In the Name of Allāh.
Allāh keeps the door of repentance open for humanity until the moment of death when the soul reaches the throat (at the point of separation from the body). After this moment, repentance will no longer be accepted. O Muslims! Fear Allāh and turn to Him in repentance, for He indeed loves those who repent. True repentance is not merely uttering phrases like, “I repent to Allāh,” or “O Allāh, forgive me!” while continuing to sin or being indifferent to one’s wrongdoings.
Genuine repentance involves feeling deep remorse for past actions and having a sincere intention to never return to those sins. When ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) was asked about what constitutes sincere repentance, he stated: “The sincere repentance is that the servant repents from the sin, then he never returns to it!” [Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 34491]
Furthermore, Allāh cautions us: “O you who believe! Turn to Allāh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet (Muḥammad ﷺ) and those who believe with him…” [Sūrah At-Taḥrīm (66): 8]
Indeed, my brothers and sisters, the hourglass of life runs out more swiftly than we can fathom, and the sands of our days are but fleeting moments in the grand scheme of eternity. Our repentance is like a delicate flower swaying in the winds of fate, its petals fading as the sun of life sets. Thus, let us rush towards repentance before it is too late. We cannot predict when death will catch us off guard. Luqmān advised his son: “O my son! Do not delay (your) repentance! For verily death will come unexpectedly!” [At-Tawbah Li Ibn Abī Dunyā 29]
Let us accept the Will of Allāh, sowing the seeds of repentance in the fertile soil of our hearts, nurturing them with tears of remorse, and illuminating them with the light of righteousness.
I beseech Allāh, the Most Gracious, to accept our repentance, to nourish the blossoms of our faith with the rain of His Mercy, and to protect our hearts from the tempests of sin. Aameen.
Picture Credit: Rooted Thinking.
