in the category as in the end part. (Done that sin more than 4 times for few years continously)
 
Please explain in detail and also tell me wether this Hadith is authentic or not. For your reference since i have started practicing i havent consumed alcohol and will NEVER do again!

Jazak Allah Kheyran

Please provide reference.

 

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Answer:

 

Forgiveness for drinking alcohol

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Respected brother in Islam, although the hadith you have quoted above is found amongst the authentic records of hadith, the absolute majority of the good scholars and jurists in Islam has not accepted the ‘matan’ or the content of the hadith as accurate as it goes against the clear guidance of the Glorious Quran and the other authentic and established hadeeths of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Hadith Qudsi 33

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: “O Allah, forgive me my sin.’  And He (Glorified and Exalted be He) said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them.”  Then he sinned again and said: “O Lord, forgive me my sin.”  And He (Glorified and Exalted be He) said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them.”  Then he sinned again and said: “O Lord, forgive me my sin.”  And He (Glorified and Exalted be He) said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins.  Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.”

 

Without an iota of a doubt, if one who has sinned is indeed ashamed at his transgression, admits his sins to his Lord, and turns back to Him in sincere repentance seeking forgiveness from the Lord Most Gracious, it is expected he will find his Lord Merciful and Forgiving.

 

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.”

 

Beloved brother in Islam, such is the Mercy and Grace of the Lord Most Gracious on His believing slaves, that if one were to sin, turn back to Him seeking sincere repentance, and strive to do good righteous deeds thereafter….. the Magnanimity of our Lord Most Majestic is such that not only does the Lord Most Gracious forgive the sins of such a believer, but He has promised to change those evil deeds into good deeds in the believers Book of Records with Him!!! 

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth.   When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them,  they say, “Peace to you”;  (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord,  save us from the torment of Hell,  for its torment is killing!  It is an evil abode,  and an evil resting place”.  (And those) who,  when they spend are neither extravagant,  nor miserly,  but keep the golden mean between the two extremes.  (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone,  nor kill a soul unjustly,  which Allah has forbidden,  nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin,  and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection,  and he shall abide in a state of ignominy;  EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS),  AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS.   For then,  Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds,  and He is very Forgiving and Merciful.   In fact,  one who repents and does righteous deeds,  returns to Allah as one rightly should!

 

Regardless of how many times one has turned to their Lord in repentance, and subsequently broken their repentance….if the person turns back to the Lord seeking sincere forgiveness, it is expected that he will find His Lord Merciful and Forgiving.  Allah us to relate an example:  Say a person happens to be in the company of evil, and swayed by his emotions he drinks some wine.  Soon thereafter he realizes the gravity of his sin, feels absolutely ashamed at his transgression of the Law and Command of His Lord, immediately turns back to his Lord seeking sincere repentance, and makes a solemn covenant with Him that he will never ever approach wine again….it is expected that Allah Subhanah will accept his repentance and forgive him his sin.

 

At a later date, he finds himself in evil company again, and again he is swayed by his emotions and happens to drink wine….soon thereafter he remembers the covenant he made with his Lord, realizes the gravity of his sin, feels absolutely ashamed at his transgression again, and turns back to his Lord seeking sincere repentance…..it is expected that He will find his Lord Merciful and Forgiving again and again.

 

Regardless of how many times this slave of Allah is swayed by conditions and emotions and as a result falls into sin, provided he is sincere in his repentance, it is expected he will find his Lord Oft-Forgiving and Merciful.

 

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!

 

But those sinners will not be forgiveness who pre-plan to commit sin with the intention that after they have sinned they will seek forgiveness; then pre-plan the sin again with the intent that they will repent later, or persist in their sin with the intent that they will seek repentance just before their death…..such sinners try to make a mockery of the Mercy and Grace of the Lord Most High with their pre-planned sinning and meaningless repentance.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 17-18:

17      Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

18      Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil until death faces one of them and he says "Now have I repented indeed"; nor of those who die rejecting faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.

 

Thus my beloved brother, if you have sought sincere forgiveness from your Lord for your past sins….made a solemn covenant with Him that you will not return to that evil path of sin again….and you have subsequently, to the best of your ability, aligned your conduct to the guidance of the Lord and His Messenger (saws)….rest absolutely assured that you will find your Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2339        Narrated by Abu Sa'id

Allah's Messenger (saws) said that the Shaytaan said, "By Thy Might, my Lord, I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies!"  The Lord, Who is Great and Glorious, replied, "By My Might, Glory and Exalted Station, I shall continue to pardon them as long as they ask My forgiveness!"

 

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

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan