1982-August-13

A.M. Journal

Muhammad Speaks

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

QUESTION: How does one gain respect, dignity and freedom to enjoy a full, rich life after sincerely repenting? — Saginaw, Mich.

IMAM: True repentance opens the door to Allah's mercy no matter what kind of crime you commit — no matter how bad the crime was, if a person truly repents.

According to our religion, according to the Quran, there is only one thing that Allah does not forgive and that is the willful corruption of the idea of worship. That is the only thing that He does not forgive; anything short of that He forgives.

Allah even forgives people who are innocently worshiping Him as He should not be worshiped, once they turn to Him with true repentance.

True repentance opens the door for the mercy of Allah, while one who has repented may still be crippled in society by labels. For example, if one who has been convicted in the courts truly repents, he will return to the society perhaps innocent in the eyes of Allah, but in the society he is still labeled an offender of the law. He is called an ex-convict and he has to live with that record.

We just cannot expect to have everything made to suit us, because we live in a society that punishes us for offenses against society. We have to carry that burden of being an ex-con, of having a criminal record. Sometimes we just cannot establish a new life and be completely free of the past record.

We must understand that with Allah, we are completely free, if we have sincerely repented. I would say that that person should just trust Allah, and try to live a free, upright, fruitful and productive life, and accept that the world is not Allah, so the world may put obstacles in the way of the individual such as the label — ex-convict, ex-offender. This is what we have to live with. This is part of the burden.

Allah will reward that person even more if he still lives a good, Muslim life in spite of the labels that the situation in the world forces him to carry.