I HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT; WOULD ALLAH FORGIVE ME ON THE NIGHT OF AL-QADR?

The article is based on English.islamweb.net/emainpage

Question:

I was a religiously negligent person in Ramadan. I feel ashamed and consider myself greatly negligent regarding many religious duties. Would Allah, the Almighty, accept the fast of the rest of the days of Ramadan from me? Would I still be among the successful ones on the night of Al-Qadr?

Answer:

We will say to you what a righteous scholar once said to the man who killed one hundred people and then came seeking repentance: “Who can prevent you from seeking repentance?”

Who can prevent you from returning and repenting to your Lord? Who can prevent you from cleaning yourself from the dust of sins and purifying your soul from the filth of disobedience?

No one can prevent you from disinfecting yourself from the germs of sins! No one can prevent you from returning as a clean and pure slave to your Merciful Lord, Who accepts repentance even if the sins are countless. Listen to Him as He invites you saying:

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by sinning), do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful” (Quran 39:53).

Allah is calling you by your best attribute (My servant) to give you the glad tiding that He forgives all major and minor sins whether few or countless.

So, repent to Allah, the Almighty and return to Him. Escape from darkness to light and tranquillity.

Do you not want to attain tranquillity of the heart? Do you not want the happiness of the soul and delight? Do you not want to live happily in this world and the Hereafter? You can achieve all this through repentance. Allah, the Almighty, says:

“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward (in the Hereafter) according to the best of what they used to do” (Quran 16:97).

Rejoice, as there are glad tidings that exceed all of this. Your sins will not only be forgiven but Allah, the Exalted, will transform them into good deeds added to your record. What a great Divine bounty and generosity! Allah, the Almighty, says:

“Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah forgiving and merciful” (Quran 25:70).

As for your question about the acceptance of your fast and acts of worship, including the great night of Al-Qadr, we will ask you the same question again: Who can prevent you from this?

Allah, the Almighty, is The Generous and The Forbearing. He never lets His slave down if he repents to Him, no matter how many sins he might have committed.

You have to return in repentance to your Lord and again we give you the same recommendation that the righteous scholar gave to the man who killed one hundred people: Keep away from the bad companions and friends and search for the good and righteous ones who observe prayers and know Allah, the Almighty.

Befriend people whose faces are bright due to ablution, accompany whoever guides you to Allah, the Almighty, and keep away from the liars, sinners and dishonest people.

You should thank Allah, the Almighty, for opening your heart and guiding you to return to Him. Rejoice, as Allah, the Almighty, says:

“And whoever fears Allah-He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect” (Quran 65:2-3).

“And whoever fears Allah-He will make for him of his matter ease” (Quran 65:4).

Rejoice, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Whoever commits a sin and then repents is considered as if he never committed it” (Al-Tabarani).

“All children of Adam are sinners, and the best of all sinners are those who frequently repent” (Al-Tirmizi).

We especially recommend you to try to observe the obligatory prayers as much as you can in the mosques. Allah, the Almighty, says:

“And establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing” (Quran 29:45).

“And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember” (Quran 11:114).

“Maintain with care the (obligatory) prayers and (in particular) the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.” (Quran 2:238).

We also advise you to supplicate to Allah, the Almighty, often, as Allah, the Almighty, says:

“And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me -indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be (rightly) guided” (Quran 2:186).

The Prophet, (PBUH), also said:

“Nothing is more honourable in the sight of Allah, the Almighty, than supplication.”

May Allah, the Almighty, open our hearts, guide, and pardon and forgive us and may He purify our heart