Istighfar ( Forgiveness of sins ) From Amir al-mu’minin Ali (s.a) – [Android – App]

Istighfār (Arabic:الإستغفار) is to ask God to forgive one’s sins. It does not merely consist in the recitation of sentences such as “اللّهمَ إغفِرلی” (God! Forgive me!), rather it is a true feeling of return to God and repentance for one’s wrongdoings with a determination not to commit them again.

Use of Istighfar in The Qur’an

The concept of asking for divine forgiveness has appeared in the Qur’an 68 times: 43 of these are different forms of “istighfar” (in the form of “istif’al”), 17 in the form “ighfir” (the imperative form, meaning forgive), three in the form of “yaghfir” (He forgives), two in the form of “taghfir” (you forgive), and one in the form of “maghfira” (forgiveness).In two verses of the Qur’an, the divine order for forgiveness has appeared with the word “hitta” (Arabic: حطة)

• The Qur’an 11:3:

“and ask forgiveness of your lord and then repent to him. He will give you enjoyment till a stated term and will give of his bounty to those of grace. But if you turn away, I fear for you the punishment of a mighty day”.

• The Qur’an 4:110:

“he who does evil or wrongs himself and then asks forgiveness of Allah will find that Allah is the forgiver, the most merciful”.

There are many other verses of the Qur’an in which the concept appears.

In Hadiths

There is a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) according to which, “if a person frequently asks for divine forgiveness, the list of his or her deeds will rise (on the Day of Resurrection) while shining.”

And Zurara quotes Imam al-Sadiq (a) as saying that “when a person commits a sin, he or she has a deadline until the end of night; if he or she asks for divine forgiveness, the sin will not be recorded [in the list of his or her deeds].”

Acceptance by God

God will definitely accept one’s istighfar, because:

• Some Qur’anic verses explicitly state that God accepts istighfar (such as Qur’an 11:11 and 61; and Qur’an 40:60).
• There are many verses of the Qur’an that order people to ask for divine forgiveness, so it is improbable that God does not accept one’s istighfar.
• Many divine attributes, such as the Forgiver and the Pardoner, imply that God accepts people’s requests for His forgiveness.

The Best Times for Istighfar

Istighfar is not restricted to any particular time, place or condition. But there are special moments or places in which istighfar will definitely be accepted. For example, according to the Qur’an, the best time for istighfar is the dawn (sahar). According to Qur’anic exegetes, the verse “soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you: for He is indeed oft-forgiving, most merciful”

Effects

According to the Qur’an and hadiths, istighfar has many constructive, worthwhile effects, such as the reformation of the community, divine blessings, and immunity to this-worldly and afterlife divine punishment.

Preventing Divine Punishment

According to the Qur’an 8:33, “Allah was not going to send them a penalty whilst you were amongst them; nor was he going to send it whilst they could ask for pardon”.

Imam ‘Ali (s.a) said: “there were two things on Earth that provided immunity to divine punishments: the presence of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a) that is not available anymore, but the other one, that is istighfar, is always available; so appeal to it.” He then recited the above Qur’anic verses.

Forgiving One’s Sins

According to the Qur’an 71:10, the Prophet Noah (a) tells his people to ask for divine forgiveness, and then the verse goes on “He is the forgiver (ghaffar)”. The divine attribute, Ghaffar (forgiver), as well as others such as Rahim (Merciful) and Wadud (loving), imply that God forgives the sins and gives His mercy to people. According to a hadith, istighfar cleans the effects of the sins from one’s soul.

Increase of Livelihood and Children

According to the Qur’an 71:11-12 [*] , istighfar has as an effect the abundance of rains, removes poverty and helps increase one’s livelihood. According to hadiths, istighfar leads to the increase of one’s children.

Welfare and Longevity

Istighfar helps one achieve a good life and wealth, welfare, security, and respect. According to the Qur’an, “ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him; He will provide you with a goodly provision to an appointed term and bestow His grace on every one endowed with grace”. The ‘good provision’ in the verse has been interpreted as wealth and good material life. However, some people interpreted it as longevity, satisfaction, and turning away from people to God.

Istighfar From Amir al-mu’minin Imam Ali (s.a)

Mohammed Baqir Sabzwari in his book ‘Mafatih Najah’ has narrated the incident of Amir al-mu’minin Ali (s.a) concerning the Dua famous as ‘Istegfaar Moajize Asa’
Imam Hussain (a.s.) said : one day I was sitting with my father when an Arab man came to meet him and said o commander of the faithful : I am a family man. I don’t have means to raise them. O my Arab brother, why is it that you don’t seek too much forgiveness that your condition becomes good. The Arab man said o commander of the faithfuls, I have done too much penance, but there is no change in my life. Then Imam recited to him the ayat (verses) of Surah-e-Nooh 10-12

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارً
telling [them]: ‘‘Plead to your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is all-forgiving.

يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
He will send for you abundant rains from the sky(Heaven),

وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا
and aid you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and provide you with streams.

Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving. He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain. And help you with wealth and sons, and make for you gardens, and make for you rivers.

Then Imam (a.s.) continued to say that I will give you an penance that you must recite before sleeping. If you recite every night before sleeping this penance than Allah will increase your sustenance.

Imam Hussain (a.s.) says: Then my father wrote it down and while giving said again, whenever you go on the bed with the in tension of sleeping than read this penance in the state of crying. And if tears do not come than at least make a crying face.

Imam Hussain (a.s.) says : One year later the Arab came back and said, ‘O Amir al-mu’minin Ali (s.a) you had said the truth. I have so many camels and cattle that now I don’t have space to tie them.’
Imam Ali (a.s.): I swear by the Allah who has made appointed the prophet Muhammad(s.a), whosoever recites this penance and seeks forgiveness from Allah, he shall be forgiven and his legitimate desires will be fulfilled. And by the blessing of the penance he will be granted more children and wealth.

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Reference:

ʿAbd al-Bāqī, al-Muʿjam al-mufahras, p. 634.

Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 504.

Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 437.

Abd al-Bāqī, al-Muʿjam al-mufahras, p. 634.

Qurʾān,12:98.

Qurʾān, 71:10-12; 11:52; 7:96; 8:33.

Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 7, p. 154-155.

Nahj al-balāgha, Maxim 88.

Ṭabarī, Jamiʿ al-bayān, vol. 5, p. 371.

Ibn Fahd al-Ḥillī, ʿUddat al-dāʿī, p. 265.

[*] He will send for you abundant rains from the sky (11), and aid you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and provide you with streams.

Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 30, p. 137;

Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 543.

Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 9, p. 4.

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Al-Sahifa e Alaviya of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (s.a),