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If anyone constantly seeks forgiveness, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he could never imagine.”14
PROPHET MUHAMMAD
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A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam (Studying Qur'an & Hadith Book 2))
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Jesus taught us that instead of beheading our enemies, we are to pray for our enemies, do good to them, and “turn to them the other cheek”when they mistreat us (Matthew 5:39). We don’t demand that unbelievers convert to Christ at the point of a sword. We appeal to unbelievers to accept God’s mercy and forgiveness through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). If they reject our gospel, we don’t slay them—we pray for them and love them. If Allah and Jehovah are the same God, why does Allah speak and act so differently from the God of the Bible?
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Michael Youssef (Jesus, Jihad and Peace: What Bible Prophecy Says About World Events Today)
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A Lion Overpowered
Sheikh Abu Masood bin Abi Bakr Harimi (r.a) reports that there was a very great Saint by the name of Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) He used to travel on a lion wherever he went. In every city that he visited, it was his habit to ask the people of the city to send one cow for his lion’s meal. Once, he went to a certain city and requested from the Saint of that city a cow for his lion. The Saint sent the cow to him and said, “If you ever go to Baghdad, your lion will receive a welcome invitation.”
Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) then journeyed to Baghdad Shareef. On arriving in Baghdad, he sent one of his disciples to al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a) and commanded that a cow be sent to him, as a meal for his lion. The great Ghawth was already aware of his coming. He had already arranged for a cow to be kept for the lion. On the command of Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) sent one of his disciples with a cow to him. As the disciple took the cow with him, a weak and old stray dog which used to sit outside the home of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) followed the disciple. The disciple presented the cow to Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) who in turn signalled the lion to commence feeding. As the lion ran towards the cow, this stray dog pounced on the lion. It caught the lion by its throat and killed the lion by tearing open its stomach. The dog then dragged the lion and threw it before al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a)
On seeing this, Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) was very embarrassed. He humbled himself before the great Ghawth and asked for forgiveness for his arrogant behaviour. This incident shows the strength of a dog that only sat outside the stoop of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) This was due to its Nisbat to the blessed stoop of the great Saint. It also proves that even animals recognise and are loyal to the the Awliya Allah. A’la Hazrat, Sheikh Imam Ahmed Raza al-Qaadiri (r.a) portrays the above-mentioned incident in one of his poetic stanzas. He says: “Kya Dab’be Jis Pe Himayat Ka Ho Panja Tera, Sher Ko Khatre me Laata, Nahi Kut’ta Tera
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Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani
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Jehovah, the Christian name for God derived from the Hebrew Yahweh, (from the letters YHWH), is translated as "I AM." YOU ARE the essence of life—the Cosmic Consciousness that creates, lives in, and destroys all things. In Buddhism, your true nature is referred to as your “Buddha Nature.” Muslims refer to it as Allah, Native tribes have often called it the Great Spirit, Taoists refer to it as the Tao, and numerous other cultures throughout history have all created their own distinctive names for it. But the one eternal reality that these cultures point to remains the same—and this reality is YOU.
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Joseph P. Kauffman (The Answer Is YOU: A Guide to Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Freedom)
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Jesus did not pay the penalty for our misdeeds so we can continue disobeying God with abandon; rather, in dying on the cross, Jesus not only canceled our spiritual debt but also cured our spiritual disease. When we put our trust in Christ, He forgives our sins and also begins the work of changing us from the inside to become holy and loving like Him, and like God our Father. Jesus does this through the Holy Spirit, whom He sent. Salvation by grace does not mean we stay impure sinners forever. Rather, it means that God forgives all our sins and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves by paying the penalty for our sins and working to eliminate sin from our lives. He does this in two stages: while we are mortal, the Holy Spirit changes our hearts so that we begin to live in a way that is more pleasing to God, even though we still commit sin; and then in the resurrection at the end of history, we will be made morally and spiritually perfect beings.
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Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity)
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Allah is the only One you need to please. —the path to peace When God gives us more than we think we can handle He is calling us to rely on Him in a deeper way. —the hidden mercy of pain When God heals you, don’t go back to the person that hurt you. When God frees you, don’t go back to the prisons that enslaved you. When God awakens you with His light, don’t go back to the darkness that kept you asleep. When God speaks to you, don’t go back to listening to your ego. When God welcomes you, don’t go back to the spaces your spirit never belonged in. When God forgives you, don’t go back to the same sins. When God says you are priceless, don’t go back to thinking you are not good enough.
