Repent for the past
Repent for the past: What I wanted to say is that you must not look at anyone with contempt and hatred. Do not mock anyone. Do not ever have a low opinion about any person. Rather say: How do I know what this person is beneath his outer appearance. May be he has some virtues which I do not have. Perhaps his rank might be high in God’s sight. It is possible that my own deeds may appear very good to me, yet I may be wrong and at fault. May be this person’s virtues are heavier than his drawbacks. How shall we know?
…﴾عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ﴿…
“…perchance they may be better than they… (49:11)”
We have committed this sin of having a bad opinion about God and a low idea about His creation. Come, today is Friday, mid-Ramadhan. O men and women! Let us repent over our past and resolve to give up such habits in future. Let us hope that today’s gathering becomes a gathering of repentance for us all. Consider death very near. Let us try our best not to die with sins in our scroll of deeds. It is very likely that we sinned all twenty-four hours, day and night, with every breath. It is like that if we have bad and low opinion about God, destiny and creation. Whenever anyone from us dies, let us think over it very seriously how bad we are doing in this respect. Come let us ask for forgiveness through sincere repentance and make a decision to discard all such sins in the future. We may say: God willing, from today onwards we shall leave all such bad opinions about others, from now onwards we will become God’s lowly and submitting slaves.
This is the month of Ramadhan, the month of seeking forgiveness. This month of Ramadhan has many names. One of them is the month of repentance. Therefore, one day the Holy Prophet said, as reported by Imam Sadiq and narrated by Shaykh Saduq: Away from God’s mercy is one whose sins are not washed away even after passing of the holy month of Ramadhan. Thereafter he has no hope of being purified. The days and nights of this holy month are so graceful, full of mercy and full of bliss and bounty, especially the time after Friday mid-day, after offering prayers in congregation. The mid-day of 15th Ramadhan is also the birthday of Imam Hasan.
How bad if we do not repent even on this day! Say: For the sake of Hasan Mujtaba, O Allah! Recite the repentance of Imam Zainul Abideen. It is only two or three sentences in length. Recite: O Our Lord! I make repentance and seek Your Forgiveness for my greater sins and also small errors, faults and hidden shortcomings, both past and future. O Lord! We repent and seek Your forgiveness for greater and lesser sins, those I remember and those I do not recall, both open and hidden ones, including bad intentions in my heart and evil utterances of my tongue and so also all wrong movements of my body, my dishonest glances and when I insulted someone and mocked anyone and when I looked down at a faithful believer.
