Al-Istighfaar: Its meaning and its importance

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

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Meaning:

Al-Istighfaar means that the slave is asking Allaah جل وعلا to forgive and remove his sins, and to cover his faults, shortcomings, and mistakes.

Importance:

Allaah تعالى mentioned the incident of Nooh عليه السلام when said to his people:

﴿فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاء عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا﴾

{I (Nooh) said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.}

📚 [Surah an-Nooh (71): 10-12]

And Hood عليه السلام had said to his people:

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاء عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَى قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّوْاْ مُجْرِمِينَ﴾

{O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as criminals (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah)}

📚 [Surah Hood (11): 52]

Imaam al-Qurtoobee رحمه الله said:

The words “{I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord}” means: ask Him for forgiveness of your previous sins with sincerity of faith.

{Verily, He is Oft‑Forgiving} means: He forgives everyone who turns to Him; this is for encouraging us to repent.

{He will send rain to you in abundance} means: He will send a great deal of rain to you.

{And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers}

Qataadah said: The Prophet of Allaah (Nooh) عليه السلام understood that the people are more inclined towards the Dunya (worldly life), so he said: “Come towards the obedience of Allaah, for in the obedience of Allaah there is success in this world and the Hereafter.”

Al-Sha`bee said: `Umar went out to pray for rain and he did no more than pray for forgiveness until he came back, then it rained. They said: “We did not see you ask for rain.” He said: “I sought rain with the real key by means of which rain is sought.” Then he recited: {Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft‑Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance.}

A man complained to al-Hasan (al-Basree) about a drought, and he said to him: “Pray to Allaah for forgiveness.” Another man complained to him of poverty and he said to him: “Pray to Allaah for forgiveness.” Another man said to him: “Pray to Allaah to bless me with a child.” He said: “Pray to Allaah for forgiveness.” Another complained to him that his garden was dry. He said to him: “Pray to Allaah for forgiveness.” We asked him about that and he said: “This is not my personal opinion, for Allaah says in Surah Nooh: {Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft‑Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance. And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers}”

📚 [Tafseer al-Qurtoobee (18/301-302)]

Al-Istighfaar: the Obligation after an Obligation

After completing the prayers and other acts of righteousness one is encouraged to seek Allaah’s forgiveness, as the Prophet ﷺ used to do after the obligatory prayers. A person will have some shortcomings while carrying out the duties, so seeking Istighfaar helps in removing or covering up for those shortcomings.

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

{Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask Allaah for forgiveness. Indeed, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving and Most-Merciful}

📚 [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 199]

Shaikh al-Sa`dee رحمه الله said:

“Allaah تعالى commands the one who has completed the rituals of Hajj (like stoning, slaughtering etc.), to seek His forgiveness (Istighfaar) and to do a lot of Dhikr (Remembrance). Seeking forgiveness is for the shortcomings and the negligence which happened while the slave (of Allaah) carried out the acts of worship, and Remembering Allaah is for Thanking Allaah for His blessings upon him by accommodating him in carrying out these duties and for His vast favors.

It behooves the slave, that whenever he completes the acts of worship (like the Salaah), he should seek Allaah’s forgiveness for his shortcomings and thank Him for His assistance in carrying out the duties. Don’t be like the one who thinks that he has completed his duties (flawlessly) and regards it as doing a favor to Allaah and who thinks highly about himself. This one deserves to be detested and have his deeds rejected - unlike the first one - who deserves to (have his deeds) accepted and assisted in doing more good deeds.”

📚 [Tafseer al-Sa`dee (1/92)]

Some of the Ahaadeeth on the wording for forgiveness:

With regard to the wording of prayers for forgiveness, it is better to use the words narrated in the Saheeh Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ, which he either said himself or enjoined the Ummah to say:

(i) Thauban رضي الله عنه reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ finished his prayer he would beg forgiveness from Allaah thrice and then would recite:

اللهم أنت السلام ومنك السلام تباركت يا ذا الجلال والإكرام

❝Allahumma Antas-Salaam, wa minkas-salaam, tabaarakta yaa Dhal-Jalaali wal-Ikraam

(O Allaah, You are the Grantor of security, and security comes from You. You are Blessing, O You Who have majesty and nobility)!❞

(Imam) Al-Awza'i, one of the narrators of this Hadith, was asked: "How forgiveness is to be sought?" He answered: “The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ used to say:

أستغفر الله أستغفر الله

❝Astaghfirullaah! Astaghfirullaah! (I beseech Allaah for forgiveness, I beseech Allaah for forgiveness)❞.”

📚 [Saheeh Muslim]

(ii) It was narrated from Shaddaad Ibn Aws رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The best prayer for forgiveness is to say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

Allaahumma anta Rabbiy laa ilaaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduka wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’dika ma astata’tu, a’oodhu bika min sharri ma sana’tu aboo’u laka bi ni’matika ‘alayya wa aboo’u laka bi dhanbi, faghfir li fa innahu laa yaghfir ul-dhunooba illa anta

(O Allaah, You are my Lord and I am Your slave, You have created me and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise (to You) as much as I am able. I seek refuge with You from the evil of that which I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me and I confess to You my sin. Forgive me for there is no one who forgives sin except You).❞

He ﷺ said: ❝Whoever says this during the day believing in it with certainty and dies that day before evening comes, will be one of the people of Paradise, and whoever says it at night believing in it with certainty and dies before morning comes will be one of the people of Paradise.❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6306, 6323)]