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A. Helwa (From Darkness Into Light (Studying Qur'an & Hadith Book 4))
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son who has stolen from his father’s business. If after wasting the goods, the son returns to the father and sincerely seeks forgiveness, it is within the father’s right to forgive him. But not all would be settled yet; the accounts haven’t been balanced. Someone has to take the hit for the stolen goods. If the father wants, he has every right to pay for his son’s debt from his own account.
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Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity)
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On my best days, Allah give me gratitude. On my worst days, Allah give me patience. When I am blessed, Allah make me generous. When I am wronged, Allah make me forgiving. When I am struggling, Allah make me persevere. When I am anxious, Allah give me peace. When I am heartbroken, Allah heal me. When I sin, Allah forgive me. When I am lost, Allah give me guidance. When I am in darkness, Allah give me light. When I see others sin, Allah protect me from the eyes of judgment. No matter what I face, Allah make it a means for turning my heart toward Your names.
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A. Helwa (From Darkness Into Light (Studying Qur'an & Hadith Book 4))
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WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF ME
They thought I’m perfect but the truth was not. Because I’m also sinner who seeking forgiveness from Allah. I make mistake and commit sin in private that You never seen and know except me and Allah. So don’t admire me, instead make dua for me that may Allah forgive me.
They thought I don’t have problem in my life but the truth was not. Because I have big problems and my trials in life are difficult. I just don’t share and tell to others that I have problem, instead I share to Allah and asked for help because “No one besides Allah can rescue a soul from hardship.”
They thought I’m happy person but the truth was not. Because behind my smile there is a hidden pain which they can’t see. Behind my smile there is an untold story of sabr. I smile in front of people, especially to my loved ones. I hide my sadness by smiling in front of people.
They thought I’m strong person but the truth was not. Because my heart are soft, I’m weak person, I’m crying secretly when I’m hurt. I’m crying in sujood, crying to Allah and ask to heal my brokenheart. I don’t want to people seen my weakness. I don’t want people to see that I’m weak person.
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Salim Matoussi
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You know, Rukhsana, I thought I was being a good Muslim, stopping you from committing a grave sin. But that night, I realized I was the real sinner. In the eyes of Allah, I was doing wrong. To hate someone because of who they love—that is the worst thing I could do as a Muslim, as a human being, but mostly as a mother. When we found out that Sohail was killed because he was gay, I knew that Allah would never want that for anyone. And I knew that I still had the chance to make things right but it breaks my heart every day to know that it took Sohail's death to open my eyes. For that, I will never forgive myself.
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Sabina Khan (The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali)
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SECTION 2: Establishment of Truth needed Sacrifices 10 O you who believe, shall I lead you to a merchandise which will deliver you from a painful chastisement? 11 You should believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive hard in Allah’s way with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, did you but know! 12 He will forgive you your sins and cause you to enter Gardens wherein rivers flow, and goodly dwellings in Gardens of perpetuity — that is the mighty achievement — 13 And yet another (blessing) that you love: help from Allah and a victory near at hand; and give good news to the believers.a 13a. The
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Anonymous (Holy Quran)
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The treaty at al Hudaybiya established Islam’s attitudes about treaties to this day. Islam makes a treaty, if and only if, it is in a losing position. The treaty is good only as long as it is weak. When Islam is strong, jihad will start again. Koran 47:33 Believers! Obey Allah and the messenger, and do not let your effort be in vain. Those who do not believe and who prevent others from following Allah’s path and then die as Kafirs will not receive Allah’s forgiveness. Therefore, do not be weak and offer the Kafirs peace when you have the upper hand, for Allah is with you and will not begrudge you the reward of your deeds.
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Bill Warner (A Self Study Course on Political Islam, Level 2)
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Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.
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Qur'an 48:29
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I was sitting with Abu Darda' in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: Abu Darda, I have come to you from the town of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I have come for no other purpose. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.
