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Rajab 16, 2014 May 16, 2014
F A I T H In Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: `Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Sa`id ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn `Abbas saying: “The Messenger of Allah used to observe fast so continuously that we thought he would never break it, and at other times he remained without fasting so continuously that we thought he would never fast.”2
Istighfar: Seeking Forgiveness from Allah our relationship with Him. We turn to no one except Allah in repentance. We confess our deepest errors, shortcomings, failures, and sins to Him and Him alone. In contrast, Christianity made a fatal mistake when it instituted confession to priests. As Martin Luther (1537) observed, “What torture, rascality, and idolatry such confession has produced is more than can be related”. We seek His forgiveness, knowing that He alone has knowledge about all our deeds and thoughts and He alone can forgive us and save us from the consequences of our actions. Istighfar, thus, is a most intimate conversation with Allah. And during that conversation we are at our humblest. We can see why tawbah and istighfar are the essence of our servitude and submission to Allah! We need istighfar to constantly purify and cleanse our heart. We are not born in sin, but we are born in weakness. We are prone to fall prey to the many temptations that are part of our test in this life. And when we do fall and commit a sin, it produces a dark spot in our heart. A famous hadith, reported by Abu Huraira (ra) describes this process. When a person shows remorse and repents, that dark spot is removed. Otherwise it will stay there and grow with each additional sin. A time may come when his heart is full of darkness because of un-repented sins. We can see this gradual darkness of the heart as people advance in their sinful behavior. In the beginning they have a lot of inhibitions. They commit the wrong hesitatingly and feel bad about it. If they do not turn back, they get used to it, so it just feels normal. Then a stage comes when vice becomes virtue and virtue vice. They defend and advocate evil and shun good. Today, unfortunately, we see so many examples of this all around us. In the “everything goes” post-modern world, good and evil do not mean anything anymore. Then there is a whole crop of misguided psychologists who are ready to assure you that the only guilt you should feel is for feeling guilty in the first place! Is it any wonder that in the English language the word sin is now normally used to describe things that are delicious, attractive, fun, and highly desirable? That this darkness of the heart should be considered enlightenment only completes the inversion. But there is hope for those who seek hope. No matter how corrupt we might have become,
we can always make a U-turn. We can repent and seek forgiveness from our Beneficent and Merciful Creator Who is always ready to forgive those who turn to Him in sincerity. “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft“O Allah! Make me among those Forgiving, Most Merciful” [az-Zumar 39:53]. who, when they commit an act of virFurther a hadith declares: “When a person has tue, feel good, and when they commit a repented from a sin, it is as if he had never mistake, they seek forgiveness.” [Ibn Macommitted that sin”. jah] The Prophet Muhammad (saw) has taught us Tawbah (repentance) and Istighfar (seeking many words of repentance and it is good if we forgiveness from Allah) are among the most learn, understand, and use them. Of these one meritorious acts of virtue for the believers. has been mentioned as Syed-ul-Istighfar (the Tawbah means feeling remorse for our actions master of forgiveness). A hadith explains its or omissions. Istighfar means expressing that extraordinary significance: “If a believer says remorse in words and begging Allah for forthis with complete faith and sincerity in the giveness. morning and dies before that evening, he will The act for which we perform tawbah and enter paradise. If he says it during the night istighfar is not necessarily a sin, or an act of and dies before the morning, he will enter pardisobedience to Allah; it also includes our adise.” This powerful du’a is our daily pledge shortcomings. As we realize Allah’s immense of allegiance. We will do well to memorize it favors to us, all of our thankfulness and devoin Arabic and never let a day or night go by tion clearly appears to be inadequate. As we without saying it with full consciousness: realize the grandeur of Allah, Most High, our “O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no God acts of worship and obedience clearly are seen except You. You created me and I am Your to be insufficient. The higher a person is on slave. To the best of my ability, I will abide by the scale of taqwa, piety and God consciousmy covenant and pledge to You. I seek Your ness, the greater is this sense of inadequacy. protection from the evil of my own creation. Consequently the greater is his/her practice of I acknowledge Your favors to me and I admit istighfar. “Truly, Allah loves those who repent, and He That is why all the Prophets (as) preached loves those who cleanse themselves.” [aland practiced tawbah and istighfar. We do not Baqarah 2:222] have to invent any sins, inherited or person“O Allah! Make me among those who, when al, to explain their repentance. In fact all the they commit an act of virtue, feel good, and prophets were free of sin, as Allah appointed when they commit a mistake, they seek forthem as role models for humanity and Allah giveness.” [Ibn Majah] did not send defective role models. Tawbah (repentance) and Istighfar (seeking The leader of all the prophets was Prophet forgiveness from Allah) are among the most Muhammad (saw) a fact which was also symmeritorious acts of virtue for the believers. bolized in his leading of all the prophets in Tawbah means feeling remorse for our actions Salah (prayer) in Jerusalem during Isra’. And or omissions. Istighfar means expressing that what did the prayer leader of the prophets use remorse in words and begging