In the present age of
computers and technological gadgetry, its generally considered a good practice
to routinely clear unused and temporary files from one's computer. This keeps
the machine running smoothly and decreases the chances of malfunction and crashing.
Similarly, we delete unimportant messages fro our e-mail inboxes to keep them
uncluttered and open to receiving new incoming messages.
Though we spend time routinely cleaning up our machines, we
often do so while neglecting our hearts, which are far more worthy of meticulous attention since they become spiritually starved and devastated by
the overwhelming burden of sin.
The Companion Abu Hurayra (r.a) relates that
the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "When a
believer commits a sin, a black dot appears on his heart. If he repents and
seeks forgiveness, his heart becomes purified. If he advances in sin, the black
dots increase until they overcome his heart. These black dots constitute the
encrusted pollution that Allah Almighty refers to in the verse, "No!
Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning." -
Qur'an, 83:14
If one allows sins to accumulate on his or her
heart in the form of this inner filth and decay, the heart gradually becomes blind and
unperceptive to spiritual sweetness. One can easily observe this inner lack of
spiritual cognition when, for example, a person yawns at the mention of Hell
fire and its severity, whereas another faints upon hearing of the same. We are
thus in need of a reliable method and rigid routine for cleansing our hearts of
the contamination they accumulate from frequent sinning.
Cleansing the heart is achieved through the remembrance
of Allah [dhikr], repentance [tawba], seeking forgiveness [istighfar], and
humbly turing to Allah in penitence [inaba]. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad
(s.a.w) did this seventy to a hundred times a day, despite being inerrant and
guarded from sin. He (s.a.w) also said, "Every
descendant of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who repent."
at-Tirmidhi. When a person makes sincere repentance for her sins, no matter how
severe they may be, Allah purifies her heart and treats her as if she never
committed them.
Why is it such a blessing that we are able to turn to
the Almighty and seek His forgiveness? Turing to Allah in repentance and
seeking His forgiveness provide us the stress release we need from the guilt and dread of living with sins and their negative consequences. Repentance gives us a way out, another chance, a sense of lightheartedness, emancipation from despair and inspiration needed to turn a new page in life and start afresh. It is
through forgiveness that we gain confidence to persevere and hope in Allah's mercy. Allah advises
us not to run away from Him in fear but to run toward Him like baby, crawling
on all four into its mothers' lap. So lovingly does Allah addresses His sinful
servants, "Say, O My Servants - those of you who have committed
sins in great excess against their own souls - never despair of the mercy of
Allah! For, indeed, Allah forgives sins, one and all. Indeed, it is He Who is
the All-Forgiving, the Merciful. So turn in repentance to your Rabb. And submit
yourselves to Him before the punishment of Allah comes upon you; then you will not be helped." - al-Qu'ran, 39:53-54
The objective of Ramadan is to seek Allah’s
forgiveness and become purified.
The mercy of Allah is so greatly infinite and His position so grand,
that rather than immediately punishing us,
He has granted us a grace period in
which to seek forgiveness for our sins. And as if it were not enough, Allah
then gave us the means by which to wipe away our sins and their negative
effects in Ramadan.
Reflecting on our deeds in light of Allah's Greatness, one can only
wonder how anything we do could ever be worthy of presentation before such an
Exalted Being. What could we present to the Owner of all? What could we place
before the One whose status is so Magnificent and unparalleled that it is
neither diminished nor strengthened by the quality of what we present? Despite
our imperfections, it is only by the infinite mercy of Allah that we are
rewarded for the minute ibadaah we place before Him.
Casting aside the issue of whether our deeds are worthy of presentation
before our Creator, the reality is that each of us carries a load of sin and
disobedience upon our shoulders. By design we are imperfect creatures prone to
making mistakes.
Perhaps the simplest form of ibadaah we can do in Ramadan is to reflect
on our daily routine and seek forgiveness for the errors that are apparent.
This was the Sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w) and has been the way of the
righteous who follow his footsteps. However, just as with any art, time spent
in the company of those who are deep in their repentance provides an
apprenticeship in how to sincerely turn which a lowered head towards our
Sustainer. A pious scholar from the past was once asked what we should do to
rectify our connection with our Rabb. He said, "Seek the company of the
righteous." He was then asked, "What if the righteous are no longer
present among us?" He replied, "Read their books."
It is a mercy from Allah that Ramadan is less
than 10 days away, lending the seekers and opportunity to realize and view our
actions and deeds with a presence of mind conscious of Allah. Make this Ramadan
a guide to achieve nearness to Allah and help us lower ourselves before our
Sustainer. Make this Ramadan a process of deep self-reflection, seeking
forgiveness and insight. I pray that Allah opens our eyes to the reality of His
grandeur, the reality of our servitude, and the power of returning to Him
aameen.
