وَاسْتَفْرِغِ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنٍ قَـدِ امْتَلأَتْ      مِنَ الْمَحَـارِمِ وَالْزَمْ حِمْيَـةَ النَّـدَمِ

23/11. And shed tears from (those) eyes which have become full of forbidden sights and make it an obligatory (duty upon yourself) to hold firm onto the diet of sorrow.

In the stanzas before this, it was mentioned that we should save ourselves from sins. However, what is the solution for those sins committed before? In this stanza, the poet states that the cure
is repentance

Since the eye is the cause for many sins, it has been specially mentioned. A poet states,

كل الحوادث مبداها من النظر  و معظم النار من مستصغر الشرر

كم نظرة فتكت في قلب صاحبها  فتك السهام بلا قوس و لا وتر

يسر مقلته ما ضر خاطره  لا مرحبا بسرور جاء بالكدر

The starting point of all events is from the eye. Most fires commence from small sparks. How many gazes struck the heart, just as arrows strike without any bow or string?

That which harms the internal causes pleasure to the eyes. There is no welcome for such happiness which arrives with emotional distress.

According to the Sufis, looking at anyone besides the beloved is included in forbidden sights. Therefore, he is commanding himself to shed tears of sorrow for having looked at anyone besides the beloved.

For one’s repentance to be accepted, there are four conditions:

1. To be grief-stricken over one’s past sins 

2. To leave the sin immediately  

3. To make a firm intention not to commit the sin in future.

4. To fulfil outstanding rights of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo (missed salaahs, fasting, zakaah, etc) and of fellow human beings (debts, etc.)

The poet has only mentioned sorrow here, as this is the initial as well as the main point. Once a person is sorrowful, he will fulfil the remaining conditions. For this reason, Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,

النَّدَمُ تَوْبَةٌ

Sorrow is repentance. (Ibn Majah no. 4252)

The reality of tawbah will become apparent to the person who has attained three types of purity:

1.) Outward purity – This refers to purity of the body, clothing and food. They should be physically pure and completely halaal.

2.) Purity from sins committed by the five senses

3.) Purity from evil characteristics of the heart like stinginess, jealousy, hatred, pride, vanity, etc.

When a person reaches this level, then the reality of a sincere tawbah (tawbatun nasuh) will become apparent to him.

VIRTUES OF CRYING BEFORE ALLAAH JALLA JALAALAHOO

Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo loves the person who cries over his sins, due to the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo. Many Ahaadeeth mention the virtues of crying over one’s sins. Some will be mentioned hereunder:

1.) Abu Hurayrah RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that the Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“A person who cries out of the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo will not enter the Hell-fire till milk returns to the udders. Dust in the cause of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo and the smoke of the Hell-fire can never meet (in the nostrils of a Muslim).” (Tirmidhi no. 2311/1633)

2.) Anas ibn Maalik RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“Whoever remembers Allaah, and his tears flow due to the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo until they fall to the ground, Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo will not punish him on the Day of Judgement.” (Haakim vol. 4 page 317 no. 7668) 
Ali RadhiAllaahu Anhu said, “When anyone of you cries due to the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, then he should not wipe his tears with a piece of cloth. 
He should leave it to flow onto his cheeks. He will meet Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo in this condition.” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 787)

3.) Ibn Abbaas RadhiAllaahu Anhu said that he heard Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam saying,
“The Fire will not touch two eyes; an eye which cried due to the fear of Allaah, and an eye which spent the night awake guarding in the path of Allaah.” (Tirmidhi no. 1639 )

4.) Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“Whenever due to the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo tears emerge from the eyes of a believer, even though they are equal in size to that of a fly, and then touches a portion of the face, Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo will make the fire of Jahannam prohibited for that servant of His.” (Ibn Majah no. 4197)

Muhammad Ibn Munkadir Rahimahullaah used to rub his tears over his face and beard. He used to say,
“This narration has been conveyed to me that the fire of Jahannam will not touch the area where these tears have reached.” (Al-Mujaalasatu Wa Jawaahirul-llm no. 410)

5.) Abu Umaamah RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“There is no drop more beloved in the sight of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo than two drops: the tear drop which emerges due to the fear of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo and the drop of blood which falls in the path of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo.” (Tirmidhi no. 1669)

6.) Anas RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“……because verily Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo says, “By My honour, status and lofty rank, no servant cries in this world due to My fear except that I will increase his laughter with me in Paradise.” (Shuabul-Imaan of Bayhaqi no. 778)

7.) Uqbah Ibn Amir RadhiAllaahu Anhu says,
“I met Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam and enquired,
“What is the path of salvation?”
Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam replied, “Protect your tongue, do not emerge from your house unnecessarily and cry over your sins.” (Tirmidhi no. 2406)

8.) Muslim ibn Yasaar RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“If any person cries in any nation, mercy will be showered upon them. Every single thing has a limit but tears. By means of them, oceans of the fire will be extinguished.” (Shuabul-Imaan of Bayhaqi no.790)

9.) The angels make the following duaa,

اللهُمَّ شَفِّعِ الْبَكَّائِينَ فِيمَنْ لَمْ يَبْكِ

O Allaah! Accept the intercession of those who are crying on behalf of those who do not cry.” (Shuabul-Imaan no.789)

10.) Abu Hurayrah RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam said,
“There are seven people to whom Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo will provide shade beneath His shade on a day when there will be no shade except the shade provided by Him. They are: …….. (7) a person who engages in the remembrance of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo in solitude, and so his eyes shed tears.” (Bukhaari no.660/1423, Muslim no. 1031)

11.) Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo said to Moosa Alayhis Salaam,
“O Moosa…There is no worship equal to crying due to fear for Me.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer of Tabaraani no. 12650)

THE DUAA OF RASULULLAAH SALALLAAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM FOR THE EYES WHICH TEAR

Abdullah Ibn Umar RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullaah SalAllaahu Alayhi Wasallam used to make the following supplication,

اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي عَيْنَيْنِ هَطَّالَتَيْنِ تبْكِيَانِ بذُرُوفِ الدُّمُوعِ، وَتَشْفِيَانِي مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الدُّمُوعُ دَمًا، وَالْأَضْرَاسُ جَمْرًا

“O Allaah! Grant me two eyes which will cry in abundance due to Your fear, which will grant cure to the eyes by the coming down of tears due to Your awe, before the tears turn into blood (due to the punishment of Jahannam) and the jaws become coals.
(Hilyatul-Awliyaa page 196 vol. 2 – Allaamah Iraaqi Rahimahullaah states that the sanad is hasan (sound.))

Maulana Nanotwi Rahimahullaah used to say
“For the sake of the royal treasury of a country, whichever pearl is sought from a foreign country is greatly  appreciated and valued by even the king.”
The tear of repentance which falls to the ground from the eyes of sinners is accepted in the divine court of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo because in His divine court there is only honour and greatness. There are no tears of sorrow there.
Therefore, Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo takes His servants’ tears of sorrow from this world, grants great value to it and accepts it. He equates it to the blood of the martyrs.” 
(Kashkol-Ma’rifat)

To be Continued In Sha Allaah

مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَداً  عَلىٰ حَبِيْبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِم

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