Istighar

Salam,

"Allahummaghfirli wa lil muslimin wal muslimat"...

An excerpt from an e-mail I received:

Istighfâr:

All kinds of dhikr will make your relation with Allâh stronger and stronger. How many Muslim’s are there today? 1.5 billion? In one minute it is possible to gain 1.5 billion hasanât. Allâhu Akbâr! How generous is Allâh [subhâna wa ta’âlâ]. No one will give you like Allâh [subhâna wa ta’âlâ] gives. So how can you gain 1.5 million hasanât? By making istighfâr for all Muslim’s. The Prophet [sall-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam] is reported to have said that when a person seeks forgiveness for all believers, Allâh will write for him a hasanât for every one of those believers. [classed as hassan by Albanee] Just say ‘Astaghfirullâ h’ for yourself and for all the believers, from your heart. Allâh [subhâna wa ta’âlâ] is forgiving & generous.

On the Day of Judgement, when you will see your book, you will find the record of your sins in it & you will feel regret. But, Subhâna’Allâh, you will find between these sins, Astaghfirullâ h, Astaghfirullâ h, Astaghfirullâ h. Bi-idhnillâh, Allâh, the Karîm will cancel those sins that have istighfâr beside them, around them, after them.

Luqmân taught his sons to make istighfâr. He said: “Oh my sons, istighfirullâ ha qâidun, istighfirullâ h qâimum, istghfirullâha râqibun [make istighfâr when you are standing, sitting, reclining]. For the mercy of Allâh is descending.”

Indeed, rahamât are falling down like rain. So try to be under those rahamât. Look at it this way – there are seasons of mercy during which Allâh sends down abundant mercy [like during Ramadân, like the days of Dhul-Hijjah, etc.]. Allâh is always generous because that is one of His [subhâna wa ta’âlâ] Attributes, but He says that He gives more during certain periods. Allâh is Rahîm always, but He says He has more mercy during a certain period. These days are like those special-rate promotions or sale season. Therefore, don’t leave or ignore this sale. Go and ask for more. Keep saying ‘astaghfirullâ h’, ‘astaghfirullâ h’, astaghfirullâ h’, keep insisting on it till Allâh forgives you. Start from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah.

“…nor will He punish them while they seek (Allâh’s) forgiveness.” [Al-Anfâl 8:33]

We are informed that there is no punishment from Allâh [subhâna wa ta’âlâ a] on the yastaghfirûn . Allâh relieves all problems with istighfâr. Those who are persistent in istighfâr in their lives, disasters and calamities will be repelled from them. Mercy is like a cloud on the head of the mustaghfirîn . How do we know this?

“Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allâh, that you may receive mercy?” [An-Naml 27:46]

Allâh is telling us to make istighfâr to gain His mercy. Let your istighfâr ascend to Him and His mercy will descend upon you.