ISTIGHFÂR - استغفار ‎

 

Asking for Allah's pardon and forgiveness, especially with the phrase أستغفر الله ‎ Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah). Asking forgiveness and absolving sins and faults. Repentance. Penitence. Performing istighfâr.

Asking for forgiveness without feeling regret and without the true meaning of repenting may not be accepted by Allah (‘Azza wa jalla).

The true meaning of repentance and istighfâr:

An important wile of shaytan is to prevent man from admitting his faults so that he can close the way of istighfâr and isti’âdha. He also incites the ananiyyah of the human nafs so that the nafs defends itself like a lawyer as though offers taqdîs1 to itself.

Yes, a nafs that heeds shaytan does not want to see its faults. Even if it sees them, it explains them away in a hundred ways. Through the mystery of وَ عَيْنُ الرِّضَا عَنْ كُلِّ عَيْبٍ كَلِيلَةٌ 2 , since he looks to his nafs with the eye of contentment, he does not see its faults. And since he does not see its faults, he does not admit them; he does not offer istighfâr; he does not offer isti’âdha; he becomes the laughingstock of shaytan. Although an illustrious noble prophet like Hazrat Yûsuf ‘Alayhissalâm said: 3 وَمَا اُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِى اِنَّ النَّفْسَ َلاَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّى how can the nafs be trusted? One who accuses his nafs sees his faults. One who admits his faults offers istighfâr. One who offers istighfâr offers isti’âdha. One who offers isti’âdha is saved from shaytan's sharr. Not to see his faults is a greater fault than the fault itself. And not to admit his faults is a great defect. And if he sees his fault, that fault will not be a fault anymore. If he admits it, he becomes worthy of forgiveness.

The 13th Flash-13th Indication-Second Point

 

“For sure, man's particular faculty of irâdah and juz’ al-ikhtiyârî are weak and an i’tibârî action, but Janâb-i Haqq the Absolutely Hakîm, made that weak juz’ al-ikhtiyârî a condition for the connection of His universal Irâdah. That is, He says in a ma’mawî manner: "Oh my ‘abd! Whichever way you wish to take with your power of choice, I will take you there. In which case the responsibility is yours!" If the comparison is not mistaken, you take a powerless child onto your shoulders and leaving the choice to him, tell him you will take him wherever he wishes. The child wants to go to a high mountain so you take him there, but he either catches a cold or falls. So, of course, you reprimand him, saying, "You wanted to go there," and you give him a slap. Thus, Janâb-i Haqq, the Ahkam ul-Hâkimîn (Firmest of Judges), makes His ‘abd's irâdah, which is utterly weak, a condition, and His universal Irâdah follows it.

In Short : O man! You have an irâdah known as the juz’ al-ikhtiyârî which is extremely weak, but whose hand in evil acts and destruction is extremely long and in good deeds is extremely short. Give one of the hands of that irâdah of yours to du'â, so that it may reach Jannah, which is a fruit of the chain of good deeds, and stretch to eternal happiness which is a flower of Jannah. And give its other hand to the istighfâr, so that it may be short for evil deeds and will not reach the Zakkum-tree of Jahannam, which is one fruit of that accursed tree. That is, just as du'â and tawakkul greatly strengthen the inclination to khayr, so the istighfâr and tawbah cut the inclination to sharr, putting an end to its transgressions.” The Words ( 483 )

 

“First disease: Despair

KNOW, O FRIEND, that those who fear the punishment and cannot fulfil to ‘amal, desire the non-existence of punishment and an argument against it. When they see signs that seem to confirm such an argument, they begin to be recruited by shaytans into their legions. [If you are in such a state,] give a sincere and attentive ear to the promise of Taâ’lâ:

4 قُلْ يَا عِبَادِىَ الَّذِينَ اَسْرَفُوا عَلَى اَنْفُسِهِمْ لاَ تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللّٰهِ اِنَّ اللّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا اِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (85-86)