بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسوله ومن استن بسنته وبعد
In the name of God, praise be to God, and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and those who established His Sunnah and beyond
Importance of Forgiveness
There are number of ways to make Istigfaar.. to seek forgiveness from Allah and the easiest one is to say AsagFiruAllah.
A man once came to al-Hasan al-Basri RA and complained to him: “The sky does not shower us with rain.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness (i.e. say أستغفر ألله).”
Then another person came to him and said, “I complain of poverty.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness.”
Then another person came to him and complained, “My wife is barren; she cannot bear children.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness.”
The people who were present, said to the Imam al-Hasan: “Every time a person came to you complaining, you instructed them to seek Allah’s forgiveness?”
Al-Hasan al-Basri RA said, “Have you not read the statement of Allah?
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا
Allah SWT says that the Prophet Nuh AS told his people ‘I said “Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; increase you in wealth and children; grant you gardens and bestow on you rivers.”‘” [Nuh (71):10-12]
D B/S, There are two things in the earth that give a person safety and security from the punishment of Allah. The first has been removed, whilst the second still remains.
As for the first, it was the Messenger of Allah (صلي ألله عليه و سلم). “Allah would not punish them while you were among them.” [al-Anfal (8):33] As for the second, it is istighfar. “Allah would not punish them as long as they sought forgiveness.”
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
[al-Anfal (8):33] so say..] أستغفر ألله… أستغفر ألله… أستغفر ألله…
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “If anyone continually asks forgiveness, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, relief from anxiety, and will provide for him from where he never realized.” [Abu Dawood, Hadith 599]
So, let us all learn and practice this beautiful Duaa – supplication together.
استغفر الله العظيم الذي لاإله إلا هو الحي القيوم واتوب اليه
I ask forgiveness from Almighty Allah, The Great, besides Whom, none deserves to be worshiped except He, The Ever Living, The Maintainer of (everything), and I repent to Him.