Imam Nadim Bashir | Jumuah Khutbah | EPIC Masjid

The Importance of Seeking Forgiveness in Ramadan

I ask Allah عز وجل that just as He has gathered us here today on this day of جمعة may Allah gather us along with our families in جنة الفردوس الأعلى in the companionship of رسول الله ﷺ and his صحابة. آمين يا رب العالمين.

Maximizing the Remaining Days of Ramadan

Brothers and sisters, we were talking about Ramadan is coming, Ramadan is coming, and now we are in the last Friday of the month of Ramadan. سبحان الله how quickly Ramadan has gone by. And while many of us have now started to shift our focus to Eid and Eid parties and Eid plans, I urge you, I plead to you that put those plans aside because we still have six more days of Ramadan left.

Ramadan is not over. Ramadan is still Ramadan. The رب of Ramadan is still there and قيام is still left and nights of Qur'an and nights of توبة and استغفار are still there.

So brothers and sisters, though you may not have maximized these days of Ramadan, do not feel that I cannot benefit from Ramadan. I still have days left. I can still make use of Ramadan. And what Ramadan needs to be achieved, what do we need to achieve in Ramadan is of course تقوى and of course we try to come close to Allah. But one of the most important things that today I want to highlight in this khutbah that you and I we need to focus on when it comes to Ramadan is the importance and I want to stress on asking Allah عز وجل for forgiveness.

The Mercy of the Prophet ﷺ for His Ummah

Brothers and sisters, I don't need to explain to you that how merciful was رسول الله ﷺ when it came to you and I, when it came to his Ummah. He once made a du'a for our mother عائشة رضي الله عنها to which she was so happy. But رسول الله ﷺ then told عائشة رضي الله عنها: "You are so happy that I made this special du'a for you? I make the same du'a for my Ummah five times every single day." That's how much the Prophet ﷺ loved you and I.

He was known as a رحمة for all of us. And on the day of judgment when people will go to Prophet after Prophet and everyone will say that I am not in a position to plead on your behalf, they will go to رسول الله ﷺ and he will get to the ground and he will lower his head and he will bow down in سجود before Allah, and Allah will say:

"Oh Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head, ask, intercede and your intercession shall be accepted, ask and your inquiry or whatever you are asking shall be granted to you." And he will say يا ربي أمتي - "Oh رب, ya Allah, I am not worried about my family, I am not worried about my friends, I am not worried about anyone. Ya Allah, my Ummah."

The Hadith of Three Ameen

The reason why I mention this to you is because this next hadith is gonna help you understand the magnitude of that statement of رسول الله ﷺ. Despite the fact that رسول الله ﷺ loved us so much, there was a point, there was a moment where one time the Prophet ﷺ he ascended the منبر and he said آمين، آمين and آمين.

And the صحابة they came and they said "Ya Rasulullah, we saw something that was very strange for us. Who are you saying آمين to? And what are you saying آمين to? To who and what?"

And رسول الله ﷺ said that جبريل عليه السلام appeared before me and he says that woe to the person who heard my name, who heard your name and they did not say صلى الله عليه وسلم - Muhammad ﷺ. Number two, a person who found their parents in old age and did not serve them enough to enter into جنة. The Prophet ﷺ said آمين.

And the third person - this is the point of the khutbah - جبريل عليه السلام said that woe to the person who found Ramadan and did not ask Allah for forgiveness. سبحان الله. Ramadan comes, Ramadan goes, none of us have any idea if we are forgiven or not.

Brothers and sisters, Ramadan is there to ask Allah for forgiveness. It is to ask Allah, to plead to Allah that ya Allah, I have messed up, I have sinned, I sinned in ways that no one knows. And not only that, but ya Allah, you are the one who has concealed my sins. For والله if Allah exposed our sins in front of people today, we will not be able to show our face in front of the community.