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Kathir ibn Qays
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Then the matter is as we have confirmed. So know that you are imagination and that which
you perceive and of which you say, "It is not me" is also imagination. All of existence is
imagination within imagination. True existence is Allah, the Real, in particular in respect to
essence and source, not in respect to His Names, because the Names have two meanings. One
meaning is His source which is the same as the "Named", and the other meaning is what it
indicates and that by which the Name is separate from this other Name, and so distinct. The
Ever-Forgiving is separate from the Manifest and the Hidden, and the First is distinct from
the Last. Thus it is clear to you that each Name is the same as the other Name, and yet it is
not the other Name. Inasmuch as the Name is the same, it is the Real, and inasmuch as it is
not it, it is the imaginary Real which we discussed.
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Ibn ʿArabi (The Bezels of Wisdom)
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Don`t let your sins silence your heart from calling out to your lord
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Islamic teachings
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Narrated 'Aishah:
that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Avert the legal penalties from the Muslims as much as possible, if he has a way out then leave him to his way, for if the Imam makes a mistake in forgiving it would be better than making mistake in punishment.
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Muhammad al-Tirmidhi
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You’ve been tested.’ He advised me to try and ‘forgive and pardon, and this way seek to become beloved by God’ without my forgiveness being tied to the one who wronged me. ‘This is the Divine remedy,’ he emphasised, ‘remind your ego when it resists. Don’t you love for God to forgive you on the day, too?’
Reflecting on what the Shaykh said, his advice undid a knot in my heart and I resolved to work on my forgiveness purely for the sake of God. The Shaykh also recommended: ‘Be careful about what you pray for in the future.’ He promised to pray for me personally, asking God to send me a Muslim husband who would value and cherish me for who I am. Insha’ Allah!
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Kristiane Backer (From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life)
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.....the discourse of the Qur’an-e-Sharif, rich in parable and allegory, metaphor and symbol, has been an inexhaustible well-spring of inspiration, lending itself to a wide spectrum of interpretations. This freedom of interpretation is a generosity which the Qur'an confers upon all believers, uniting them in the conviction that All-Merciful Allah will forgive them if they err in their sincere attempts to understand His word. Happily, as a result, the Holy Book continues to guide and illuminate the thought and conduct of Muslims belonging to different communities of interpretation and spiritual affiliation, from century to century, in diverse cultural environments. The Noble Qur’an extends its principle of pluralism also to adherents of other faiths. It affirms that each has a direction and path to which they turn so that all should strive for good works, in the belief that, wheresoever they may be, Allah will bring them together.
- His Highness the Aga Khan, The Ismaili Center London, October 19, 2003
‘Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur’an and its Creative Expressions’
An International Colloquium organised by Institute of Ismaili Studies
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Aga Khan IV
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It was not until Christians were a thousand years removed from Jesus that they believed holy war could purge sin, whereas Muhammad himself taught Muslims that fighting in jihad can forgive sin, and indeed is the best thing in the world.
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Nabeel Qureshi (No God but One: Allah or Jesus?: A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity)
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Tawba is not about our sins as much as it is about Allah’s forgiveness. When we seek refuge in Allah’s mercy we are turning from our human qualities towards His divine attributes. Whether we wrong ourselves or others wrong us, tawba is the vehicle that turns us from our pain, blame and disappointment back toward Allah, who is the source of all hope, mercy, and peace.
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A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love Journal: Insightful Reflections that Inspire Hope and Revive Faith)
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285. The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as did the believers. They all have believed in Allah, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord. To you is the destiny.
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Talal Itani (Quran: English Translation. Clear, Pure, Easy to Read, in Modern English.)
