Episode 16 - Correcting Past Mistakes

With the Quran, so that the soul may find tranquility through faith, and recite it with devotion, and with it, you will be showered with the bounty of pleasure and the clouds of forgiveness.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.

Introduction: Responding to the Quran and Rectifying Mistakes

Dear brothers, in the previous episodes, we said that if we want to be affected by the Quran as the Companions were, we must make the decision to respond quickly and actively to the command of Allah the Almighty in His noble Book. Then we saw great examples of the Companions' quick response to the verses of the Quran.

Does this mean that the Companions never made any mistakes? No, of course not, for every child of Adam is prone to error, but the best of those who err are those who repent. They would repent from their mistakes and not persist in them, so their traces would be erased from their hearts.

We need to remember this as we continue to commit sins, for the heart changes gradually without us noticing.

Rectifying the Mistake After the Battle of Uhud

It is true that many of the Companions fled on the day of the Battle of Uhud when the polytheists gained the upper hand and many Muslims were killed, and this fleeing was a sin. But look at their eagerness to rectify the mistake and erase the evil deeds.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, knew that the polytheists were planning to finish off the Muslims after the Battle of Uhud, and the Companions were exhausted and wounded. So the muezzin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, called for them to go out and confront the enemy.

How did the Companions respond while they were wounded? Al-Tabari narrated that two brothers from Banu Abd al-Ashhal had returned wounded from the Battle of Uhud. When the muezzin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, called for them to go out in pursuit of the enemy, one of them said to his brother, "Will you miss a raid with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?"

So they went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, on foot, and they had no mount to ride, and they were both wounded. One of them was less wounded than the other, so he would carry his brother whenever he was about to fall from exhaustion until they reached Hamra' al-Asad, which is about 13 kilometers from the city.

Imagine walking this distance with these wounds in the hot desert! So the Muslims stayed at Hamra' al-Asad for three days, and the polytheists dared not fight them. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the Muslims with him returned to the city.

A great stance from the Companions with which they washed away the mistake of fleeing on the day of Uhud. So Allah the Almighty praised them, saying: "Those who responded to Allah and the Messenger after wounding had befallen them - of those who did good among them and feared - a great reward. Those to whom the people said, 'Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But it only increased them in faith and they said, 'Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.' So they returned with a bounty from Allah and favor, and no harm touched them. And they followed the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty."

Conclusion: Seizing Opportunities to Expiate Sins

Therefore, dear brothers, let us strive not to persist in sin. Allah, in His mercy, gives us opportunities to expiate our sins, so let us seize them so that our records may remain clean.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.