Islamic Exemplary Stories

A Sinner

At the time of Moses, there was a man from his people who often did worship, but soon after he repented to God. Unfortunately this man is still ‘defeated’ with his lust and wishful thinking so he always repeats his actions. But his consciousness always arose and he again repented to God. Such a thing continued to be repeated over and over again for twenty years. 

Once God said to the Prophet Moses about the man, “O Moses, tell My servant the fulan that I am angry with him!”

Moses spoke the word of God to him, and he became very sad. In his death, because of the wrath of God, he fled into the midst of a vast field. There he cried out, “Yes Allah, has Your mercy ended, or have I put Yourself at risk? O God, has Your Maghfirah (forgiveness) been depleted, or have You been miserly with Your sinful servants, which sin is greater than Your forgiveness? O Allah, glory is among Your righteous qualities (it has been from the beginning and always has been, it will never end), whereas disgrace is among my hadithic qualities (new, new, never-ending), held/created and will end), how can my nature defeat Your qualities? O Allah, when Thou hast stopped Thy servant from Thy mercy, whom else shall they expect? When You have rejected them, to whom else will they complain? O Allah, if Your mercy has been exhausted, and there is no way but to torment me, then show me all the torments You will inflict upon all Your servants, I want to redeem them with myself!”

There was nothing he said in his escape and solitude in the vast field, except the words in his exclamation/degrees. He was filled with regret until he forgot, never again, or never had time to do prostitution again. After a long time had passed, Allah said to the Prophet Moses, “Hi Musa, go thou to My servant the fulan in the field, and say unto him: If thy sins fill the earth, I will continue to bestow forgiveness upon you, after you have recognized Me with My perfect power, My infinite forgiveness and mercy!!”

Indeed, all the questions or statements in his presumption, the answer is no or no, and it is really known to him, and he firmly believes in that truth. This is the degree of ma’rifat (introduction) to Allah which he achieved when he ‘drowned’ in remorse for his sins, which little or much also played a role in inviting God's forgiveness. 

Then Allah will answer his call, though the servant himself will not hear Him, “Yes, yes, (good, good) O My servant, ask what you will, you are at My side like some of My angels, I am at your right, at your left, above you and very close to the content of your day!! O My angels, behold, verily I have forgiven him!!”

On another occasion, the Prophet SAW also said, “Verily there was a servant who committed a sin, then he entered heaven because of that sin!!”

The companions gathered around him looked astonished, and one of them said, “O Messenger of Allah, how could that be??”

With a smile the Prophet SAW said, “Because what was plastered in front of his eyes was only repenting of that sin, and he just kept running from it (from that sin) until he finally reached heaven!!”