Introduction of prayer:
This prayer refers to an incident with Sayyidna Musa (as). One day, he entered the city he found two people fighting each other. one was from his nation and the other from the people of Pharaoh. The Israelite called upon Moses (who was an Israelite himself) to help him. Moses wanted to separate them, but the Egyptian turned on Moses who in self-defence, gave him a blow. Accidentally, the blow led to the death of the Egyptian. At that time the Egyptians were oppressing Israelites on a large scale. So Sayyidna Musa took the matter in that context and he immediately turned to Allah and asked for forgiveness and promised that he will not support any one without invesitgating the matter. A person’s apparently belonging to an oppressed community and his soliciting support by accusing another person of oppression are not enough to prove that the latter is really an oppressor and that the former (the complainant) is really the oppressed person.
Exposition & virtues of prayer:
This a very humble request of a great Prophet Sayyidna Musa (as). As soon as he felt his mistake he turned to Allah and asked for pardon. He did not argue and made a simple statement that;
1- رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى (My Lord! I have definitely wronged my soul):
He called upon Allah that he had wronged his soul, which means he had made a mistake. This is the same way Sayyidna Adam (as) supplicated Allah Kareem when he and Sayyidah Hawwa were testified in Paradise and they failed in their test;
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا (Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves)
So, it is the blessed practice of the prophets to turn to Allah, repent of their actions and ask for forgiveness.
2- فَٱغْفِرْ لِى (so forgive me):
After confessing his mistake Sayyidna Musa (as) called upon Allah for forgiveness. Allah Kareem immediately turned to His Prophet and forgave him, Allah Kareem stated that He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Benefits of Forgiveness;
1- Means to remove sins:
Repentance removes the sins of the servant. It removes the black spot on the heart. Through this repentance, the most sinful and despairing people reach their destination. Allah Kareem forgives all sins when His servant comes for forgiveness. It is reported in a Divine Hadith that;
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَأَزِيدُ وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَجَزَاؤُهُ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا أَوْ أَغْفِرُ وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ ذِرَاعًا وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا وَمَنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً وَمَنْ لَقِيَنِي بِقُرَابِ الأَرْضِ خَطِيئَةً لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغْفِرَةً
Abu Dharr reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated:
” He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those: ‘And he who comes with vice, ‘ it is only for that that he is called to account. I even forgive him (as I like) and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by the cubit, and he who draws close to Me by the cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)
2- Means of extension in life:
Anyone who asks for forgiveness Allah Kareem bestows His blessings upon him. As Sayyidna Nuh (as) advised to his nation by saying;
يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
He will forgive your sins, and delay your end until the appointed time. Indeed, when the time set by Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, if only you knew!”(Surah Nuh: 4)
3- Means to get rain in dryness:
The Qur’an states the benefits of forgiveness says that it is a powerful means to get rain when it is dryness.
فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًۭا ١٠ يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًۭا
saying, ‘Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, ˹for˺ He is truly Most Forgiving. He will shower you with abundant rain. (Surah Nuh: 10-11)
4- Means to increase wealth, children and farming:
Sayyidna Nuh (as) described several virtues and benefits of Astaghfar or asking for forgiveness. He said;
وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍۢ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَـٰرًۭا
supply you with wealth and children, and give you gardens as well as rivers. (Surah Nuh: 12)
5- Means to remain safe from Hellfire:
Astaghfar is a great means to remain safe from the Hellfire. Allah Kareem states the prayer of the righteous people in the Qur’an;
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord! We have believed, so forgive our sins and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
6- Means to get rid of depression:
To repent for sins and asking for forgiveness is a great means to get rid of anxiety, depression and distress. It is narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be said;
مَنْ لَزِمَ الاِسْتِغْفَارَ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقٍ مَخْرَجًا وَمِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا وَرَزَقَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone continually asks pardon, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not reckon. (Abu Daw’ud: 1518)
7- Means to remain safe from the torment of Allah Kareem:
Allah Kareem sends His blessing who turn to Him and ask for pardon from Him. He says in Surah Al-Anfal, verse: 33;
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ٣٣
Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.
8- Means of glad tidings:
Who asks Allah Kareem for forgiveness abundantly the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said about him;
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ طُوبَى لِمَنْ وَجَدَ فِي صَحِيفَتِهِ اسْتِغْفَارًا كَثِيرًا ”
‘Abdullah bin Busr said that :
the Prophet (saas) said: “Glad tidings to those who find a lot of seeking forgiveness in the record of their deeds.”(Ibn Majah: 3818)
9- Means to get a large house/ abundant provision:
Those who want their own or a large house or abundance in provision should say Astaghfar. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught a prayer as below;
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي وَوَسِّعْ لِي فی دَارِی وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنِي
Abu Hurairah narrated that a man said:
“O Messenger of Allah, I heard your supplication last night, and the part of it that reached me of it, was that you said: ‘O Allah, forgive me my sin, and expand for me my abode, and bless for me that which You have provided me’ (Allāhummaghfirlī dhanbī, wa wassi` lī fī dārī, wa bārik lī fīmā razaqtanī). He said: ‘Do you see that they leave off anything?’”
10- Means to enter Paradise:
Seeking the forgiveness of Allah is a great means of getting to Paradise. Allah Kareem says in Surah Ali ‘Imran, verse: 133;
۞ وَسَارِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous. (3: 133)
In the next verses Allah Kareem states the attributes of those righteous people who will enter paradise;
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
˹They are˺ those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except Allah?—and they do not knowingly persist in wrongdoing?(3: 135)
11- Seeking forgiveness from Allah = The blessed practice of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
It was the blessed practice of the Holy Prophet to seek forgiveness from Allah. It is narrated from him that he (pbuh) used to ask forgiveness more than hundred times a day;
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ ” .
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: My heart is invaded by unmindfulness, and I ask Allah’s pardon a hundred times in the day. (Sunan Abi Daw’ud: 1515)
When this prayer for forgiveness contains so many benefits and virtues we should recite it constantly and make it a habit.
