Nusantarakini.com, New York –
Just imagine for a moment. You insulted someone, or you did afflict pain on someone. Later you realized your mistake and wanted to ask for apology. You acknowledged that what you did to that person is wrong and he deserves your apology.
Sometime later you did come to him, asked for his forgiveness. You came to him telling him that you did wrong and you are sorry for it. And for that you truly beg him from the bottom of your heart to forgive you.
surprisingly and beyond your expectations, that person smiled, expressed his joy and happiness, embraced you. Not only that he told you he forgave you. He pulled out his wallet from his pocket and handed over some money as a gift for you. Amazingly he didi all these simply because your willingness and sincerity to ask for his forgiveness.
Trust, Allah is even more loving and compassionate than that person. One day, the Prophet and his companions passed by a woman embraced her child in breast feeding. The Prophet turned to his companions asked: “do you think this woman is loving her child?”. All the companions responded: “certainly O Rasulullah”. The Prophet then told them: “Allah is more loving to his servants than this woman to her child” (Hadith).
One of the (I call it) unimaginable compassion and love of Allah for His servant is that no matter how big the sins committed by them Allah is always there for them to embrace and forgive them. He declared: “and My mercy covered everything” (Al-Qur’an).
The Prophet told us in many hadiths that Allah never close any opportunity to forgive His sinful servants. Allah open the doors of forgiveness during the night for those who commit sins during the day. Allah will forgive any servant turns to Him for forgiveness before his last breath comes out from his throat (yugharghir). And even Allah still will forgive His servant before the sun rises in the West (qiyamah).
I wanted to close this brief note with two verses from the Holy Qur’an.
The first verse is that out His love and mercy Allah called out His servant saying: “O my beloved servants (‘ibaadiya); do not despair from the Mercy of Allah. Verily Allah forgives all sins. Indeed He is oft Forgiving all Merciful” (Azzumar: 53).
There are two important points in this verse.
1) Allah calls the sinners “ibaadiya” which means “my beloved servants”. The term “abdun” in the Holy Qur’an is the most honorable way of addressing His servant. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in many places in the Holy Qur’an is called “‘abd” (abdii, abdahu, etc.).
2) Allah clearly reminds His beloved servants to “never despair” from his unlimited love and compassion. A statement that gives all his ibaad (servants) will remain hopeful to win over their sins.
The second verse is similar to the illustrative story mentioned in the beginning of this note. That Allah the Most Merciful, the Most Kind and Forgiving, not only that He is willing to forgive those of His sinner servants who sincerely turn to Him for forgiveness. Moreover, in addition to His forgiveness for them, Allah will replace their mistakes and sins with goodness and rewards.
Allah said: “except those repent and believe and does righteous good deed, Allah will change their sins into good deeds (rewards), indeed Allah is oft Forgiving, All Merciful” (Al-Furqan: 70).
It is sufficient for us to be fully humble and say to Him: “thank you Allah”. Your forgiveness is all what I need. Because your forgiveness and the reward for my willingness to be forgiven is the key to Jannah.
It is a one step to change our status of being a sinner to a winner. InsyaAllah! [mc]
NYC Subway, 8 August 2023.
*Imam Shamsi Ali, President of Nusantara Foundation.
