Pausing for Confession
Sheikh Hany Hilmy
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Search inside your heart... Did you sincerely rely on Allah to guide you to repentance? [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] If you didn't... then it's time to rely on Allah and supplicate:[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"O Allah am a sinner ... in debt to You.. and the sin is controlling me no matter how hard I try to repent"[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Don't ever forget that your bounties are a bless from Allah and that on the other hand, your wrong deeds and sins are from your own SELF. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]If you paused for a moment ... and with pure sincere faith, admit that this SELF of yours is responsible for your wrong deeds...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]If you confessed your sins honestly and sincerely from your heart without any justifications for committing them...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That's when your repentance will work...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thus this pause, is a pause for confession.. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In other religions, they have ‘confession chairs'. We don't have this terminology in Islam. We only confess to Allah and we don't have any intermediary to purify us from our sins... [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Confessions are only made in front of Allah ... He is the only One who does purify... [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]O Allah, Cleanse our hearts from the sins and errors just as a white garment is cleansed from dirt. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Pause is a pause for confession. If you meditate in the Quran verses about confession stances, you will find that Allah has mentioned Confession in three different locations. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Two of them, Surat Ghafir and Al-Mulk, the confessor is too late with his confession that even confessing won't save him.[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The third one in surat Al-Tawba is where confession would save the confessor. [/FONT]
Sheikh Hany Hilmy
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Search inside your heart... Did you sincerely rely on Allah to guide you to repentance? [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] If you didn't... then it's time to rely on Allah and supplicate:[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"O Allah am a sinner ... in debt to You.. and the sin is controlling me no matter how hard I try to repent"[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Don't ever forget that your bounties are a bless from Allah and that on the other hand, your wrong deeds and sins are from your own SELF. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]If you paused for a moment ... and with pure sincere faith, admit that this SELF of yours is responsible for your wrong deeds...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]If you confessed your sins honestly and sincerely from your heart without any justifications for committing them...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That's when your repentance will work...[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thus this pause, is a pause for confession.. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In other religions, they have ‘confession chairs'. We don't have this terminology in Islam. We only confess to Allah and we don't have any intermediary to purify us from our sins... [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Confessions are only made in front of Allah ... He is the only One who does purify... [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]O Allah, Cleanse our hearts from the sins and errors just as a white garment is cleansed from dirt. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Pause is a pause for confession. If you meditate in the Quran verses about confession stances, you will find that Allah has mentioned Confession in three different locations. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Two of them, Surat Ghafir and Al-Mulk, the confessor is too late with his confession that even confessing won't save him.[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The third one in surat Al-Tawba is where confession would save the confessor. [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] The First Location for Confession is in "Surat Ghafir" 10-16[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]10. {Those who disbelieve will be addressed (at the time of entering the Fire): "Allâh's aversion was greater towards you (in the worldly life when you used to reject the Faith) than your aversion towards one another (now in the Fire of Hell, as you are now enemies to one another), when you were called to the Faith but you used to refuse.}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]11. {They will say: "Our Lord! You have made us to die twice (i.e. we were dead in the loins of our fathers and dead after our life in this world), and You have given us life twice (i.e. life when we were born and life when we are Resurrected)! Now we confess our sins, then is there any way to get out (of the Fire)?" (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)} [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]12. {(It will be said): "This is because, when Allâh Alone was invoked (in worship) you disbelieved, but when partners were joined to Him, you believed (deneid)! So the judgment is only with Allâh, the Most High, the Most Great}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]13. { It is He, Who shows you His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and sends down (rain with which grows) provision for you from the sky. And none remembers but those who turn (to Allâh in obedience and) in repentance (by begging His Pardon and by worshipping and obeying Him Alone and none else).}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]14. {So, call you (O Muhammad SAW and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh's sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it).}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]15. { (He is Allâh) Owner of High Ranks and Degrees, the Owner of the Throne. He sends the revelation by His Command to any of His slaves He wills, that he (the person who receives revelation) may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting (i.e. The Day of Resurrection). 16. The Day when they will (all) come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allâh. Whose is the kingdom this Day? (Allâh Himself will reply to His Question): It is Allâh's the One, the Irresistible!} [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]What do we learn from these verses? [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]10. {Those who disbelieve will be addressed (at the time of entering the Fire): "Allâh's aversion was greater towards you (in the worldly life when you used to reject the Faith) than your aversion towards one another (now in the Fire of Hell, as you are now enemies to one another), when you were called to the Faith but you used to refuse.}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]11. {They will say: "Our Lord! You have made us to die twice (i.e. we were dead in the loins of our fathers and dead after our life in this world), and You have given us life twice (i.e. life when we were born and life when we are Resurrected)! Now we confess our sins, then is there any way to get out (of the Fire)?" (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)} [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]12. {(It will be said): "This is because, when Allâh Alone was invoked (in worship) you disbelieved, but when partners were joined to Him, you believed (deneid)! So the judgment is only with Allâh, the Most High, the Most Great}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]13. { It is He, Who shows you His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and sends down (rain with which grows) provision for you from the sky. And none remembers but those who turn (to Allâh in obedience and) in repentance (by begging His Pardon and by worshipping and obeying Him Alone and none else).}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]14. {So, call you (O Muhammad SAW and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh's sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it).}[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]15. { (He is Allâh) Owner of High Ranks and Degrees, the Owner of the Throne. He sends the revelation by His Command to any of His slaves He wills, that he (the person who receives revelation) may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting (i.e. The Day of Resurrection). 16. The Day when they will (all) come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allâh. Whose is the kingdom this Day? (Allâh Himself will reply to His Question): It is Allâh's the One, the Irresistible!} [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]What do we learn from these verses? [/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]To Be Continued, Contemplate![/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Source: Pausing for Confession, written by Sheikh Hany Hilmy [/FONT]