The second rank with the near fruits: seeking Allâh's Forgiveness by the heart

The second rank with the near fruits: seeking Allâh's Forgiveness by the heart

 

It is very effective in purifying the hearts from its impurities, very beneficial, and highly rewarded from Allâh. By it, Allâh removes the troubles and glooms, sends His Mercies and Blessings, and turns away the evils.

  

The third rank with the perfect virtues: seeking Allâh's Forgiveness by the heart and tongue: It reforms the body and the heart, and it is the source of success and good things. Nay, it is the best benefit and the collection of blessings. By it forgiveness and mercies descend, the reward for good deeds is doubled, the bad deeds are expiated, the ranks are raised, and the deeds are blessed. It is the origin of happiness. By it the hearts are refined, complete purification of the sins occur, and calamities are pushed away from all creatures.[1]

 

The virtue of seeking Allâh's Forgiveness:

Allâh, the Exalted, said:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ }آل عمران135

“And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.” (Aal-'Imran: 135)

         Alqamah and Al-Aswad reported: Abd Allâh bin Mas’ud (May Allâh be pleased with him) said : "There is no slave who commits a sin then recites the following two verses, and asks Forgiveness of Allâh but Allâh, the Exalted, will forgive him.

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ .....}آل عمران135

"And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know."(Aal-'Imran: 135)

 

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّهَ يَجِدِ اللّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً }النساء110

“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allâh's Forgiveness, he will find Allâh Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful."(An-Nisa': 110)"

And Allâh, the Exalted, said:

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّاباً }النصر3

“So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask for His Forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and forgives." (An-Nasr: 3)

And Allâh, the Exalted, said:

الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُنفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالأَسْحَارِ }آل عمران17

"(They are) those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), those who are obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allâh, those who spend [give the Zakât and alms in the Way of Allâh] and those who pray and beg Allâh's Pardon in the last hours of the night."(Aal-'Imran: 17)

And the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) used to say:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي         

“I honor Allâh from all what (unsuitable things) is ascribed to Him. O Allâh Our Lord! And all the praises are for You. O Allâh! Forgive me.”[1]

And it was reported that he (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

مَنْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا وَمِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقٍ مَخْرَجًا وَرَزَقَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

"If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allâh), Allâh will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.”[2]

And he (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

إِنِّي لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً

“I supplicate Allâh for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance a seventy times in a day.”[3]

He said that though his sins of the past and the future have been forgiven, and he (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ

“Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allâh for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.”[4]

And he (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

مَنْ قَالَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيَّ الْقَيُّومَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ غُفِرَ لَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ قَدْ فَرَّ مِنْ الزَّحْفِ

"He who says: ` (I seek the forgiveness of Allâh, there is no true god except Allâh, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance),' his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allâh).”[5]

 

                And Aishah (May Allâh be pleased with her) said: the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said to me: "If you have committed a sin, ask Forgiveness of Allâh, and repent to Him, as the repentace is the remorse and asking Forgiveness of Allâh."

 

And the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) used to say for asking Forgiveness of Allâh:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطِيئَتِي وَجَهْلِي وَإِسْرَافِي فِي أَمْرِي وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي هَزْلِي وَجدي وَخَطَئيَ وَعَمْدِي وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ أَنْتَ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“O Allâh! Forgive my errors, ignorance and immoderation in my affairs. You are better aware of my faults than myself. O Allâh! Forgive my faults which I committed in seriousness or in fun, deliberately or inadvertently, and all of that has occured. O Allâh! Forgive my former and latter sins, which I have done secretly and those which I have done openly, and that I have wronged others, and those defaults of mine about which You have better knowledge than I have. You Alone can send whomever You will to Paradise, and You Alone can send whomever You will to Hell-fire. None has the right to be worshipped but You.”[6]

Ali (May Allâh be pleased with him) said: Abu Bakar (May Allâh be pleased with him) said: the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

ما من عبد يذنب ذنبا فيحسن الطهور ثم يقوم فيصلي ركعتين ثم يستغفر الله إلا غفر الله له

"There is no man who commits a sin then purifies himself perfectly (performs ablution), then asks for the Forgiveness of Allâh but Allâh will forgive him." Then the Prophet recited this verse:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ }آل عمران135

“And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.” (Aal-'Imran: 135)”[7] 

                And Abu Hurairah said: the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ كَانَتْ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فَإِنْ تَابَ وَنَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ صُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ وَإِنْ زَادَ زَادَتْ حَتَّى يَعْلُوَ قَلْبَهُ ذَاكَ الرَّيْنُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي الْقُرْآنِ":  كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ"

“If the believer sins, there will be a black spot in his heart, if he repents and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be refined, and if he insists, it will increase until it covers his heart. That is the rust (Ar- Rân) which Allâh, the Almighty, mentioned in the Qur'an:

"Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn."(Al-Mutaffifin: 14)[8]

                And Abu Hurairah said: the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجَةَ لِلْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَنَّى لِي هَذِهِ فَيَقُولُ بِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَلَدِكَ لَكَ

“Surely, Allâh, the Exalted, raises the grade of the rightous slave in  Paradise, so he says: O my Lord! How could I reach this grade? Allâh, the Exalted, says: By seeking your child forgiveness for you. "

And the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

 “If a slave commits a sin then he says :( O Allâh, forgive my sin), Allâh says :( My slave committed a sin and then he realized that he has a Lord Who forgives the sin and punishes for the sin. O My slave do whatever you like, as I have granted forgiveness to you.”[9]

 

                And the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا عِبَادِي يا عبادي إنكم تخطئون بالليل والنهار وأنا أغفر الذنوب جميعا فاستغفروني أغفر لكم

"Allâh, the Exalted, and Glorious, said: “O My slaves! You commit sins night and day and I forgive all sins, so seek My Forgiveness and I shall forgive you.”[10]

 

 

                And Abu Hurairah said: the Prophet (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) said:

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ

“By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allâh would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allâh; and Allâh will

certainly forgive them.”[11]

 

 

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Collected and prepared by:

DR. Faisal bin Mash’al bin Sa’ud bin Abdul Aziz al Sa’ud

Translated by: Abu Anas Sami bin Emarah.