Brothers and sisters, in this Ramadan, how many times have you and I we have put our head on the ground and we cried to Allah? How many times have we made استغفار to Allah in this month of Ramadan?

Benefits of Istighfar

That is why I just want to share with you a few things that hopefully will encourage us to make استغفار to Allah. The very first thing is that استغفار brings the aid of Allah.

A man came to Hassan al-Basri رحمة الله عليه and said that I live in a place where we are suffering through a drought. Hassan al-Basri said: "Make استغفار."

Another man came and said that my رزق has become very tight upon me. He says: "Make استغفار."

Another man came and said that I am not able to have children, my wife is not able to have children. He said: "Make استغفار."

When someone came to Hassan al-Basri and said that all these problems and only one remedy? He says that these are not my remedies, this is the remedy of Allah because Allah says in Surah Nuh:

This rain, this رزق will come from Allah. Allah will expand our wealth and give us children and make for us gardens and rivers.

Brothers and sisters, many of us are struggling with رزق. Many of us are sitting on the edge when it comes to our jobs. Many of us are perhaps being overworked at our jobs. Why? Because we are being told that there are people who are being laid off, economy is getting tight, inflation is growing. We know we all are suffering and going through the same thing. But remember that one is a system of this دنيا, the other is a system of Allah. If you're going through problems, ask Allah for forgiveness.

You know, a brother came to me one time and said "I have a visa problem." He was telling me he has an immigration problem and I told him "Make استغفار to Allah." And his first response was "But I'm not a sinner, why should I make استغفار to Allah?" سبحان الله. Allah says:

(Sunan Ibn Majah)

We all make mistakes, we all are sinners, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.

Protection Through Istighfar

And then as soon as that happened, you saw a surge in Islamophobia and that's only growing right now. The way things are unfolding and we're asking ourselves where is the help of Allah? I'm saying to you that based on this ayah of the Quran, if we want Allah to protect us, if we want Allah to be on our side, we as a community collectively we have to turn back to Allah, we have to ask Allah for forgiveness for our shortcomings:

As long as we're making استغفار to Allah, Allah will always protect us. May Allah protect us.

The Consistent Practice of Istighfar

Number three: There's a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ that again highlights the importance of not only استغفار but someone who holds on to استغفار. You see, the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ goes as this:

(Sunan Abu Dawud)

Whoever holds on to استغفار - and pay attention to the words here. It is not that a person is going through a problem and they start making استغفار. No. مَنْ لَزِمَ الاِسْتِغْفَارَ - anyone who is consistent in making توبة, in استغفار to Allah.

رسول الله ﷺ he says in one hadith that I ask Allah for forgiveness hundred times every day. In another hadith he says I ask Allah for forgiveness seventy times every day.

Brothers and sisters, I ask you, I ask myself: how many times do we make استغفار on a daily basis to Allah? We don't.

The Prophet ﷺ is telling us مَنْ لَزِمَ الاِسْتِغْفَارَ - whoever holds on to استغفار. And that is why we find that this was a practice of our علماء. Every single day they will send their peace and blessings on رسول الله ﷺ a hundred times every day and every night. They will glorify Allah a hundred times morning and night. And not only that, they will make استغفار a hundred times morning and night.

The Prophet ﷺ is telling us that anyone who is consistent with استغفار - جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِن كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا - Allah will create for them a way out, a relief when it comes to any kind of worry in their life.

How many times we have anxiety about the future, we are worried about the future, we are worried about our kids, we are worried about our stability in this country. The Prophet ﷺ is telling us anyone who does استغفار consistently when people who have this anxiety, Allah will remove this anxiety from your heart. جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِن كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا. And from every tight situation, Allah will find a way out for you.

سبحان الله, how many times we find ourselves in situations and والله we feel like there is no way I will get out of this situation.