Allah for forto do after every prayer? He used to say astagiveness. ghfirullah (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) three The act for which we perform tawbah and times! This is the istighfar that comes out of istighfar is not necessarily a sin, or an act of the highest level of God consciousness! He disobedience to Allah; it also includes our taught us to perform istighfar profusely, as he shortcomings. As we realize Allah’s immense himself practiced. The Companions have refavors to us, all of our thankfulness and deported that he used to do istighfar hundreds of votion clearly appears to be inadequate. As times during the course of a day. we realize the grandeur of Allah, Most High, Istighfar is also a means of enhancing that our acts of worship and obedience clearly are consciousness of Allah and strengthening seen to be insufficient. The higher a person is on the scale of taqwa, piety and God consciousness, the greater is this sense of inadequacy. Consequently the greater is his/her practice of istighfar. Date Date Day Fajar Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Asar Maghrib Isha That is why all the Prophets (as) preached and practiced tawbah and 16 16 Fri 1:13 1:18 18:27 20:58 22:42 istighfar. We do not have to invent 2:56 5:26 17 17 Sat 1:13 1:18 18:27 20:59 22:44 any sins, inherited or personal, to 2:54 5:25 18 Sun 18 1:13 1:18 18:28 21:01 22:46 explain their repentance. In fact all 2:53 5:24 19 Mon 19 1:13 1:18 18:29 21:02 22:47 the prophets were free of sin, as Al2:51 5:23 lah appointed them as role models 20 20 Tue 1:13 1:18 18:30 21:03 22:49 for humanity and Allah did not send 2:49 5:21 21 Wed 21 1:13 1:18 18:30 21:04 22:50 defective role models. 2:48 5:20 22 Thu 22 1:13 1:18 18:31 21:06 22:52 The leader of all the prophets was 2:46 5:19 23 23 Fri 1:14 1:19 18:32 21:07 22:53 Prophet Muhammad (saw) a fact 2:45 5:18 which was also symbolized in his 24 24 Sat 1:14 1:19 18:32 21:08 22:55 leading of all the prophets in Salah 2:44 5:17 25 Sun 25 1:14 1:19 18:33 21:09 22:56 (prayer) in Jerusalem during Isra’. 2:44 5:16 26 Mon 26 1:14 1:19 18:34 21:10 22:57 And what did the prayer leader of 2:44 5:15 27 27 Tue 1:14 1:19 18:34 21:11 22:58 the prophets use to do after every 2:43 5:14 prayer? He used to say astaghfirul28 Wed 28 1:14 1:19 18:35 21:13 22:58 lah (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) three 2:43 5:13 29 Thu 29 1:14 1:19 18:36 21:14 22:59 times! This is the istighfar that comes 2:43 5:13 30 Sh 1 Fri 1:14 1:19 18:36 21:15 23:00 out of the highest level of God con2:43 5:12 sciousness! He taught us to perform For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA istighfar profusely, as he himself
By: Khalid Baig Albalagh* “Truly, Allah loves those who repent, and He loves those who cleanse themselves.” [al-Baqarah 2:222]
Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver May 16, 2014 Rajab 16 - Shahban 1, 1435H
practiced. The Companions have reported that he used to do istighfar hundreds of times during the course of a day. Istighfar is also a means of enhancing that consciousness of Allah and strengthening our relationship with Him. We turn to no one except Allah in repentance. We confess our deepest errors, shortcomings, failures, and sins to Him and Him alone. In contrast, Christianity made a fatal mistake when it instituted confession to priests. consequences of our actions. Istighfar, thus, is a most intimate conversation with Allah. And during that conversation we are at our humblest. We can see why tawbah and istighfar are the essence of our servitude and submission to Allah! We need istighfar to constantly purify and A famous hadith, reported by Abu Huraira (ra) describes this process. When a person shows remorse and repents, that dark spot is removed. Otherwise it will stay there and grow with each additional sin. A time may come when his heart is full of darkness because of un-repented sins. We can see this gradual darkness of the heart as people advance in their sinful behavior. In the beginning they have a lot of inhibitions. They commit the wrong hesitatingly and feel bad about it. If they do not turn back, they get used to it, so it just feels normal. Then a stage comes when vice becomes virtue and virtue vice. They defend and advocate evil and shun good. Today, unfortunately, we see so many examples of this all around us. In the “everything goes” post-modern world, good and evil do not mean anything anymore. Then there is a whole crop of misguided psychologists who are ready to assure you that the only guilt you should feel is for feeling guilty in the first place! Is it any wonder that in the English language the word sin is now normally used to describe things that are delicious, attractive, fun, and highly desirable? That this darkness of the heart should be considered enlightenment only completes the inversion. But there is hope for those who seek hope. No matter how corrupt we might have become, we can always make a U-turn. We can repent and seek forgiveness from our Beneficent and Merciful Creator Who is always ready to forgive those who turn to Him in sincerity. “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins: for He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [az-Zumar 39:53].
Further a hadith declares: “When a person has repented from a sin, it is as if he had never committed that sin”. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) has taught us many words of repentance and it is good if we learn, understand, and use them. Of these one has been mentioned as Syed-ulIstighfar (the master of forgiveness). A hadith explains its extraordinary significance: “If a believer says this with complete faith and sincerity in the morning and dies before that evening, he will enter paradise. If he says it during the night and dies before the morning, he will enter paradise.” This powerful du’a is our daily pledge of allegiance. We will do well to memorize it in Arabic and never let a day or night go by without saying it with full consciousness: “O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no God except You. one can forgive sins except You.................” Baqarah 2:222]