(Series on Zikrullah – Part Two)

Throughout our lives our health continues to fluctuate. From time to time we contract an illness and require treatment. After adopting the treatment, it is generally noticed that one’s health recovers and one’s condition improves.

In the same way, a believer may fall victim to Shaitaan and his nafs, and get involved in sins from time to time. These sins are spiritual sicknesses, and one of the treatments required is istighfaar and taubah. Hence, Imaam Qataadah (rahimahullah) mentioned, “Indeed, the Quraan shows you your illness as well as your treatment. As for your sickness, then it is your sins, and as for your treatment, then it is istighfaar.” (Shu‘abul Imaan #6745)

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala commands the believers to engage in istighfaar and taubah. Allah Ta‘ala says, “Make istighfaar to your Rabb and turn to Him in taubah.” (Surah Hood v90) The ‘Ulama explain that istighfaar refers to seeking Allah Ta‘ala’s forgiveness for the sin one has committed, and taubah refers to expressing remorse over the sin and making a firm resolve to never again commit it in the future. (Faidhul Baari vol. 6, pg. 218)

The sins that a person commits have a negative effect upon his heart. They gradually extinguish the noor (spiritual light) in the heart, causing the heart to incline more towards sin and evil. However, when a person engages in sincere istighfaar and taubah, then these ill-effects are removed from the heart. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Indeed, the hearts rust, just as iron rusts, and the polish (of the hearts) is istighfaar.” (Mu‘jam Sagheer #509)

No matter how much a person may sin, he must continue to turn to Allah Ta‘ala in istighfaar, as so long as a person has imaan and life, the doors of Allah Ta‘ala’s mercy will remain open.

In a hadeeth qudsi, Allah Ta‘ala says, “O son of Aadam (‘alaihis salaam)! So long as you make du‘aa to Me and have hope in Me, I will forgive your sins, and I do not care (i.e. there is no one to question My authority). O son of Aadam (‘alaihis salaam)! (Even) if your sins reach the clouds of the sky and you then seek My forgiveness, I will forgive you and I do not care (i.e. there is no one to question My authority). O son of Aadam (‘alaihis salaam)! If you come to Me with sins which are equal to the entire earth and meet Me in the condition that you are not ascribing any partners to Me, I will bestow you with forgiveness which is equal to the entire earth.” (Sunan Tirmizi #3540 and Mirqaat vol. 5, pg. 169)

Our beloved Rasul (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was completely sinless, yet he would make istighfaar one hundred times daily. (Saheeh Muslim #6858) One of the reasons for this was to teach the Ummah the importance of istighfaar – when their sinless Nabi makes istighfaar in such abundance, how much more important would it be for them, who are drowning in sins, to beg the forgiveness of Allah Ta‘ala?

Similarly, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were the greatest and most pious of all the Ummatis of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), yet even they made istighfaar in abundance. In regard to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), it is reported that he would make istighfaar twelve thousand times daily! (Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 1, pg. 458)

When a person commits sins, then these sins cause him to be deprived of the special mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, due to which he may experience various difficulties and challenges in his Deeni life and worldly life. However, when he engages in sincere istighfaar, then he acquires the forgiveness and special mercy of Allah Ta‘ala and these challenges and difficulties are removed. Hence, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mentioned, “The one who holds firmly to istighfaar, Allah Ta‘ala will make a way out for him from every difficulty, a relief for him from every worry, and He will provide him with sustenance from avenues he cannot imagine.” (Sunan Abi Dawood #1518)

Allah Ta‘ala mentions the following statement of Nabi Nooh (‘alaihis salaam) in the Quraan Majeed,

‌اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا ‎﴿١٠﴾‏ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا ‎﴿١١﴾‏ وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا ‎﴿١٢﴾

‘Seek forgiveness from your Rabb, indeed He is Most-Forgiving. (If you repent to Him,) He will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance, and will give you increase in wealth and sons, and will cause gardens to grow for you, and cause rivers to flow for you.’ (Surah Nooh v10 – 12)

Mu’tamir bin Sulaimaan (rahimahullah) mentions, “My father had a debt, due to which he would engage in making istighfaar. Observing this, someone said to him, ‘(Instead of making istighfaar,) make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala to assist you to pay off your debt!’ He replied, ‘(The reason why I am making istighfaar is that) when He will forgive me, He will (assist me to) pay off the debt.’” (Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 2, pg. 310)

On account of our weakness, we commit sins on a daily basis, and many a time we commit sins while not even realizing that we are committing sins! Bakr bin ‘Abdillah Muzani (rahimahullah) once gave the following advice to some people (who were engaged in sins). He said, “You people commit sins in abundance, so you should engage in istighfaar in abundance, for it will please a person (on the Day of Qiyaamah,) to find istighfaar written between every two lines in his book of deeds (due to engaging in regular and abundant istighfaar).” (Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 2, pg. 124)

It is for this reason that the ‘Ulama recommend that a person should recite istighfaar a minimum of one hundred times daily. In this blessed month of Ramadhaan in specific, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has encouraged us to increase our istighfaar. Such is the ease of this magnificent form of zikr that we can easily engage in istighfaar throughout the day, in different places and at different times.

Imaam Hasan Basri (rahimahullah) said, “Increase istighfaar in your homes, on your eating mats/tables, on your pathways (i.e. when traveling), in your market places (i.e. in your businesses), in your gatherings, and wherever you may be, for you do not know at which moment the special blessing of Allah Ta‘ala will descend.” (At-Taubah – Ibnu Abid Dunya #156)

Among the wordings of istighfaar which have been reported in the hadeeth is the following:

‌أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الَّذِيْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الحَيُّ الْقَيُّوْمُ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ

In one hadeeth, it is mentioned that reciting this istighfaar (with sincerity and remorse over one’s sins in one’s heart) will cause one’s sins to be forgiven – even if one’s sin was the sin of fleeing from the battlefield of jihaad. (Sunan Tirmizi #3577)

In another hadeeth we are taught that we should recite this form of istighfaar three times before retiring to bed. The virtue for doing so is that Allah Ta‘ala will forgive one’s sins, even if they are equal to the foam of the sea, the number of leaves of the trees, and the number of sand particles of ‘Aalij (a desert area that has a lot of sand), and even if they are equal to the number of the days of the world. (Sunan Tirmizi #3397)

Nevertheless, when reciting istighfaar, our mindset and focus should be that of sincere repentance – to give up the sin and make amends. If a person is reciting istighfaar, but he intends to return to the sin, then his istighfaar is not worthy of being called istighfaar and such taubah will not be accepted by Allah Ta‘ala.

Likewise, if the sin pertains to outstanding rights owed to Allah Ta‘ala (such as qadhaa salaah, fasts, etc.), then these must be fulfilled, and if it pertains to outstanding rights owed to people (e.g. debts), then these must be fulfilled as well.

May Allah Ta‘ala assist us to make istighfaar regularly, and may He keep us cleansed of sins at all times, aameen.