The Hidden and Open Sin: Repent and Strive for the Hereafter

Allah ﷻ says in Surah An'am

وَذَرُوا۟ ظَٰهِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ

Leave sin,
open and secret

Qatadah  رحمه
الله said:
"encompasses sins committed in public and secret, whether few or
many"

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ ٱلْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَقْتَرِفُونَ

Indeed, those
who commit sin will be punished for what they earn.

[6:120]

Whether the
sins they committed were public or secret, Allah ﷻ
will compensate them for these sins.

Ibn Abi Hatim
recorded that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an said, "I asked Allah's Messenger about
Al-Ithm. He said,

الْإِثمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي
صَدْرِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ النَّاسُ
عَلَيْه

The sin is
that which you find in your heart and you dislike that people become aware of
it.

[Tafsir Ibn
Kathir]

We must all
recognise that we have sins and we are sinful!

But the
greatest test and the one of the greatest things a Believer can do to become
closer to Allah ﷻ is
to remove himself, make Hijrah from the sins which cloud his heart!

As Prophet ﷺ said "There is no
heart that does not have clouds like the clouds that cover the moon. When the
cloud covers it, it is dark, and when the cloud moves away it shines.”

[Narrated by
al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani]

Sufyan Ath
Thawri رحمه الله said "Imaan is not
wishes or pretence, rather it is what has settled in the heart and is proven by
actions"

We must prove
to ourselves and to Allah ﷻ
that we love Him ﷻ
more than ourselves,

This is by choosing
His commands over our desires!

If I was to
say "Raise your hand if you love Allah ﷻ
and His Rasool ﷺ"

Every single
one of you would!

But we must
substantiate our claim with 'Amal!

With good
actions!

And part of
doing good is doing our best to stay away from the bad!

وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ

And whoever
desires the Hereafter wanting the
Hereafter and its blessings and delights,

وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا

and strives
for it, with the necessary effort due for it seeking it in the right way, which is following the Messenger.

وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ

while he is a
believer, means, his heart has faith,
i.e., he believes in the reward and punishment,

فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًۭا

Then such are
the ones whose striving shall be appreciated,

[17:19]

Means,
rewarded by Allah ﷻ

Reflect on
these verses

May Allah ﷻ forgive all our private
sins as well as public sins and make us among the true believers.

 آمِيْن

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This text is one of the many fatwa (answers to questions based on authentic Islamic provisions) that are made available by a WhatsApp group, HIKIMOMIN MALAMAN SUNNAH (THE PHILOSOPHIES OF SUNNI SCHOLARS).