You know what ضيق means? ضيق means that it is so tight that there is no room to wiggle. You know, you see those MRI machines - there are some people who are so claustrophobic that they cannot even go into an MRI machine because it is so tight and congested. And just imagine, may Allah never make this happen to anyone, but can you imagine if a person goes inside an MRI machine and then it stops working, it stops functioning? A person will have panic attacks sitting in that MRI machine because it is so claustrophobic - people who are claustrophobic - it is so tight in terms of space.

I want you to think about this: imagine you are in a situation in life just like that person could be in an MRI machine and it stops functioning and they cannot even get around and there is so much anxiety and panic that settles in. There are so many situations like these in life and we begin to ask ourselves that what is the best way to get out of this?

رسول الله ﷺ is giving us the remedy: مَن لَزِمَ الإِسْتِغْفَارِ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِن كُلِّ ضِيقٍ مَخْرَجًا.

And then not only that, but one of the things that is always on our mind is our رزق, our money. Will I have a job? Will I be able to maintain my job?

The Power of Istighfar (Seeking Forgiveness)

For those who don't have jobs, first of all may Allah provide them rizq. There are so many people, brothers and sisters, in our community who are looking for jobs desperately. We ask Allah to grant them a halal rizq and a rizq that will be sufficient for them. But think about this also: that if people are worried about their rizq, the Prophet is saying that anyone who holds on to istighfar, Allah will provide them rizq from places they can never imagine. These are not my words, brothers and sisters - these are the words of Rasulullah.

So if we want Allah to remove this anxiety from our hearts, if we want Allah to create an exit strategy for whatever difficult situation we find ourselves in, or to provide us rizq from places we can never imagine, the solution is one - and that is to make istighfar to Allah.

Allah Accepts Duas for Those Who Make Istighfar

Another important point when it comes to istighfar is that Allah accepts duas - Allah accepts duas for the person who makes istighfar abundantly.

There was an interesting story that one time Imam Ibn Hanbal was traveling and he says that I came across a masjid and I decided to stay at that masjid at night. But the custodian did not know who I was. I pleaded to the custodian that can I please stay in this masjid, and he says that as per the rules I have a job to maintain - I'm not allowed to give anyone permission to stay inside the masjid. You have to leave the masjid.

So he left the masjid, he went and he saw a bakery. So he went to the bakery and he says that he told the baker: can I stay here at night? I'm a stranger, I have no place to go. The baker said that you can stay in the back, take some rest. I have a room there, but do not interfere in what I'm doing. I'm busy right now - it is part of the night where I bake the bread so that in the morning I can go and sell the bread. He says: khair, I'll take some rest, you can do what you're doing.

Imam Ibn Hanbal noticed that all night long this man kept on reciting something, and Imam Ibn Hanbal has no idea what he's saying. The next morning before he left, he asked this baker: what is this one thing that you keep on reciting? And he says that I keep on making istighfar to Allah. And he says: what kind of fruits has this bear to you? Like what kind of fruits have you got from as a result of making istighfar abundantly?

He says that I noticed that every dua that I have made to Allah, Allah has accepted it. He says however there's only one dua that has not been accepted so far in my life. And Imam Ibn Hanbal said: what is that one dua? He says that I heard that there is a great sheikh, his name is Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. I don't know what he looks like and I've never met him, but I've made dua to Allah that I want to meet him. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: I am Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.

Brothers and sisters, if you want Allah to accept your duas, make istighfar. Yunus is in the well, no place to go:

This is a form of istighfar also.

This is also a form of istighfar. Any dua of istighfar is very powerful, but we have to be making this istighfar to Allah. So that is why when a person holds on to istighfar, Allah will accept their duas.

Istighfar Makes the Heart Firm

Finally, a person who makes istighfar, Allah makes their heart firm. As we go through our days in our life, we all have challenges in our life and there are many times where the heart drifts from Allah. Allah is telling us that if you want your heart to remain firm on iman and faith in Allah, you have to ask Allah for forgiveness.

