Jibril (AS)’s curse
The Prophet ﷺ ascended the minbar and said: “Aameen, aameen, aameen.” The Sahaaba (RA) said: “Messenger of Allah, we heard you say aameen three times.” He ﷺ said, “When I went up the first step, Jibril (AS) came to me and said, ‘Wretched is the slave to whom Ramadan comes and when it passes from him is not forgiven.’ I said, ‘Aameen.’ Then he said, ‘Wretched is the slave who has one or both of his parents alive and they do not let him enter the Garden.’ I said, ‘Aameen.’ Then he said, ‘Wretched is a slave who does not bless you when you are mentioned in his presence,’ and I said, ‘Aameen.'”
During Ramadan, the dua made in this hadith should be concerning for us all. The greatest prophet said aameen to this dua made by the greatest angel on the minbar. To be recipients of this curse would be detrimental. We should check if we have truly made tawbah this month. The pious made the most of every second in Ramadan.
Worship of Shaykh Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (RA) in Ramadan
When Ramadan would commence he would advise his family to avoid futile discussion. He prayed 20 rakaats of Awaabeen Salah and would complete 2 juz in those 20 rakaats. He would then go home and recite another juz while waiting for his family to get food ready. In his early years he would lead Taraweeh. Overall, he would treasure every moment in Ramadan yet despite his piety, he would still seek focus on seeking forgiveness.
Lesson: we know our weaknesses, yet how many tears have we shed before Allah seeking forgiveness? This should be our focal point. Even if we don’t worship enough, don’t get disheartened, at least seek His forgiveness.
What is Tawbah?
Allah says in the Qur’an, “O believers, repent to Allah with a sincere repentance (tawbatan Nasooha)” (Qur’an, 66:8). Tawbatan nasooha is to turn away completely from sins and to never look back. It is to despise what is displeasing to Allah and to avoid them like the plague because it will plague your heart. It is a deep cleanse and the removal of all sins.
How to make Tawbah
There are 4 step:
1) Be remorseful: Acknowledge the sin and reflect. To be ashamed, to experience pain, sorrow and shock over a sin is Tawbah itself.
2) Ask Allah for forgiveness
3) Make a sincere and firm intention to never return to the sin
4) Make amends: If it’s huqooqullah like performing Qadha Salah, pray a few daily. If it’s huqooqul Ibaad like paying back money, make a repayment plan and seek forgiveness. It may take a while but we should make a start.
Examples of Tawbah
• Umar (RA): Even before He accepted Islam, Umar (RA) was a courageous man of action. He disagreed with Islam and went out to kill the Prophet ﷺ. Upon hearing that his sister had accepted Islam, he diverted and went to her house instead. After a heated dispute, He slapped her but she refused to give up Islam. In that moment, Allah’s guidance descended and he had a sudden change of heart. He performed whudhu, recited Surah Taha and decided to accept Islam.
Lesson: The same Umar (RA) who went out to kill the Prophet ﷺ accepted Islam and is now buried next to the Prophet ﷺ. This is true Tawbah. He completely changed course and became one of the closest companions of the Prophet ﷺ.
• When wine became haraam: When wine became haraam, the Sahaaba (RA) gave it up immediately. The Ulama said that the wine that was in the barrel never made it to the jug. And what was in the jug never made it to the cup. And what was in the cup never made it to mouth. And what was in mouth never made it to throat. That was how swiftly the Sahaaba (RA) repented and made a change. One Sahaabi (RA) invested all his money buying wine for business purposes. He was on the way to Madinah when it became prohibited. Immediately, he offloaded it and left it all behind. He went to the Prophet ﷺ asking what to do next and he was informed that he cannot use it nor sell it. Without question, he returned and destroyed all the wine.
Lesson: Today we look for loopholes in Deen. If we tell business owners that one of the items they are selling is doubtful, they are still unwilling to remove it from their shelves. And here we have a Sahaabi (RA) who lost all his money discarding wine yet still obeyed.
To summarise, we must prioritise seeking forgiveness in Ramadan. Read the stories of the pious and take inspiration. Thereafter, make Tawbatan Nasooha. Avoid returning to sin by avoiding all avenues that lead it. The phone can be the biggest devil, either get rid of it or control yourself when using it. May Allah enable us all to make Tawbatan Nasooha, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extrat from Shaykh’s Jumuah talk on 13/03/26. To listen to the full audio, please click here.