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The Most Excellent Manner of Seeking Forgiveness “My noble brothers, this lecture, upon the topic of seeking al-Istigfaar - asking for forgiveness for ones sins - deals with one of the most important topics to which the Muslim should give attention in his life and for which he should have the utmost concern. Included in it is the explanation of a tremendous way of seeking forgiveness, from amongst the various forms of seeking forgiveness that occur in the sunnah of the Prophet. We ask Allaah that it should be beneficial to us and a blessing for us. There are many texts to be found in the Book of Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, and in the sunnah of His Messenger that encourage one to seek forgiveness: texts commanding it, showing its excellence, showing the excellence of its people and of those who are constant in it. In fact, there are so many of these texts that it would be very difficult to ennumerate them. O my brothers, Sayyidul-Istighfaar is a form of seeking forgiveness that the scholars have mentioned as being the most excellent and most complete. Therefore we should give great importance to memorising this wording, to understanding it correctly and to acting upon it—the Prophet said, “The noblest and most excellent manner of seeking forgiveness is that one says, ‘O Allaah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped except You. You created me, and I am Your slave/worshipper. And I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as far as I am able. I seek Your refuge from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge before You all the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess all my sins to You. So forgive me, since none can forgive sins except You.’” (Then the Prophet) said, “Whoever says it in the day, with firm conviction in it, and dies in that day before evening - then he is from the people of Paradise. Whoever says it in the night, with firm convicti in it, and he dies before the morning - then he is from the people of Paradise.” So it is befitting, O my brothers, that we give precedence to memorisation of this supplication which the Prophet described as the most excellent manner of seeking forgiveness ..." |
