الحمدُ لله، الحمدُ لله الذي أنعم علينا بالتَّوْبَةِ وَرَزَقَنَاهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِّنَّا وَلَا قُوَّةٍ نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر قال الله تعالى في كتابه الكريم: وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Allah, the Most High, says (Nur: 31):” Turn to Allah in Tawbah all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.”
My dear brothers, sisters, honourable scholars and respected elders; last week’s khutbah centred around taqwa, which helped us to understand the heart and the importance of protecting it from accumulating black marks and thus protecting our precious Eman. It seems only fitting that we now deal with removing black marks from our pure fitrah. Allah, in His infinite Mercy, has blessed us with the gift of tawbah. Linguistically, “tawbah” (توبة) in Arabic refers to repentance or turning back. It comes from the root word “taaba” (تابَ), which means to return or to turn. The technical meaning: Tawbah is the return from what is reprehensible to what is praiseworthy in the shariah. For our purposes we will use the Arabic word and build our understanding around it.
كلُّ بني آدم خَطَّاءٌ، وخيرُ الخَطَّائِينَ التوابون
“Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who commit to Tawbah.” Interestingly, Nabi Adam (AS) is the key to understanding Tawbah, or more correctly the famous verse found in Al-Baqarah. To grasp the depth of this verse, it’s crucial to delve into its context. Shaytaan made our parents Nabi Adam and Sayidatina Hawa (AS) slip by waswasa to them “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or abide herein forever.” He lured them with lies. They were already better than angels and Earth is where they were destined to live for a short time. On Earth is where they receive this gift:
فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Then Adam comes into contact, especially from his Lord, some words, and then His Master turns back towards him accepting his tawbah. it is He who is the One Who Turns Back To You with Love Over and Over Again, the Constantly Merciful.” (Al-Baqarah (2:37))
In the past, it was believed, particularly within certain Christian sects like Catholicism, that being sent to Earth was akin to a divine punishment. This notion birthed the idea that detachment from worldly affairs—such as leading a monastic life or forgoing marriage—was a sign of spiritual enlightenment. However, Islam teaches us that life on Earth is merely a test. Material possessions do not reflect one’s standing with Allah. Some of the most beloved individuals to Allah lived in poverty, while some of the most despised were affluent. We understand this reality and do not fall prey to such misconceptions.
Yet, there are Muslims who become ensnared by this mindset, using material success as validation of their righteousness. They might think, “If my business is thriving, then surely Allah is pleased with me, so my indulgence in forbidden acts must be inconsequential.” This mindset is not Islamic; it mirrors the Protestant belief system.
In this verse, Allah clarifies that our existence on Earth is not a punishment but an opportunity for growth. When Nabi Adam sincerely repented and received divine words from his Master, Allah accepted his repentance. These words were a gift from Allah Himself—simply reciting them with sincerity was enough to attain forgiveness. The majority of the scholars say that the words kalimat referred to above are the following:
ربنا ظلمنا أنفسنا وإن لم تغفر لنا وترحمنا لنكونن من الخاسرين
“Our Lord, we have wronged our own selves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will certainly without doubt be among the losers.” Which ties in with the Prophet ﷺ’s saying:
الندم توبة
“Remorse is tawbah” (al-Bayhaqi) What does nadam/remorse mean in the Islamic context? The eminent scholar السندي Al-Sindi elucidates, stating that “nadam” entails regret for disobedience, acknowledging the wrongdoing as such. Regretting a sin solely for worldly reasons, such as financial loss from drinking wine or fear of being caught in a lie, does not constitute genuine remorse or nadam.
These two concepts, the words given to Nabi Adam and the Prophet’s statement on remorse are deeply interconnected. The Masters of Usool from amongst the ahlu-sunnah have thus elucidated the 3 pillars of tawbah: remorse for the action that led to the loss of the beloved (past), immediate abandonment of the sin (present), and a firm resolve never to return to it (future).
التَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ
“The one who repents from a sin is like the one without sin.” Tawbah is one the great favours bestowed upon this ummah, offering not only a means to purify the heart but the most powerful means to alleviate the burden of guilt. The frailty of the human condition is evident, prone to acts detrimental to its own well-being and a resultant inability to deal with its consequences.
