ALMISKEENAH

 

Such a blessed month! The first of which brings Allah Ta’ala’s Mercy, the middle which brings His Forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Janannam, so said our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

Already half of this time for forgiveness has departed, never to return, with half of this Mubarak Month also departed, never to return. A reflective conversation where the heart communicates with the mind….

how much time have you wasted, could this be your last day, your last Ramadhan, what more could you be doing with this precious time given to you, how best can you be contributing to the welfare of others, the betterment of the Ummah, how could you increase your acts of kindness in the remaining days of this month, how many tears have been spilt in asking for forgiveness, in repenting, how much have you read from our Qur’an Kareem, what time have you spent in conveying Salat and Salam on the Best of Creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, how many from the destitute have you fed for Iftar, how much Du’a have you been engaged in, what has your seeking been for, how much time have you spent in unnecessary conversation, idle thoughts, useless actions, or how much time have you spent in productive pursuits, are you depriving the body to uplift the soul, are you merely observing Ramadhan, or LISTENING to it, what levels of Sabr have you experienced, how much are you renewing your commitment and re-establishing your relationship with our Creator, how much are you strengthening your Iman, how much purifying me, your heart, your soul, are you appreciating this month, are you loving this month, have you made plans for seeking Laylatul Qadr, and are you thinking ahead to considering fasting the gift of the six days in Shawwal? And on and on the questions could go. Turn to your own heart asking what it wants you to do with this time.

Allah Ta’ala loves to hear us asking for His forgiveness, He has chained the Shayateen, making our way to Him easier at the moment. And every night throughout the entire year Allah Ta’ala descends during the last third of the night calling out: "Is there anyone who will repent whose repentance I will accept. Is there anyone to seek forgiveness that I might forgive him."

This photo below shows the place where the Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds, SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, offered his Tahajjud prayers. (towards the left where the tall brown bookcase extends out slightly from the pillar and the other brass bookcases.) By allowing the vision to go beyond the physical features we see, we can focus the eyes of the heart to the moving significance of this place, where our Noble Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, the Qur’an Personified, the most perfected of humans, asked for forgiveness! SubhanAllah! 

Allah Ta’ala has described His pious slaves:

And in the dawn they pray for forgiveness. (51:18) 

Sayyidina Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: "By Him Who holds my life, if you stop committing sin then Allah Ta’ala will take all of you away and will create such people who will commit sin and will seek forgiveness, and Allah Ta’ala will forgive them."

Adam Alaihis Salaam said:

Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves and if You were not to forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall certainly become among the losers. (7:3)

Allah Ta’ala in His Words has taught us what to say:

O my Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of those who have mercy. (23:118)

And pardon us, and grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord. (2:286)

Our Lord forgive our sins and expiate our evil deeds, and cause us to die with the righteous. (3:193)

You are our protector. So forgive us and have mercy on us, and You are the best of those who forgive. (7:155)

The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam has also taught such excellent words in which to seek forgiveness:

"O Allah Ta’ala forgive us and have mercy on us. Do overlook what You know of our sins because You surely know what we do not know. Indeed, You are the Mighty, the Generous."

The Sayyid-ul-Istighfar: "O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god except You. You have created me. And I am Your slave and I stand by Your covenant and Your promise to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in You from the evil of that which I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings on me and I acknowledge my sin. The pardon me, for none but You forgive sins."

O my Lord, shower blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and on the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and forgive my sins, the Best of those who forgive.

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin that draws me towards Your wrath or Your displeasure, or inclines me to what You have forbidden me, or distances me from what You have called me to.

O my Lord, shower blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and on the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and forgive my sins, the Best of those who forgive.

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin which my enemies resolved to publish but You warded off their ploys and did not help them shame me as if I were Your friend. O Lord! How long will I sin and You grant me respite? How long will I disobey You and You will not take me to task? In spite of my evil deeds, I kept asking You for things and You have given me my requests. Have I shown gratitude for even a single blessing from Your uncountable blessings?

O my Lord, shower blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and on the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and forgive my sins, the Best of those who forgive.

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin that caused me to neglect that to which You had guided me and commanded me to do, or not to do.

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin which I have forgotten after doing it. You preserved it while I overlooked it and You recorded it. I did it openly while You concealed it If I had repented before You, surely You would have forgiven it. So I repent to you sincerely.

O my Lord, shower blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and on the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and forgive my sins, the Best of those who forgive

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin to which I walked with my feet, or stretched my hands, or glanced with my eyes, or put my ears to it or spoke it with my tongues, or wasted away on it with wealth You have bestowed on me and I asked You for provision and You did grant me mush more in provision.

O my Lord, shower blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and on the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and forgive my sins, the Best of those who forgive.

I seek the forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala, the Mighty, besides Whom there is no god. He is the Ever-Living, the Eternal, And I repent to Him, a forgiveness that multiplies with every blink of the eye and breathing of the heart, hundreds of thousands of times and much more that continues perpetually as Allah Ta’ala is Eternal, and remains as Allah Ta’ala will remain forever, for Whom there is no destruction, no end and no change in sovereignty ever and ever, ages upon ages, always! O Allah Ta’ala let this supplication be worthy of acceptance, a request that befits a grant from You. Indeed You are over all things capable. 

O Allah, bless Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and the family of Sayyidina Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and his Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum, and give him peace, a complete peace. Let it be a benediction that is eternal like Your Eternity, everlasting like You Ever-Remaining. Let there be no end to it except by Your knowledge. Let it be a benediction that pleases you and please him, and please us with its blessings on us, O Lord of the Worlds.

Rabi’ah Al-Adawiya declared: "O children of Adam! Your eyes provide no passage to perceive the Truth, nor is there any access to Him by speech of the tongue. The faculty of hearing is but a highway to distress for the speaker, while you hands and feet steer you only into bewilderment. The true work is in the heart. Try to acquire an awakened heart, for when the heart is awakened, it will have no need of a friend."
Because an awakened heart is one which is lost in Allah Ta’ala. She also said: "Asking forgiveness out loud is the work of hypocrites. Though we repent, we still need another repentance to repent of repenting."

From a precious little Mu’minah, Jazakillahu khairan katheeran abada, may we try to be steadfast in making this Du’a.

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.