''REPENTANCE''

Last night I was reading this book called Sories of Repentence . It had many stories that I felt were a little exagerrated (reading as I was with my perspective), but still some, that had some deep and meaningful messages, that we as Muslims,could take example from and follow, iA. Thinking so, I thought I'd share this one below. It's not verbatim. I've shortened it.

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During a specific time in the history of the Children of Israel, during the era of Musa (pbuh), the situation had gotten very dire, what with no rain for a long period of time, crops withering away as a result and livestock had died too. Musa (pbuh) and 70 men from the descendents of the Prohphets (pbut), left the city, to invoke Allah swt for rain, together in the desert. They did so with hands in the air, tears rolling down their cheeks in great humilty, in a prayer session that lasted for three days.

When still no rain came, Musa (pbuh) said to Allah swt: You (swt), ask us to invoke You and You will surely answer. But I along with Your slaves, invoke You swt, and we are still in need, poverty and humiliation.

Thus Allah swt inspired information to Musa (pbuh), that among him were people who gathered their nourishment from things that were Haraam (unlawful), and there were some, those whose tongues were constantly busy in slandering and backbiting. They are the people who deserve my anger sent upon them, and yet you ask Me for Mercy, for them?

So Musa (pbuh) asked for their names inorder to banish the sinners from their pious lot.

Allah swt, the Most Merciful, told Musa (pbuh) that He swt is not One Who exposes (those who sin). Instead He swt, told Musa (pbuh) to tell everyone to repent seriously, and perhaps the sinners will also repent as a group (with their identities intact). If they all repented, then Allah swt said He would bless them all generously.

So Musa (pbuh) told all the men of what Allah swt had revealed to him. The sinners listened in awe to how Allah swt had protected them from exposure and shame. Their eyes swelled up with tears and they raised their hands along with all others, in repentence for the grave sins they had committed. They continued to repent and beseech in humility, until the sky showered down upon them, the rain that they had sought for reprieve.

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Reading this story made me think abt how easily we get upset and discouraged, and resort to saying that our prayers are not being answered.

How do we not know, that it is perhaps something that we ourselves did/are doing/are not doing, that might be stopping them from being answered? We must keep repenting for we never know what action/deed might be our last one. I also read that our last intent/action is what will weigh foremost.

My favourite dua for repentance : '' Allahumma innaka afuwwu tuhhibbul afwa fa'foo 'anni''
[Arabic speakers or anyone else, pls correct me for incorrect pronunciations while transliterating, jazakAllah khayr] O Allah! You love forgiving sins, and You forgive greatly. Please forgive my sins!

Allahu Alim.