Huzur delivered his Friday Sermon on the subject of covering faults of others.

 

Among the names of Allah, Sattar is one. It is that Being Who is hidden and concealed and Who covers others’ weaknesses and failings and also likes the act of covering up faults. Ahadith expound that Allah likes covering of failings and modesty and covers man’s weaknesses and mistakes. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Be on him) said that in the Hereafter sheltering man with His mercy God will ask man if he did such and such deed. Man will confess that yes, he did. God will say I covered your fault on that day and I cover your fault again. This is the Loving God Who forgives and covers weaknesses.

 

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that there is no concept of this trait of God in other religions, otherwise there would have been no theory of atonement in Christianity. Only Islam presents the concept of God being a Coverer of faults. However, this certainly does not signify that because God likes to cover failings and forgives, people should become uncontrolled and have no notion of right and wrong since forgiveness is assured. A Hadith informs us that God covers up a believer in countless covers. Each time a believer commits a sin, a covers is torn until there remains no cover. This is when God says to His angels to cover His servant with their wings. If the believer repents upon being covered by the angels, Allah restores the covers; in fact He restores them nine-fold. However, if the believer does not repent God tells the angels to abandon him. This is when all the failings and sins of the person are made apparent. Huzur said each believer should always strive to be one who repents, seeks God’s forgiveness and thus attain a measure of God’s trait of being Sattar. Read full summary.