Greenwaymasjid

 

God says, “Turn all together toward God [in repentance], O believers, that you may attain bliss” (24:31). It is reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the messenger of God ( may God’s blessing and peace be upon him and his family) said, “ the one who repents from sin is like one without sin, and if god loves a servant, sin does not adhere to him.” 

It was asked, “O Messenger of God, what is the sign of repentance?” He replied, “Remorse.” On the authority of Anas b. Malik, the Messenger of God (may God’s blessing and peace be upon him and his family) is reported to have said, “ there is nothing more loved by God than the youth who repents.”  Therefore repentance is the first degree among the degrees of the wayfarers and the first station among the stations of the seekers.  The inner meaning of repentance in Arabic is “return.”    

So repentance is to return from what is blameworthy in the law of Islam to what is praiseworthy in it. The prophet ( may God’s blessing and peace be upon him) said, “Remorse is an act of repentance.” Therefore, those well versed in the fundamentals of religion among the people of the Sunna have said, “ There are three conditions of repentance [ which must be present] in order that it be sound: remorse for the violations that have been committed, immediate abandonment of the lapse, and firm resolve not to return to similar acts of disobedience.”  One must apply these principles to make repentance effective.    

Abu Sulayman ad-darani said, “I frequented the gathering of a preacher, for his words made an impression on my heart.  But when I departed, nothing remained in my heart of his words. So I returned a second time. That time there did remain a trace of his words in my heart until I returned to my house. Then I broke the instruments of sin and I adhered to the path.  A Sparrow catches a crane. 

The master Abu ‘Ali ad-Daqqaq (may God grant him mercy) said, “Repentance is divided into three parts.  The first is tawba [repentance], the middle is inaba [to turn to God], and the last is awba [return].” 

“Tawba is the quality of Believers.” As God Most high says,” Turn [tubu] all together toward God repentance, O Believer” (24:31). Inaba is the quality of the saints and those drawn nigh unto God.  God Most High says, “ And those who brought a heart turned in devotion [munib] [to him]” (50:33). Awba is the quality of the prophets and messengers. God most High says, “How excellent a slave. Ever did he [Solomon].    

Al-Harith asserted, “I never say, ‘O God, I ask you for repentance.’ I say, ‘I ask you for the longing for repentance.” Al Junayd went to see as-Sari one day and found him distraught.  He asked, “What has happened to you?” As-sari replied, “I encountered a youth, and he asked me about repentance. I told him, ‘Repentance is that you not forget your sins. ‘Then he contradicted me, saying that repentance is that you do not forget your sins.’ Then he contradicted me, saying that repentance is that you do forget your sins.” Al-Junayd said that in his opinion what the youth said was correct, and as-Sari asked him why he held that opinion. Al-Junayd replied,  “Because if I were in a state of infidelity and then He delivered me into a state of fidelity remembrance of infidelity in a state of purity would be Infidelit

“Serve your Lord until [the Day of] Certainty comes to you”

“Servitude is established true acts of obedience, performing them without limit, ascribing little worth to whatever you offer, and being aware that your virtuous deeds come only by means of God’s prior decree.”

“When is servitude sound?” He replied, “When a man surrenders himself completely to his Master and has patience with Him in tribulations He imposes.”

“servitude is that you submit your entire being to Him and that you attribute to Him all your [praiseworthy] deeds.”

Dhu’n-Nun al-Misri explained, “Servitude is that you be His slave every instant, just as He is your lord every instance.” Al-Jurayri noted, “Many are the slaves of bounteous blessings, but rare are the slaves of the Bestower of blessing.”

Abu Zayn saw a man and asked him, “What is your occupation?” He answered, “I serve the Donkeys.” Abu Zayn retorted, “May God Most High make your donkeys die so you may serve Him, not donkeys.”

“Not a single step can be pure on the path of servitude until a man sees that his god works are hypocrisy and his states pretensions.” 

  “Servitude is the adornment of the servant. Whoever abandons servitude is shut off from beauty.”

“Servitude is found in four traits: fidelity to one’s vows, preserving the [divinely set] limits, contentment with whatever one has, and patience with whatever is withheld.”  

One of the Sufis commented, “If you cast off two things from yourself, you will be a true servant of God: tranquility in pleasure and dependence on outward action.”

“Being satisfied with God’s decree is the abode of servitude, patience is satisfaction’s door, and giving over all power to God is satisfaction’s house.

“Just as ‘lordship’ is and eternal quality of God [may He be exalted], si is ‘servitude’ a quality of man that stays with him as long as he lives.”

“Servitude means losing awareness of serving in witnessing the one served.”

 

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