MUNAJAAT AL-TAIBEEN WHISPERED PRAYERS OF REPENTERS PART 2 DR. MOHAMMAD SHOMALI 23 rd May 2012

Prayers of the Repenters My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness, separation from Thee has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery! My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart, so bring it to life by a repentance from Thee! O my hope and my aim! O my wish and my want! By Thy might, I find no one but Thee to forgive my sins and I see none but Thee to mend my brokenness! I have subjected myself to Thee in repeated turning, I have humbled myself to Thee in abasement. If Thou castest me out from Thy door, in whom shall I take shelter? If Thou repellest me from Thy side, in whom shall I seek refuge? O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace! O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed! 2. I ask Thee, O Forgiver of great sins, O Mender of broken bones, to overlook my ruinous misdeeds and cover my disgraceful secret thoughts! At the witnessing place of the Resurrection, empty me not of the coolness of Thy pardon and forgiveness, and strip me not of Thy beautiful forbearance and covering! 3. My God, let the cloud of Thy mercy cast its shadow upon my sins and send the billow of Thy clemency flowing over my faults!

Summary of talk  Only Allah s.w.t. can forgive our sins  Sura Ghafir ayah 7 – Angels ask God to forgive those who repent sincerely. They pray for the believers.  Prophets and Imams ask Allah to forgive those who repent.  From the munajaat, we understand that only Allah can ultimately forgive us. Who can restore a broken bone? We are broken by our sins.  Hadith: “The one who repents sincerely, is the like the one who has no sins.”  Show regret and show humility in front of Allah swt!  Allah can transform our sins to good deeds.  O Allah, by your honour (‘ izzah ) you are the One who can forgive, I have repeatedly turned to YOU, I come as a humble servant unlike Iblis who showed arrogance and blamed Allah s.w.t. when asked to prostrate before Prophet Adam (a).  The 1 st sin of Iblis could have been forgiven but he was insistent in his arrogance and blamed God for all. God never misguides human beings without them wanting to be misguided.  Important not to follow the pattern of Iblis.  My damage of sins can only be repaired through humility and showing absolute remorse.  Regret is also a component of returning back to Allah s.w.t.  If Allah rejects me, who else can embrace me?

What is Khajlah in this du’a? Feeling embarrassment  When we do something really ugly, we don’t want anyone to notice. We feel really embarrassed (a very terrible feeling).  O MY SORROW, Evil, ( I feel really sorry for what I have done and insist on being forgiven).  “I ask you, O forgiver of great sins”, forgives minor and major sins.  “O mender of broken bones, I plead you to overlook my ruinous deeds,.. And cover my disgraceful qualities, thoughts….”  Sareerah in Arabic means the baatin, the deeper thoughts, private thoughts. On the Day of Judgement, there will be maximum transparency. All this will unravel on the day of Judgement. (We ask God to cover all our ugly, deceiftul thoughts and remove these thoughts).  O Allah, when all will be resurrected, when everything will be a witness, please do not deprive me from the coolness of your pardon and forgiveness. When the sun will be hot and under our heads….  Do not leave me naked, uncovered, O Allah, cover me on that day…”  O Allah, let the cloud of your mercy cast a shadow on my sins…  Rajab is the month of great mercy and blessings. We pray that we are forgiven in this month to be in the banquet of Allah in shahr- Ramadhan.  O Allah, send down your cloud of affection and love upon me so that they cover my sins, faults…  O Allah, is the servant, who has escaped from His master, if he shows regret, remorse, let him go back to YOU, O the Master…  “Is there anyone who can give him sanctuary except His Master Himself?”

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER AND ACT UPON IN TAWBAH  Ultimately it is the Master who can take us back to HIM.  Essence of tawbah is to show intense remorse and regret.  I confess that I am one of the remorseful, if asking forgiveness for sins, offenses, causes drop of sins, surely, I confess that I am from those who repent.  Allah, you can blame me, but please I ask for your forgiveness. This shows my true, genuine relationship with you.  O Allah, you can blame, me, but be satisfied with me ultimately.  Allah is Sareeu-rida.  This will give me an isnight not to do in the future.  My Lord, through your power toward me, accept my tawbah.  Allah is MERCIFUL AND POWERFUL. – He has the power to forgive all His servants. This requires great HILM, Forbearance and clemency He forgives me.  In addition to your HILM, you have knowledge (everything is knowin by Allah). He knows everything about us.  I admit that I am a very weak person.

3 THINGS TO REMEMBER  SHOWING REMORSE OF PAST SINS / MISTAKES  COMPENSATING FOR MY SINS  NOT TO COMMIT THOSE SINS AGAIN  Reciting often formula of istighfar, like:  Astaghfirullaha Rabbi Wa Atubu Ilayhi – I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord and I return back to Him.  Astaghfirullahi-ladhi La Ilaha Illa Huwal-hayyul Qayyum Dhul-Jalali Wal- Ikram wa atubu Ilayhi. Remember all mo’menin during this glorious month of Rajab, please.