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Abdu’l-‘Aziz ibn Abu Rawwad said, ‘Allah inspired Dawud (‘alayhis-salam) saying, “Dawud, give glad tidings to the sinners and warn those who give in charity.” Surprised, Dawud said, “My Lord, why should I give glad tidings to the sinners and warn those who give in charity?” He replied, “Give glad tidings to the sinners that there is no sin that I find too grievous to forgive (even shirk if one repents from it) and warn those who give in charity that there is no servant upon whom I mete My justice and judgment except that he is destroyed.”’ [Abu Nu‘aym, vol. 8, p. 211 #11906]
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ابن رجب الحنبلي (The Journey to Allah)
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Allah tests people in the world to distinguish the ones who believe in Him from those who don’t, and to determine which of the believers are best in their behaviour. Therefore, it is not enough for an individual to say “I believe”. As long as one lives, his faith and devotion to Allah, his perseverance in religion, in short, his steadfastness in being a servant of Allah are tested in specially created conditions and environments. Allah states this truth in the following verse: He created death and life to test which of you acquitted himself best. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)
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Harun Yahya (Understanding Islam - Quick Grasp of Faith)
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Allah does not always open Its Jamal. The Murid's assignment is to unite the Jalal and the Jamal. These two are projected from, and absorbed back into, the black nothingness called Allah's Kamal - a state of invisible, neuter, annihilation. Jalal is Allah's power, force and strength. It often manifests as trials and tests for the Murid. Jamal is Allah's sweetness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. Kamal is the whispered breath of nonexistence.
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Laurence Galian (The Sun at Midnight: The Revealed Mysteries of the Ahlul Bayt Sufis)
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European converts to Islam were more vulnerable to extremist groups because many lacked this lifelong socialization. Many came from deprived social backgrounds and were primed to be drawn to aggressive, militant strains of anything, from local gangs to local extremist ideologues. They were quick to subsume their personal grudges against family and society into transnational political grudges against the West. Cuspert fell readily into the arms of shadowy German jihadist figures who promised that extreme stance.
In fact, Cuspert didn't convert to Islam so much as initiate himself straight into a radical Islamist group called The True Religion. It was as though he had pressed a button and changed the aesthetic theme of the WordPress site of his life from gangsta to mujahid; the chaotic structure and violent impulses were all the same, but were now overlaid with Islamist imagery and themes. Suddenly causes like Iraq, Chechnya, and Afghanistan mattered to him deeply, and Germans, Westerners, and a broad swath of humanity became "unbelievers" who were complicit in Muslim suffering.
His old friends on the Berlin rap scene were devastated, and furious. They were from "good enough" Muslim families and were adept at living and rapping about the painful contradictions. They didn't turn to violence. They all knew where the lines were. His record producer later complained bitterly about Cuspert's betrayal: "He disgraced everyone, all of the Muslim MCs. He ruined the community. May Allah forgive him. But we don't.
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Azadeh Moaveni (Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS)
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3:157 And if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die – then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world]. 3:158 And whether you die or are killed, unto Allah you will be gathered.
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Saheeh International (The Quran: English Meanings and Notes)
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3:131 And fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the disbelievers. 3:132 And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy. 3:133 And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous
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Saheeh International (The Quran: English Meanings and Notes)
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Not everyone - to say the least - seeks communion, dialogue with God; most of those who turn towards the heavens in prayer do so from desire or from fear, and those who do so from fear are in search of forgiveness. We are told that God does not greatly care about the motive so long as people do turn to Him and thereby establish the essential link. This is brought out in an astonishing hadith which might have been considered doubtful had it not been recorded by one of the most highly respected of mutahadithun: ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, had you not sinned Allah would have removed you and brought a people who sin, then ask for Allah’s forgiveness and are forgiven.’ According to a hadith qudsi, ‘Allah has said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you what you have done and I shall not care. O son of Adam, though your sins reached the clouds in the sky, if you were then to ask for My forgiveness I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins almost as great as the earth [itself] and then face Me, ascribing to Me to “partner”, I would bring you forgiveness in like measure.
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Charles Le Gai Eaton (Islam and the Destiny of Man)
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Qur'an 5:30-35: "The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones. Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets- On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter; Except for those who repent before they fall into your power: in that case, know that Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in his cause: that ye may prosper.
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Peter Townsend (Questioning Islam: Tough Questions & Honest Answers About the Muslim Religion)
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Astaghfirullah al-Azeem al-lazi la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum wa atubu ilaih, which translates to “I seek forgiveness from Allah, The Mighty, whom there is none worthy of worship except Him, The Living, The Eternal, and I turn to Him in repentance.
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A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam (Studying Qur'an & Hadith Book 2))