And that is why in Surah Hud, Allah says:

This is Hud telling his qawm that oh my nation, oh my people, make istighfar to Allah and repent to Allah. Allah will grant you an abundance in strength.

Brothers and sisters, if we want our hearts to be firm in these difficult times - and every single person is struggling with faith in their own way. Every single person you talk to, they will tell you that there are times where they start to lose faith in Allah, whether it's because of the geopolitical situation, because sometimes they feel like Allah is not sending down His wrath on the zalimun, or whatever is happening to our Muslim brothers and sisters, or perhaps we are going through some kind of difficulty or adversity in our lives. There's always a situation where the heart begins to say how long can I keep my faith in Allah, and Shaitan is always there to try to take us away from Allah.

Allah is telling us that if you want to keep your hearts firm on the faith of Allah, then consistently make istighfar to Allah.

Making the Most of These Last Nights of Ramadan

Brothers and sisters, as we are approaching these last 10 nights or these last several nights of Ramadan, brothers and sisters, do not let a moment go by where we are not making istighfar to Allah constantly:

And the beauty about all this is that Allah knows our problems. We don't need to ask Allah for that He brings relief to our problems. We just have to ask Allah for forgiveness and Allah knows what we want.

That is why you see in the dua of Yunus once again - he did not say "Ya Allah, save me." He never said anything like that. All he said was he made istighfar, that's all he did, and Allah saved him.

So that is why when you and I when we make dua to Allah, let's not be greedy in what we want. Let's ask Allah for forgiveness because you and I, we all have committed sins, but we are very active in committing sins but we are not active in making tawbah and istighfar to Allah.

Making Sincere Istighfar with Humility

Brothers and sisters, last thing I will say is when it comes to making istighfar to Allah - there are some people who make istighfar to Allah by simply saying "Ya Allah, forgive me," but the next time you are making a dua to Allah, make a more sincere istighfar and make a more sincere repentance to Allah.

I want you to imagine a person - not you - a person they had to appear before a judge and that judge will decide whether they are forgiven or whether they will have to serve time in prison. Imagine the plea, the humbleness, the humility this person would have when he talks to the judge. Just imagine your life is on the line and you have to give a very powerful, emotional, small one minute talk to the judge and you are simply asking to be pardoned. How will that person plead in front of a judge? How much humility will they have?

Brothers and sisters, we should have more humility when we are making a dua to Allah as if our life depended on that dua. How much humility would you have if it was that one dua that your life depended on? That one dua - how would you ask Allah for forgiveness?

We know our crimes, we know our sins. Highlight the sins - I'm not saying highlight the sins in front of others - highlight the sins. "Ya Allah, no one was watching me but I stole something. Ya Allah, no one knows but I saw something. Ya Allah, You know. Ya Allah, please forgive me." Open up - we know ourselves better than anyone else. Open up that record and plead to Allah and cry in front of Allah.

You cry in front of people, people will judge you immediately. Cry in front of Allah and Allah will have more mercy on you.

So that is why as these last nights, again these last 10 nights or these last few nights are approaching - tonight is also a possible night of Laitul Qadr, tonight is the 25th night of Ramadan - let's not waste these nights. Let's ask Allah for forgiveness.

I ask Allah to make us from amongst those who ask for forgiveness and their forgiveness will be accepted, and may Allah add our names to the list of those people who will be saved from the fire of Jahannam and enter into Jannah without any accountability. Ameen.

Announcement

Assalamu alaykum. As you know that usually in the last few weeks before the Jummah khutbah we've been having a fundraiser making a plea to the entire community. We did not do that today, but I'm just urging and requesting all of you that on your way out to stop by and donate whatever you can, inshaAllah.

As you all know that especially when it comes to Ramadan, our expenses, they become triple in terms of the electricity and everything that we're doing here at the masjid. So once again, through your donations, we're able to take care of all the expenses of the masjid. So please on your way out, do donate generously. JazakumAllahu khair. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.