The Infinite Mercy of Allah: Why We Should Never Delay Repentance

By Shaykh Abdul Qayum
1 November 2024

﷽

In this week’s Friday khutbah, I spoke about one of the most beautiful aspects of our relationship with Allah - the concept of Tawbah (repentance). As we navigate through these challenging times, understanding the depth of Allah’s mercy becomes increasingly crucial for our spiritual well-being.

I began the khutbah with the Qur’anic verse that speaks to our very nature. Allah tells us:

And by the soul and He who proportioned it, And inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness

[Surah Ash-Shams, 91:7–8]

This verse beautifully illustrates how Allah has created within us both the capacity for righteousness and the tendency towards sin. We are beings of duality, constantly struggling between our desire to do good and our inclination towards transgression.

One of the most touching illustrations of Allah’s joy at our repentance comes from a Hadith, where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his camel carrying his provisions in a waterless desert. The camel wanders away and he loses all hope of finding it. He comes to a tree and lies down in its shade, having given up hope of finding his camel. Then while he is in that state of despair, suddenly he sees his camel standing before him! He seizes its halter and cries out in joy, ‘O Allah! You are my servant and I am Your Lord!’ – making this mistake out of excessive joy.

[Sahih Muslim]

This hadith holds several important lessons. First, it shows us the immense joy Allah feels when we turn back to Him in repentance. Just as the traveller had lost all hope of survival when his provisions disappeared in the harsh desert, sometimes we too feel that our sins have taken us too far from Allah’s mercy. But just as the camel returned unexpectedly, Allah’s mercy can reach us in our darkest moments.

The man’s confused expression during the moment of extreme joy – mixing up his relationship with Allah out of happiness – also teaches us about Allah’s understanding of our human nature. Even in this moment of confused expression, Allah’s mercy encompasses the error, showing us that He understands our emotions and human limitations.

In the Qur’an, Allah gives us constant reassurance about the power of sincere repentance. He tells us:

And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah?

[Surah Ali ‘Imran, 3:135]

This verse reminds us that no sin is beyond Allah’s forgiveness, provided we turn to Him with sincerity and genuine remorse.

However, I must emphasise an important aspect of repentance that is overlooked. Allah says in the Qur’an that, “The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance or carelessness and then repent soon after.” This teaches us the crucial lesson of not delaying our repentance. Many people, as I witness in our community, fall into the trap of thinking they can delay repentance until death approaches.

But the Qur’an is clear about this:

Repentance is not accepted from those who continue to do evil deeds up until death comes to one of them and then says, ‘Indeed, I have repented now.’

[Surah An-Nisa, 4:18]

Perhaps one of the most hope-inspiring aspects of Tawbah that I shared in our sermon is Allah’s promise to not only forgive sins but to transform them into good deeds for those who truly repent. Allah says:

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work, for them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good,

[Surah Al-Furqan, 25:70]

Imagine the magnitude of this mercy – not just that Allah will erase our sins, but he will transform our transgressions into rewards!

True repentance has conditions. When we have wronged others, we must seek their forgiveness and make amends as soon as we can. While Allah may forgive rights that are owed to Him, the rights of other people must be addressed directly and without delay. This might mean returning what we’ve taken, apologising for any harm that we may have committed, or making appropriate compensation.

Concluding the khutbah, I reminded the congregation that repentance is not a one-time act, but a continuous process of spiritual renewal. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, despite his elevated status, would seek Allah’s forgiveness more than seventy times a day. If he maintained this daily practice, how much more should we be conscious of our need for constant repentance?

As we face the challenges of modern life, let us remember that the door of repentance remains open until the final moments of our life. Let us not delay in seeking Allah’s forgiveness, for His mercy truly encompasses all things. May Allah accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and grant us the wisdom to return to Him before death approaches. May He guide us all to the straight path and grant us sincerity in our devotion to Him.

Ameen.

Help us complete our Phase 3 expansion for the new prayer halls!

Please select a donation amount (required)

£1,000 Commemorated in an Outer Tile – donate £1,000 in one payment (or select ‘Regular’ to pay in instalments).

£365 Towards the new Mihrab and Mimbar

£300 Towards a Musalla (prayer space)

Other

Set up a regular payment Donate