Islam Guidance

5. Allah (S.w.T.)'s Mercy is Very Vast

5. Allah (S.w.T.)’s Mercy is Very Vast

TafsÄ«r al-Safi mentions under the exegesis of Surah Ä€li- ‘Imran that one day Sa’ad Ibn Ma’az came weeping to the Messenger of Allah (S). After replying to his Salām the Prophet (S) asked him the reason for crying. Sa’ad said. “O Messenger of Allah! A young man is standing outside the house and weeping upon his youth like a woman mourns the death of her child. He desires to meet you.” The Holy Prophet (S) ordered that the young man be presented to him. Sa’ad came to the Prophet (S) with the youth. He saluted the Messenger (S). After replying his Salām the Holy Prophet (S) asked the young man the reason for his grief. “Why shouldn’t I grieve,” said the young man, “I have committed so many sins that even a few of them are sufficient to earn me Hell-fire. I am sure I shall be punished for my sins.

The Messenger of Allah (S) said,

“Have you attributed partners to Allah?”

“I seek refuge of Allah from attributing a partner to Him.”

“Have you murdered one unjustly?”

“No”,

“Allah shall certainly forgive your sins even if they are like mountains,” the Prophet of Allah (S) said.

“But my sins are greater than mountains,” said the young man.”

“Even if your sins are heavier than seven earths, seas, mountains, trees and all creatures Allah will condone them.”

“My sins are heavier than all of these,” said the youth.

“Allah will forgive them even if they are heavier than the heavens, stars, Arsh and Kursi.”

“My sins are more than these.”

“Pity on you! O young man! Who is greater, your sins or your Lord?”

Hearing this, the young man fell into prostration and said,

“My Lord is pure, nothing is greater than Him and He is greater than the greatest thing.”

“Would the High and Mighty Lord not forgive your great sins?” asked the Prophet (S).

‘No’, said the young man and became silent.

Then the Holy Prophet (S) said,

“Fie on you, young man, can you tell me about one of your great sins?”

“Yes, for seven years I used to exhume corpses and steal their shrouds. One day a young girl from the Ansars died. After she was buried I opened her grave in the middle of the night and removed her shroud. I was about to return when the Shaitan instigated me, I looked at her body and defiled her chastity. When I was leaving, a voice came from behind her head, ‘Fie on you for the chastisement of Qiyāma! You made me naked and junub (ritually impure). Fie on you for the fire of Hell.’”

Then he said, “O Messenger of Allah (S)! I think I shall not be able to even smell the fragrance of Paradise. What do you think?”

“O Transgressor! Get away from me,” said the Prophet (S), “Lest your fire may burn me! How close you are to the fire!”

He repeated this sentence a number of times and the youth finally went away from there. After taking some necessary items he went to the mountains of Madinah. He used to tie his hands behind the neck and plead for forgiveness. “I am Your sinful slave and degraded servant. I am regretful of my deeds. O Allah! I went to Your Messenger and he sent me away. This has increased my fear. I implore You by Your greatness, do not make me hopeless and include me among Your mercies.” He continued this for forty days. Even the beasts began to take pity upon him. After forty days had passed he asked, “O my Lord! What is Your decision regarding me. If You have forgiven me, inform Your Messenger about it. If You have made a firm decision to punish me, burn me at once or subject me to some other punishment and save me from the degradation of Qiyāma.” Upon this, the Almighty Allah revealed the following ayats on His Messenger (S):

“And those who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their faults — and who forgives the faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have done. (As for) these — their reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and excellent is the reward of the labourers.”

(Surah Ä€li- ‘Imran 3:135-136)

As soon as these verses were revealed the Messenger of Allah (S) came out of the door reciting the ayats and smiling. He told the companions, “Who can tell me about the repenting young man?” The companions said, “O Messenger of Allah! He is on such and such mountain.”

The Holy Prophet (S) went to the young man with his companions and found him standing between two rocks. His hands were tied behind him and his face was black due to the heat of the sun. The eyelashes had fallen due to weeping and he was saying: O Allah! You bestowed countless bounties on me and did favour on me. If I could only know whether my abode is Paradise or Hell. O My Lord! My sins are greater than your heavens, earths, Arsh and throne. If I could only know whether You would forgive me or degrade me on the day of Qiyāma.” He was repeating these words and weeping. He picked up sand and put it on his head. Looking at his conditions, the animals and birds around him were also weeping. The Messenger of Allah (S) came to him and untied his hands. Cleaned the soil from his head and said,

“Young man! Good news for you that Allah has accepted your Tawba.” Then he told his companions, “You should repent for your sins in this way” and recited the above-mentioned ayats. In this way the good news of Paradise was conveyed to the young man.

A point needs to be explained here. The Holy Prophet (S) drove away the young man probably because he wanted his fear of divine punishment to intensify to such an extent that it could atone for his deadly sins. That the tears of regret may wash his evil deeds and he may qualify for divine mercy. This was exactly what happened. The more earnest a person is in seeking forgiveness the more he shall be near to divine mercy.

Hence the driving away of the young man became a cause for the young man’s expiation.

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