As Muslims who submit to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), and realize that no matter how ‘good’ we are, we will never be able to be truly thankful to our Lord, we need to constantly seek forgiveness.
In my previous posts (Part 1 and 2), I mentioned the effect of sins in our lives and how it can harm our productivity, and that there’s only one way out to break the evil spell of a sin and that’s to repent and seek forgiveness. The search for forgiveness needs to be constant in our lives following the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who used to sincerely seek forgiveness more than 70 times in a day, even though he was protected from sin.
A Fountain of Energy and Hope
Istighfar is the fountain of energy and hope for a Muslim, always reminding him of Allah’s Mercy and how we need it. Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon. (Book #037, Hadith #6621 – Sahih Muslim) and it is the answer to Allah’s calling in the verse: “Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Zumar, Verse No. 53).
The Secret of Sucess
Istighfar is the secret of prosperity and the medicine that was prescribed to people who need more health, wealth or children. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) mentions Nuh (Peace be upon him) in the Quran
‘And said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. (Surat Nuh, Verses 10-12).
Try it!
I want you to try this: Tomorrow morning as you commute to work/school, keep saying astahgfurullah consciously, meaningfully, and sincerely throughout your trip, and notice how you feel ‘lighter’, happier and good things come your way. Also, next time you feel stressed, depressed, or badly unproductive, ask Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) for forgiveness.
To end, here is a link to a lecture given by Bilal Assad on the story of a man’s beautiful repentence (have your tissue box close by!). The lecture is called ‘Ahmad The Repenter’