(iii) It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash`aree رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite the following Du`aa:

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

❝Rabb ighfir li khati’ati wa jahli wa israafi fi amri kullihi wa ma anta a’lam bihi minni, Allaahumma ighfir li khataayaaya wa ‘amdi wa jahli wa hazli wa kulla dhaalika ‘indi, Allaahumma ighfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akhkhartu wa ma asrartu wa ma a’lantu anta al-Muqaddim wa anta al-Mu’akhkhir wa anta ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (O Allaah, forgive me my mistakes, my ignorance and my transgressing the limits of righteousness in my deeds and whatever You know better than I. O Allaah, forgive me the wrongs that I have committed deliberately or mistakenly or jokingly, for all of that is possible in me. O Allaah, forgive my past and future sins, what I have done secretly and openly, for You are the One Who brings (some people) forward and puts (others) back, and You are able to do all things).❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6398, 6399) and Muslim (2719)]

(iv) It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما said: We used to count that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said one hundred times in a gathering:

ربِّ اغفِر لِي وتُب عَلي إِنك أَنتَ التَّوابُ الرَّحيم

❝Rabb ighfir li wa tub ‘alayya innaka anta al-tawwaab ul-raheem (O Allaah forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Accepter of repentance, the Most Merciful).❞

📚 [Sunan Abu Dawood (1516), Sunan Ibn Maajah (3814), al-Adab al-Mufrad (618, 627), and Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3434), where it says al-Tawwaab al-Ghafoor (the Accepter of repentance, the Oft-Forgiving) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. In al-Adab al-Mufrad (619), and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee, from the Hadeeth of `Aaishah, and she said that the Prophet used to repeat it one hundred times after praying al-Dhuhaa (الضحى)]

(v) It was narrated from Abu Yasaar that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Whoever says:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيَّ الْقَيُّومَ، وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

Astaghfir Allaah alladhee laa ilaaha illaa huwa al-Hayyu al-Qayyoom wa atoobu ilayhi (I ask forgiveness of Allaah the Almighty, besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-Living, the Eternal, and I repent to Him), will be forgiven even if his sin is fleeing from the battlefield [a major sin].❞

📚 [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3577), Sunan Abu Dawood (1517), and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

(vi) It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq رضي الله عنه that he said to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ: “Teach me a Du`aa which I may recite in my prayer.” He ﷺ said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

❝Allaahumma innee dhalumtu nafsi zulman katheeraa, Wa laa yaghfiru dh-dhunooba illa anta, fa-ghfir lee maghfiratan min `indika, war-hamnee, innaka antal-ghafooru r-raheem

(O Allaah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful).❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (834, 6326, 7387) and Saheeh Muslim (2705-48)]

And Allaah knows best.

Seeking forgiveness averts Allaah’s punishment:

﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ﴾

{And Allaah would not punish them while you (Muhammad ﷺ) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allaah's) Forgiveness.}

📚 [Surah al-Anfaal (8): 33]

`Aaishah رضي الله عنها reported: I said: Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, the son of Jud`aan established ties of relationship, fed the poor. Would that be of any avail to him? He ﷺ said: ❝It would be of no avail to him as he did not ever say: ‘O my Lord, pardon my sins on the Day of Resurrection.’❞

📚 [Saheeh Muslim (214)]

Jud`aan died in the Jaahiliyyah as a Kaafir, and this Hadeeth is a proof that the good deeds of the Kuffaar will be of no use to them in the Hereafter. Had Jud`aan sought Allaah’s forgiveness after he had embraced Islaam, his deeds, which he had done in the Jaahiliyyah would have benefited him. So Imaan in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection, and al-Qadr (the good of it and the bad of it) are a condition for the acceptance of the good deeds.

When you don’t see the results, then there is some shortcomings in you:

There are many people who seek (Allaah’s) forgiveness, probably seeking forgiveness many times a day; but nothing increases for them except in poverty. Why? The answer is: their repentance is a mere utterance with their tongues. Such repentance, that a person may do every day and after each prayer, becomes a kind of pastime and is of no avail. Your repentance, O Muslim brothers, without consciousness and without any actual practice is a sheer absurdity. It is a must for you that you come out of such a trait. For there are people who say: “ASTAGHFIRULLAAH, ASTAGHFIRULLAAH”, with their tongues, not with their hearts, and do not understand the meaning of it (nor do they let go of their sinful ways).

Imaam Ibn Katheer رحمه الله regarding the Aayaat from Surah Nooh:

“If you repent to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى, seek His forgiveness and obey Him, He will increase in your provisions for you and provide you with water from the blessings of the sky. He will cause the blessings of the earth and crops to grow for you. He will increase your livestock and give you more wealth and children. This means He will give you more wealth, more children and gardens with various types of fruits. He will cause rivers to flow across these gardens.”

📚 [Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/232-233)]

Tell me, O Muslim brothers and sisters, making Allaah سبحانه و تعالى as a witness and recalling your past life; did you ever, in a day out of your days, when the path became narrowed and when your means of sustenance became constricted, did you ever come to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى repenting and seeking forgiveness sincerely? I leave the answer to you…

The words of Allaah سبحانه و تعالى are true, so if you repent and still do not see the response and the results, then know that there is a defect in you; yes in you, and not in others; for your repentance does not go beyond your tongue. Examine your state and look into your affairs. It may be that your (unwillingness to let go of) sins might be the reason because of which Allaah سبحانه و تعالى has denied you the fruits of repentance!