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
“Except for those who make tawbah, believe and act righteously. (This is already The Most Merciful, but then Allah goes further فَأُولَئِكَ those who made tawbah) For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (Al-Furqan:70) This divine promise underscores the idea that sincere tawbah is a means not only to forgive the sin but also replaces them with deeds that are pleasing to Allah. This verse not only provides a powerful incentive for tawbah but it also shows us the after effects of an accepted tawbah, which is reformation! Consider the story of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA), one of the closest companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Before embracing Islam, Umar was known for his fierce opposition to the Prophet and the Muslim community, He was an alcoholic and had sword in hand ready to kill the Prophet. However, his life took a transformative turn when he sincerely repented and embraced Islam wholeheartedly. Tawbah knows no bounds, as exemplified by the Prophet’s own words: Oh People
تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ، فَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ فِي الْيَوْمِ إِلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
“Turn to Allah in repentance, for indeed, I turn to Him in repentance one hundred times a day.” Our scholars categorize tawbah into three types: tawbah, inabah, and awbah. The prophets and messengers, exemplars of piety, often engaged in the latter purely out of obedience to Allah’s command.
لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله
“Despair not, for Allah’s Mercy is boundless” The Prophet ﷺ reassures us:
لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ
“If you did not sin, Allah would replace you with people who would sin, seek forgiveness and be forgiven.” (Muslim:6620) Therefore, IbadaAllah
“حاسبوا أنفسكم قبل أن تحاسبوا”.
“Hold yourselves accountable before the Day of Reckoning arrives. Stand before Allah willingly, uncover your shortcomings, and implore His mercy. Embrace tawbah as a constant companion on your journey towards the One Who Turns Back To You with Love Over and Over Again.
Thus, it becomes evident that your abandonment of sin and your determination not to return to it are evidence of remorse in your heart. So, cast away these satanic whispers that aim to make you believe that you have not repented, or that tawbah is impossible, or that you are incapable of it. Such thoughts lead to despair and hopelessness, making you believe that the door of repentance has closed for you.
We ask Allah, the Most High, to protect us all from the accursed and to grant us sincere tawbah. And Allah knows best.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين. أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته ” يقول الله: “إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ”
“Indeed Allah loves those who commit to tawbah and loves those who commit to cleanliness” (al-Baqarah: 222) SubhanAllah, our Lord juxtaposes tawbah and purification, implying that just as you dedicate effort to cleanse your outer self, you should equally strive to purify your inner being. As you attend to your outward appearance, so too should you endeavour to cleanse your heart.
اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ [هود:3]
“Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance..” istighfar is the act of seeking forgiveness and tawbah consists of the 3 pillars discussed before. Dhul-Nun said: Seeking forgiveness without forsaking sin is repentance/tawbah of the liars. Together, istighfar and tawbah form a comprehensive approach to seeking Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا [التحريم:8]
Remember, O believers, that Allah commands us in Surah At-Tahrim, verse 8: “O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. It is perhaps that your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds.” Tawbah is fard upon us in all circumstances and at all times.
Ya Ibadullah, if you remember nothing else from this khutbah, remember this.
A man said to Rabi’ah al-Adawiyyah (Famous for making the duah: I seek forgiveness from Allah for the lack of my sincerity when I say, I seek the forgiveness of Allah.): “I have committed many sins and mistakes, so if I repent, will I be forgiven?” She replied: “No, but if He repents upon you, then you will repent.”
Let me illustrate practically: Ask yourself: Have you forgotten?
Why do you persist in thinking that your sin is the greatest thing in existence? Have you forgotten that He is The Most Forgiving, the Most Loving. Have you forgotten that He rejoices when you turn to Him seeking His forgiveness?
Do you not remember the words of our beloved when the companions once saw a woman in distress, desperately searching for her son. And when she finally found him, she hugged him tightly, kissed him lovingly and fearfully. And how amazed the companions were by this display of raw emotion and pure happiness. Then he ﷺ said:
اللَّهَ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا
“Allah is far happier by the Tawbah of his servant than this woman at finding her long lost son.” (Muslim:2103)
What are you waiting for? Say “Astaghfirullah” now… Say it from your heart, your soul, and your tongue until your sins, which try to convince you that forgiveness is impossible for them, make them say: “Astaghfirullah,” despite them, scream “Astaghfirullah” within yourself, and swear through that scream that the Most Forgiving will forgive you, not because you screamed, but because He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Loving.
Our Lord, We have wronged our own selves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will definitely be of the losers. Glory and perfection is Yours alone, O Allah, there is no god but You, We have indeed wronged ourselves, so forgive us (not because of our tawbah or our deeds or our shouting), but rather because You are the Most Forgiving, Most Loving & Most Merciful. We rely on الغفور الودود for our forgiveness.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شُيُوخِنَا ، وَعَلَى رئيسنا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
عِبَادَ اللَّهِ، رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ. أَذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَادْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ تَعَالَى أَعْلَى وَأَوْلَى وَأَعَزُّ وَأَهمُ وَأَكْبَرُ.
