Friday Sermon: Allah as all-forgiving and all-merciful, By Murtadha Gusau

Do not forget, seeking forgiveness opens the doors to Allah’s boundless mercy. As humans, we may falter, but the path of repentance allows us to correct our mistakes and draw closer to our Creator. By incorporating powerful Du’as for forgiveness into our daily lives. Never lose hope in Allah’s mercy as mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Your Du’a for forgiveness will be accepted In Shaa Allah.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.

Dear brothers and sisters! It is important to acknowledge and accept that making mistakes is a normal part of being human. We all have moments where we may turn away from certain beliefs or values but the important thing is to turn back to Allah and seek forgiveness for our wrongdoings in the light of powerful Du’a (Supplication/Prayer) for forgiveness from Qur’an and Sunnah.

No doubt, minor sins can be forgiven by performing good deeds, while major sins require specific forgiveness. If we have committed a specific sin, we should admit it, express regret, seek forgiveness, and promise not to repeat it. And should say consciously that:

“Ya Allah, I regret committing this sin and seek your forgiveness, and promise to not repeat it.”

Allah Almighty calls upon those who commit the most serious form of shirk and sin to ask for forgiveness. Some of the powerful Du’a (Supplication/Prayer) for forgiveness from the Qur’an and Sunnah are mentioned below:

Allah the Most High says:

“Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.” [Qurʾan, 8:33]

Offering Salat (prayer) and invoking (appeal) Allah in the last hours of the night.

Abu Hurairah reported Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) as saying:

“Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Anyone who wakes up and prays Tahajjud (Night Prayer) and asks Allah’s forgiveness, his Du’a will be accepted In Shaa Allah.

A Most Superior Way of asking for Forgiveness from Allah:

Sayyidul Istighfar (the leader of seeking forgiveness). The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: Allahummah anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana Abduka, wa ana ala ahdika wa wa’adika mastata’tu, A’uzu bika min Sharri ma sana’tu, abu’u Laka bini’matika alaiya, wa abu’u laka bizanbi faghfir li fa innahu la yaghfiruz zunuba illa anta.”

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) added.

“If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith (Iman) in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Jannah (Paradise); and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith (Iman) in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Jannah (Paradise).” [Bukhari]

The act of asking Allah for forgiveness is known as astaghfirullah. Ask Allah’s forgiveness and say “astaghfirullah” 100 times a day.

“استغفر الله واتوب اليه.”

Read as much as you can:

“Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilaihi.”

Meaning:

“I beg forgiveness from Allah and I turn to Him in repentance.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him one hundred times each day.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

There are many benefits and solutions in reciting astaghfirullah, such as, if you are in marriage difficulty, if you want children, health issues, financial problems and any kind of distress will be overcome with this In Shaa Allah. Try to moist your tongue with astaghfirullah.

Seeking Allah’s Forgiveness by Daytime and at Night:

Narrated Abu Hurairah: I heard Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) saying:

“By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” [Bukhari]

Du’a for the Forgiveness of committing Zina.

Allah says in Qur’an:

“And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.” [Qurʾan, 3:135]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.” [Sunan Abu Dawud]

The Powerful Surah for Forgiveness

Prophet Adam and Hauwa supplicated:

“Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us or bestow Your Mercy upon us, we shall certainly be of the losers.” [Qurʾan, 7:23]

The Du’a for Forgiveness in the Qur’an

Prophet Yunus (AS) recited this supplication when he found himself in the belly of a big fish (whale):

“لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ.”

“La ilaha illa Anta Subhanaka Inni Kuntu Minaz Zalimin.”

Meaning:

“There is no god save you. Be you glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.” [Qu’ran, 21:87]

This is the most powerful Du’a (Supplication/Prayer) in the Qur’an recited by Prophet Yunus (AS) and Allah accepts repentance or Tawba and forgives him. Allah loves those who ask for forgiveness and repent. Allah is Ghaffar who not only forgives but forgives again and again.

In another place Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:

“Whoever does evil or wrongs themselves but afterwards [sincerely] seeks Allah’s Forgiveness, they will find Allah Very Forgiving [and] Most Merciful.” [Qurʾan, 4:110]

The Best Du’a to recite for Forgiveness in Arabic:

Sayyidul Istighfar (the leader of seeking forgiveness) أَفْضَلِ الاِسْتِغْفَارِ

“اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ.” [Bukhari]

In the Qur’an:

“رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ.” [Qurʾan, 7:23]

Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an, in Surah 27, verse 46:

“Why do you not seek forgiveness with Allah, so that you may receive [His] mercy?” [Qurʾan, 27:46]

Allah the Almighty says:

“Seek forgiveness with Allah! Certainly, Allah is Ever Forgiving [and] Merciful.” [Qurʾan, 73:20]

Du’a for the Forgiveness of Major Sins in Islam

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.” [Muslim]

In another Hadith he said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي.”‏”

“Allahummah innaka afuwwun tuhibbul-afwa, fa’afu anni.”

Meaning:

“O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me.'” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

The above Du’a (Supplication/Prayer) is told by the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) for Lailatul-Qadr the night in which Muslims seek forgiveness.

Remember, it is important to fulfill the following four conditions when making a specific Du’a for forgiveness for a particular sin:

1. Admit it.

2. Express regret.

3. Seek forgiveness.

4. And promise not to repeat it.

Du’a for the Forgiveness of Minor Sins in Islam

It’s important to keep in mind that good deeds have the power to undo bad deeds. Abu Zar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said to me:

“Shall I tell you the expression that is most loved by Allah?” It is, ‘Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi’ (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)’.” [Muslim]

Whoever says, ‘Subhanallah wa bihamdihi,’ one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. These two words are so lighter on the tongue but too heavy on the scale.

Du’a for the Forgiveness of Parents

Allah the Most High says:

“And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.” [Qur’an, 17: 24]

Respected brothers and sisters! Do not forget, seeking forgiveness opens the doors to Allah’s boundless mercy. As humans, we may falter, but the path of repentance allows us to correct our mistakes and draw closer to our Creator. By incorporating powerful Du’as for forgiveness into our daily lives. Never lose hope in Allah’s mercy as mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Your Du’a for forgiveness will be accepted In Shaa Allah.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.