There are little things in life we often overlook.. backbiting, hurting a loved one, disrespecting elders, missing a prayer, asking for money and not giving back and even favoring a lie. We realize mistakes soon after and then sometimes we repent and sometimes we don’t… but we forget to not repeat and so when we do replay our sins and soon after we feel ashamed to ask forgiveness from Allah.. but seriously, why do we feel shy to ask forgiveness from the one who bestows so much mercy and tells us to keep asking for His forgiveness every time we sin.. we are unaware of His true dignity and His immense love for us. Its impossible to thank Him enough for His mercy but His love for us increases by just seeing us try to obey Him, refraining from every little bad deed and asking others to refrain too.. well that’s another topic, but this Hadith posted earlier by Abdul Nasir Jangda inspires me to write so much in this. I loved the hadith below and wanted to share..
When the Prophet (S) visited Jannah with Angel Jibreel (A) during Israa and Mi’raj, he came across two groups of people.
One group of people had faces that were glowing like crystals. The other group had people whose faces were mixed – slightly shaded and overcast.
The people whose faces were shaded were told to enter a stream that was flowing nearby and bathe in it. When they exited from the stream, their faces became radiant, just like those who were glowing brightly.
The Prophet asked Jibreel (A), “Who are these two groups of people? What is this stream that they washed themselves in?”
Jibreel (A) replied, “As for the people whose faces were pure and radiant, they did not dilute their Imaan with any type of sin or wrongdoing. They lived extremely devout lives.
And as for the people whose faces were shaded and overcast, they had some sins and some good deeds too. Then they repented to Allah, and Allah accepted. That’s why they were given the opportunity to bathe themselves in the river. The streams that the people were washing themselves in were representative of Allah’s mercy and blessing.”
The opportunity our religion provides people to start over- to hit the reset button with Allah, to be cleansed entirely of sins, and to start fresh, knows no end. Allah will always be there for you to turn to and repent to. The best part of this narration is the fact that repentance completely erases the shadows of sin that may loom over us, leaving us with the brightness of the one who did not commit the sin in the first place.
So next time you’re feeling hopeless, remember that repentance erases any and all existence of sin. It leaves you glowing and bright, like the people of Jannah who had no remnants of any wrongdoing.
All it takes is a conversation with Allah to glow again. So what are you waiting for? Ask Him.
ABDUL NASIR JANGDA.
Drop In An Ocean 