AL-ISLAAH PUBLICATIONS
Hope in the Mercy of Allah
Sickness-Compensates for sins | Cursing Sickness | Dua of a Sick Person | Virtues and Etiquettes of Visiting the Sick | Salaah of a Sick Person | Do not wish for Death | Hope in the Mercy of Allah | Last Moments of some Auliyaa
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Hope in the Mercy of Allah
Hope in the Mercy of Allah Ta'ala
Allah Ta'ala has blessed every Muslim with the priceless gift of Imaan, the key to our success in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, true Imaan lies between hope in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah, and the fear of His anger.
Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) once visited a young Sahaabi who was breathing his last, and asked him how he was feeling. He replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, I am hopeful of the mercy of Allah, and yet I am afraid of my sins.' Thereupon Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'When the heart of a believer is filled with these two feelings of hope and fear, Almighty Allah fulfils his hope and saves him from what he fears.' (Ibn Maajah).
The Ulama explain that the fulfilment of expectations promised by Allah in this Hadith is in its most general sense.
It carries assurance not only in respect of Allah's forgiveness, but also in respect of our duas, health, wealth and safety.
Hadrat Jaabir(R.A.) relates that he heard Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) say, three days before passing away, 'None of you should die without expecting the best from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.'(Sahih Muslim)
Hadrat Mu'aaz bin Jabal(R.A.) died of plague, and in the moments of death's agony, he fainted many times. Whenever he regained consciousness for a moment, he would say, 'O Allah! You know that I love You. By Your Honour and Glory! You know this very well.' Just before breathing his last he said, 'O Death! You are a welcome guest but have come at a time when there is nothing in the house to eat.' Then he said, 'O Allah! You know very well that I had always feared You, but today I die hopeful of Your forgiveness. O Allah! I enjoyed life, not in digging canals and planting orchards, but in remaining thirsty in the hot weather, in undergoing hardships for the sake of Islaam, and in participating in gatherings engaged in zikr under the supervision of the Ulama.' (Tahzeebul Lughaat)
Sayyidina Ibn Abbaas (R.A.) relates that once some people who had committed many murders and involved themselves in adultery excessively, came to Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) and said, 'O Muhammad! Whatever you say and invite people to, is very good; but we have committed such serious sins. If we become Muslim, will our repentance be accepted?'Alllah Ta'ala then revealed the verse:
'Say, 0 My slaves who have wronged themselves (by committing evil deeds and sin.)
Do not despair of the mercy of Allah!' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood(R.A.) has described the above aayah as the most hope-inspiring verse of the Qur'aan Shareef.' (Tabaraani)
Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattaab(R.A.) says: Once some prisoners of war were brought before Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) Amongst them was a woman running anxiously here and there in search of her missing child. When she had found it, she hugged it and began to breastfeed it.
Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) asked his Companions, 'Could you imagine that this woman will ever throw her child into the fire?' We said, 'By Allah! Never.' He said, 'Allah is more Merciful to His slaves than this
woman is to her child.' (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Our Merciful Allah is certainly willing and waiting to forgive us, provided that we make sincere tawbah for our sins before we die, even if they be kufr or shirk. Therefore, nobody should ever lose 'hope in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta'ala.
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