Repentance of a Servant

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May 13, 2024

Repentance of a Servant

I was visited by Prophet Khidr and reminded of what I had not narrated. He urged me to write it down. May Allah forgive and bless me and all who read this.

When I and Prophet Khidr returned from Iliyyin and from the gate of Sijjin last Ramadan... Prophet Khidr asked me as I was crying...

He said, "Oh Ahmad, why are you crying?"

I answered, "Oh Prophet of Allah, Khidr, I am reminded of my sins from the past, and I have so many sins. Am I worthy of being in that beautiful place (Iliyyin) in the future?"

Prophet Khidr said, "Oh Ahmad, sins and mistakes are not something you should always dwell on, but it is obligatory for you to always seek forgiveness from Allah and strive hard to improve your worship and righteous deeds in the world. There is no human who lives without sin, but there is no member of the ummah of the Noble Prophet Muhammad whose repentance is rejected by Allah except if they apostatize and ally with Satan and die in a state of being with Satan (greedy and arrogant).

Oh Ahmad, Allah the Almighty has said, 'Oh Children of Adam, pray to Me and ask for My forgiveness, I will forgive your sins, even if your sins reach the sky and fill the earth's surface, I do not care about that, as long as you do not associate anything with Me, then I will open the door of repentance for you wider than all your sins... 

Oh Ahmad, whatever state you are in when you remember your sins, say, "ALLOHUMMAGHFIRLIY YA ALLAH YA GHOFURUR ROHIIM, WAGHFIRLIY ZANBIY YA ALLAH YAA HAYYU YAA QOYYUM, ANTA ROBBUN HALIIM WA ANTA TAWWABURROHIIM" ( 'Oh Allah forgive me, Oh Allah, O Most Forgiving, forgive my sins, Oh Allah, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, You are the Lord of Patience and You are the Most Forgiving.')

Oh Ahmad, why are you still crying?"

I remembered some of my friends and people I knew while they were alive. Some are in Iliyyin and some are not, even some I knew were bowing down at the gate of Sijjin (the realm of the grave), while when they were alive, they were among those who had been kind to me... Can you pray to Allah so that they are not included in Sijjin?

Oh Ahmad, 

Everyone bears their own sins, and every Muslim must pray for their deceased brothers and sisters, so that Allah may forgive their sins. Did not your Noble Grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad, teach that "Sadaqah Jariyah" (ongoing charity) continues to benefit a person even after their death? So allocate your sustenance to lighten the burden of the hereafter for those you love and those who were good to you during their earthly life. Donate your sustenance by mentioning their names, may Allah record your elevation as their goodness. And pray that Allah forgives their sins.

Prophet Khidr asked again while holding my shoulder, "Oh Ahmad, what makes your tears still not stop?"

Oh Prophet Khidr, 

The severity and firmness of Allah's punishment towards people that you and I witnessed at the gate of Sijjin, until I could not stand and fell unconscious after you explained who they were... Even they were knowledgeable in reading the Qur'an, and some of them were praised as knowledgeable and dressed beautifully like the friends of Allah... Yet their sin was only to issue erroneous fatwas, causing division among the community, and they were once proud of their clothing and wealth... And some of them only committed sins that I considered very light, yet you said they had spent more than a hundred years in Sijjin.

Oh Ahmad, a knowledgeable person who issues erroneous fatwas (because of fear of poverty and submission to the rulers) and behaves wrongly and lies is more dangerous than an ignorant person who lies. And those whom you witnessed have caused a nation to fall into the hands of disbelievers, while your Noble Grandfather and the companions and the followers of the companions struggled to establish the glory of those nations in a beautiful and blessed manner. Some of them just remained silent and feared the punishment of the oppressors, then they indulged in worldly pleasures by submitting to the oppressors. Even though they knew that obedience and submission are only to Allah alone. Later, they will be among the last to be lifted from Saqar (one of the levels of Hell).

Oh Ahmad, calm yourself and do not cry, stop your tears.

Oh wise Prophet Khidr, 

I ask you to pray for my father so that Allah may have mercy on him and guide him to always be obedient to Allah, and for my mother so that Allah may place her in the highest Iliyyin as I witnessed, and pray for my in-laws, and my friends who have passed away and those still alive in this world... May those who have passed away receive forgiveness and gather in Iliyyin with joy, and may those still living in this world receive Allah's mercy and guidance... And may those who slander me not be included among those at the gate of Sijjin as we witnessed (the slanderers, backbiters, and enviers).

Prophet Khidr said, 

"Oh Ahmad, I can only pray for them, but everything returns to Allah who is Most Just and Most Wise... Be good to your father and forget all his mistakes towards you, it will bring Allah's mercy to you and to your father. Practice the good advice of your mother because by doing so, it will bring forgiveness and blessings to you and your mother... And continue to love your wives despite their shortcomings and fill your heart with love for them, teach them to be righteous women so that they open the door of forgiveness for their parents... And maintain ties with the families of your friends (wives or husbands and the children born leave behind) according to your ability, it will bring rewards from Allah for you and for your friends who have passed away. Be patient with the behavior and jokes of your friends who are still alive with you, be the best faithful friend to them, remind them to fear Allah and be patient in living above the world, it will bring Allah's mercy to you and them, and please the heart of your Noble Grandfather, the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon him...

Reconcile those who are at odds and forgive those who insult you, indeed this will bring peace to your heart.

(Then Prophet Khidr fell silent and bowed) and said:

"Oh Ahmad, as for those who slander you, hate you, and envy you, Allah has decreed the law that was written before everything existed in the world (Allah's laws), He will not accept the repentance of a wrongdoer towards others, except for those wrongdoers (slanderers, backbiters, and enviers) who repent to Allah and apologize to those they wronged, and clean up the filth that has spread all over the world that heard and knew it (cleaning the reputation of those slandered and backbitten as much as they slandered and backbited), the righteous deeds of a person who dies carrying the sins of slander and backbiting will not be accepted, except for someone whom he wronged forgives the wrongdoer on the Day of Judgment.

I cried again. And I prayed to Allah... that I may always bear Al-Makhfiy throughout my life with a few friends who are loyal and understand the essence of friendship, and I pray that those who hate me will not receive punishment from Allah in this world and the hereafter...

Then Prophet Khidr hugged me and said... Oh Ahmad, ignore the mockers, haters, and slanderers, for they are greater than Satan, even Satan does not want to bear the sins of humans he misled, while the slanderer and backbiter are very great, because they are willing to enter Hell to ruin themselves in this world.

Just fulfill your duty to convey news and advice, and stick to your clothes and the way of life that Allah has commanded you, as I have taught you... Build a high place for you to praise Allah with your pets, and the animals that will come to that place alternately... Some become medicine for you and some become your comfort... Make a place for them to take shelter or a place for animals that come and go, just to accompany you and eat and drink at the place you will provide...

Ahmad Al-Makhfiy