Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Alsalamu alaikum brother,

 
If you dont mind I would like to ask you two questions,

 
1. If someone has commited all of the major sins can they repent? and if yes will there repentance be accepted? is there such a thing as a cursed human being? if yes can the whole ummah including the person themselfs make dua for the curse to get lifted and for the person to recieve true iman taqwa and guidance will it happen? is there such a thing as a human shaytan? if yes how does a person know if he/she is one or not? and can they reform if they are?

 
2. is salat al-tasbeeh bidah or sunnah?

 
jazak Allah khir brother for all the good advice and the hard efforts you put into helping the ummah.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can one repent from major sins

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: …If someone has commited all of the major sins can they repent? and if yes will there repentance be accepted?

Whatever deeds one might have done in one’s past, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere ‘Taubah’ and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a repentant believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only will forgive the sins of such sincerely repentant believers, He will change their evil deeds done into good deeds!

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

• One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
• Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
• Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
• Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Thus regardless of the quantity or the quality of sins one might have committed in one’s past, if one turns to the Lord Most Gracious in ‘taubah’ and seeks sincere repentance for their sins before they have approached the element of death…..it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Your Question: …is there such a thing as a cursed human being?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verse 23:

23 Those who slander chaste women indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter: for them is a Grievous Penalty

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 57:

57 Those who annoy Allah and his Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 48 Surah Fath verse 6:

6 And that He may punish the hypocrite men and women and the polytheist men and women who imagine an evil opinion of Allah. On them is a round of Evil: the Wrath of Allah is on them: He has cursed them and got Hell ready for them: and evil is it for a destination.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 46:

46 Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places and say: "We hear and we disobey"; and "Hear what is not heard": and "Ra`ina"; with a twist of their tongues and a slander to faith. If only they had said: "We hear and we obey"; and "Do hear"; and "Do look at us": it would have been better for them and more proper; but Allah hath cursed them for their unbelief; and but few of them will believe.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verses 51-52:

51 Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who were given a portion of the Book? They believe in sorcery and evil and say to the unbelievers that they are better guided in the (Right) Way than the believers!

52 They are (men) whom Allah hath cursed: and those whom Allah hath cursed thou wilt find have no one to help.

No human being or nation is born with the curse of Allah Subhanah…..it is the evil that one does, and persists in that evil which results in them being cursed by the Lord Most Majestic.

Your Question: ….if yes can the whole ummah including the person themselfs make dua for the curse to get lifted and for the person to recieve true iman taqwa and guidance will it happen?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 159-161:

159 Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down and the Guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah's curse and the curse of those entitled to curse.

160 Except those who repent and make amends and openly declare (the Truth) to them I turn (in Mercy); for I am Oft-Returning Most Merciful.

161 Those who reject faith and die rejecting, on them is Allah's curse and the curse of the Angels, and of all mankind.

The only act which lifts the curse of Allah Subhanah, regardless of whether it be on an individual or a nation, is sincere repentance and the doing of righteous good deeds thereafter.

Your Question: …..is there such a thing as a human shaytan?

The only two beings whom the All-Wise Lord Creator created and bestowed them with a ‘free will’ are the Jinns and Mankind. If one amongst the Jinn or Men of their own bestowed ‘free will’ chooses to deny, defy, and disobey their Lord Creator, they would be called a Shaytaan.

No one is born a ‘Shaytaan’, nor is the ‘shaytaan’ a separate race or creed or creation of the Lord Creator; but rather it is the choice one amongst the Jinn or Human race makes, or the deeds one does of one’s own free will that makes one ‘Pious’ or makes one a ‘Shaytaan’.

Allah Subhanah did not create a Shaytaan, just as He did not create a murderer, or a liar, or a thief, or a adulterer, etc.; it is the deeds one chooses to do of one’s own free will that makes him a murderer, a liar, a thief, an adulterer and a Shaytaan! Allah Subhanah did indeed create the Jinn and the Human race amongst His creation, and the one who of his own free will chooses to persistently deny, defy, doubt, and disobey their Lord Creator chooses to become a Shaytaan by himself.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 112:

112 Likewise did We make for every Messenger ‘Shaytaan’ enemies from amongst men and Jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 114 Surah An-Naas verses 4-6:

4 From the mischief of the Whisperer (of evil) who withdraws (after his whisper)

5 (The same) who whispers into the hearts of mankind

6 Among Jinns and among men.

In light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Glorious Quran a ‘Shaytaan’ can indeed be from amongst the Jinns, as well as the human race.

Your Question: ….and can they reform if they are?

Any being from amongst the Jinns or mankind who chose to persistently disobey, deny, reject, defy and challenge Allah Subhanah and His Laws…and thus became a Shaytaan…..has the opportunity to turn unto their Lord Creator in sincere ‘taubah’ and seek repentance for his deeds before he meets with his appointment of death, and thus cease to be included amongst the Shayaateen.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Your Question: …..is salat al-tasbeeh bidah or sunnah?

'Ikrimah reports from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to 'Abbas ibn 'Abdal-Mutalib: "O 'Abbas, O Uncle, shall I not give you, shall I not present to you, shall I not donate to you, shall I not tell you ten things which, if you do, Allah will forgive your first and last sins, past and present sins, intentional and unintentional sins, private and public sins? The ten actions are: pray four rak'at, reciting in every rak'ah al-Fatihah and a surah. And when you finish the Qur'anic recitation of the first rak'ah, say, while standing, 'Subhanallah, al-hamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wa Allahu Akbar' ['Glory be to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. There is no God except Allah. Allah is the greatest.'] fifteen times. Then make ruku', and while you are in ruku', say the same ten times; then stand, and say the same ten times. Then go down and make sajdah, and while you're in sajdah, say the same ten times. Then sit after the sajdah, and say the same ten times. Then make sajdah, and say the same ten times. Then sit after the second sajdah, and say the same another ten times. That is seventy-five [repetitions of the phrases] in each rak'ah. Do that in each of the four rak'at. If you can pray it once a day, do so. If you cannot, then once every Friday. If you cannot do that, then once a year. And if you cannot do that then once in your life."

Related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaimah, and at-Tabarani.

The above narration by Ikrimah is quoted as ‘sahih’ or authentic by several recorders of ahaadiths. Some scholars however have a difference of opinion and say that the above narration is not authentic, and there is no mention of the Prayer of Tasbih or ‘Salaat ul Tasbih’ in any of the four major schools of thought in Islam.

The prayer of ‘tasbih’ are voluntary and optional, and if one prays the prayer and his intention is to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), he will have his due reward from Allah Subhanah, Insha Allah; and if one does not pray them, there is absolutely no obligation or sin upon them. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan