Every person is not free from committing sins. All people are sinful creatures, the only difference is the number of forbidden acts committed and their severity. By committing a sin, a person moves away from true path and may even incur the wrath of the Almighty. In a situation like this the best remedy in the hands of a believer, repentance (tawbah) is capable of erasing his sins.
The Quranic verse reads:
“Say to My servants who have overindulged to the detriment of themselves: “Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins, for He is Forgiving, Merciful”” (39:53)
The procedure for how to do repentance is described in the hadith of the Mercy of the Worlds of Muhammad (s.g.w.): “If a believer, having committed a sin, purifies himself, then commits and asks God for forgiveness, then Allah will certainly forgive him” (at-Tirmidhi).
That is, after a person sins, he should first perform ablution, then read tawbah prayer, the procedure for performing which is no different from other prayers, and at the end ask the Creator for forgiveness for what he has done.
However, in order for repentance to be accomplished the best way, the believer must meet a number of conditions:
1. Sincere repentance for what you have done
First of all, the believer must clearly understand what exactly he made a mistake and sincerely repent of the sin he has committed. In His Revelation the Creator says:
“Indeed, Allah forgives those who commit evil out of stupidity, thoughtlessness and ignorance, but soon repent of it and ask Him for forgiveness” (4:17)
2. Refusal to commit this sin again
A person who has realized the harmfulness of a certain act should refuse to repeat it in the future. There is an indication of this in the Koran:
“For those who, having committed a bad deed or a small sin, remembered Allah the Great, His punishment and reward, His mercy and anger, repented, asked forgiveness from Allah - and who, besides Allah, forgives sins? - and did not persist in what they did, knowing their sins, their reward will be forgiveness from the Lord and the Gardens of Eden...” (3:135-136)
3. Refusal to disclose your wrongdoings to other people
A person who has committed a sin should not tell other people about it. The Messenger of God (s.g.w.) instructed: “The Creator will forgive and heal all Muslims, except those who publicly exposed themselves by talking about their sins, while the Almighty hid them from the eyes of others” (hadith cited by Bukhari and Muslim).
4. Sincere faith in forgiveness by the Almighty
Another important condition is that the servant of Allah should believe and with all his heart expect the mercy of his Creator. Prophet Muhammad (s.w.w.) spoke about this as follows: “If a person commits a sin and says: “O my Lord! I committed a sin, forgive me,” then the Creator replies: “My servant knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and destroys them. Verily, I have forgiven My servant" (Bukhari, Muslim).
5. Repeatedly asking for forgiveness of sins
It is advisable for believers to regularly call on their Lord to forgive them for their wrongdoings. The hadith, which is quoted from the words of Ibn Umar, says: “According to our calculations, during one meeting (with people), the Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.w.) usually uttered the words a hundred times: “My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, truly, You are the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful! (Rabbi-igfirli wa tub ‘alai-ya, innya-kya Antat-Tau-uabur-Rachim!)"(Tirmidhi, Abu Daud, Ibn Majah).
6. Patience
Those who have repented should also remember that patience is always the key to success. Here we can cite the following hadith: “Each of you will be given an answer, unless he rushes (events) and says: “I made a prayer (to the Lord of the worlds), but did not receive an answer!” (Bukhari).
7. You must not delay repentance.
After committing a forbidden act, believers should not postpone the procedure of tawba, since we do not know what may come tomorrow. (s.g.v.) warned: “Truly, the Almighty accepts the repentance of a slave until he begins to emit his death rattles” (hadith cited by Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad).
Virtues of Repentance
- The Lord rejoices at repentance. The Prophet (s.w.w.) instructed: “Indeed, Allah rejoices at the repentance of His servant who turns to Him with repentance” (Muslim).
- Tawba erases sins. There is a authentic hadith: “He who repents of sin is like one who did not sin” (Ibn Majah).
- The Creator does not punish His slaves who repent. IN Holy Scripture it says:
“Allah will not torture them while they are asking for forgiveness” (8:33)
- Angels make dua for those who repent. The Book of Allah contains the words of the angels addressed to Him:
“Forgive those who repented and followed Your path, and protect them from torment in Hell. Our Lord! Lead them into the gardens of Eden" (40:7-8)
- Those who repent are the best of people. The final Messenger of God (s.g.w.) instructed: “All people make mistakes, and the best among those who make mistakes are those who repent” (hadith from Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).
Al-Istighfar is a prayer for forgiveness of sins.
There is a big difference between tauba - repentance, and istighfar - a plea for forgiveness!
Repentance is a procedure with the fulfillment of certain conditions:
1) Stopping committing sin.
2) Regret from the heart.
3) Determination not to repeat the sin.
If you have committed a sin against someone, a fourth is added to these three conditions:
4) Approach offended person and ask him for forgiveness. You robbed someone - you go up to them, return their money and ask these people to forgive you. If you cursed someone behind his back, you must apologize to him. The entire process of repentance remains between a person and Allah, no one can interfere with it, and no one can repent for someone, everyone repents for themselves.
But al-istighfar is simply a prayer (dua) for forgiveness, so you can ask Allah for forgiveness for yourself and others, and you can also ask someone else to also pray for forgiveness for us.
(64). We sent messengers only to be obeyed by Allah's permission. If they, having acted unjustly towards themselves, had come to you and asked forgiveness from Allah, if the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, then they would have found Allah Accepting of repentance and Merciful. (4:64)
Some refer to this verse to say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has the right to forgive sins and this, of course, is a gross mistake and suggests that these people completely do not understand the difference between repentance and a plea for forgiveness. In this verse we're talking about about the last one.
And I want to emphasize that even in the case of turning to Allah for the forgiveness of another, in the end, only Allah will decide whether to accept the prayer or not, and forgive sins or not, this is emphasized in the following verses:
(135). Those who, having committed a vile act or acted unjustly against themselves, remembered Allah and asked forgiveness for their sins - after all, who forgives sins except Allah? - and those who do not consciously persist in what they have done,
(136). the reward will be forgiveness from their Lord and Paradise Gardens in which rivers flow and in which they will abide forever. How wonderful is the reward of workers! (3:135-136).
Therefore, when the brothers of Yusuf, peace and mercy be upon him, confessed their injustice towards their brother and their father and asked for forgiveness of their sins, pay attention to the answer of their father Yagqub, peace and mercy upon him:
(97). They said: “Our Father! Ask for forgiveness of our sins. Truly we were sinners."
(98). He said: “I will ask my Lord to forgive you, for He is Forgiving, Merciful.” (12:97-98)
See how Yagqub, peace and blessings be upon him, emphasizes to his sons that only Allah forgives sins.
A God-fearing person constantly asks for forgiveness from Allah, and in this regard, for us, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is an example, because, despite the fact that he is a prophet, he very often prayed to Allah for forgiveness. Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “I swear by Allah, verily, I ask Allah for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.”
Another saying says: “O people, repent to Allah and ask Him for forgiveness, truly, I ask Allah for forgiveness more than seventy times a day.”
It is reported that Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “According to our calculations, during one meeting with people, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, usually said the words a hundred times: “My Lord, forgive me and accept me.” my repentance, verily, You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful!” (Rabbi-gfir li wa toub alayya, inna-kya Anta-t-Tavvabu-r-Rakhim!)
In Arabic, you can express yourself in different ways when asking Allah for forgiveness:
Allahumma-gfir li - O Allah, forgive me.
Astaghfiru-Allah - I ask for Allah's forgiveness.
But there is also a special prayer for forgiveness that Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recommended to us:
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
To the one who says: “I ask forgiveness from Allah, besides whom there is no (other) god, the Living, the Eternal, and I bring my repentance to Him.” -hee), - his sins will be forgiven, even if he fled from the battlefield during the offensive.
It was narrated from Shaddad bin Aus, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once said:
The master of appeals to Allah with prayers for forgiveness are the following words of His servant: “O Allah, You are my Lord, and there is no god but You; You created me, and I am Your slave, and I will be faithful to Your promise as long as I have the strength. I resort to Your protection from the evil of what I have done, I acknowledge the mercies You have shown me, and I acknowledge my sin, forgive me, for, truly, no one forgives sins except You! (Allahumma, Anta Rabbi, la ilaha illya Anta, halyakta-ni wa ana `abdu-kya, wa ana `ala `ahdi-kya wa wa`di-kya ma-stata`tu. A`uzu bi-kya min sharri ma sana`tu, abu`u la-kya bi-ni`mati-kya `alaiya, wa abu`u bi-zanbi, fa-gfir li, fa-inna-hu la yagfiru-z-zunuba illya Anta!). Whoever utters these words during the day, being convinced of what he says, and dies on the same day before evening, will be among the inhabitants of Paradise, and whoever utters them at night, being convinced of what he is saying, and dies that same night before morning, he will be among the inhabitants of paradise.
When we ask Allah for forgiveness, we should do so with the hope that He will answer us and that our hope will be justified. Indeed, it is reported from the words of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:
Allah Almighty said: “O son of Adam, truly, I will forgive you, regardless of what sins you have committed, until you stop calling on Me and relying on Me! O son of Adam, if you commit so many sins that they reach the clouds of heaven, and then ask Me for forgiveness, then I will forgive you! O son of Adam, truly, if you come to Me with so many sins that they will fill almost the entire earth, but you meet Me without worshiping anything else along with Me, I will definitely grant you forgiveness, which will cover all these sins !
With the help of a prayer for forgiveness, in addition to the forgiveness of sins, Allah, with His Generosity, grants us another benefit.
It is narrated from the words of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whoever constantly asks for forgiveness, Allah will show a way out of any difficult situation and ease any sorrow for him and send his destiny, from where he does not expect it.”
And regarding obtaining inheritance through a prayer for forgiveness, it is said in the following verses, which talk about the dialogue of Nuh, peace be upon him, with his people:
(10). I said: “Ask your Lord for forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving.
(eleven). He will send down abundant rains from the sky for you,
(12). will support you with property and children, will grow gardens for you and create rivers for you.
(13). Why don’t you honor the greatness of Allah?” (71:10-13)
They approached one companion different people with different complaints: one complained about the drought in his city, another about the lack of children, and the third about a decrease in property, and he recommended to everyone to pray more to Allah for forgiveness. When the people were surprised at this, he read to them the verses just mentioned.
May Allah grant that we often pray to Him for forgiveness and that He will answer us and grant us out of His Generosity.
Everything can be corrected!
1. You have sinned, guilt before the Almighty does not give you peace, you do not know what to do, how to live further?
Firstly, do not get emotional, treat the situation reasonably. Allah Almighty created human nature imperfect, we cannot help but commit sins, this is our integral part. The hadith says: “I swear by Allah, thanks to whose power and will I live! If you had not committed sins, then Allah Almighty would have replaced you with another people who would have committed sins and then asked for forgiveness from Allah. And Allah would forgive them (thus showing that Allah is Forgiving).”
The very first thing you need to do after committing a sin is to accept and realize your sin. Many people do forbidden things without even knowing that they are doing something wrong. Awareness of your sin is already a sign of faith in your soul, non-acceptance in your heart of what is unpleasant to the Almighty. If you close your eyes to your sins, they will follow one after another, and a person will simply stop distinguishing between good and bad. You have committed a sin, but do not despair! Allah's mercy is so limitless that everything can be fixed! Allah has given the keys to his forgiveness. Now you need to “work on the mistakes” and fix everything.
2. Do not tell anyone about your sin. Allah, by His mercy, hides our sins, they remain only between us and the Almighty. And this is a good thing. Your sin is something you have to decide between yourself and Allah. There are no intermediaries between the Almighty and man, and there is no point in revealing one’s sins to people. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught: “All members of my community will be delivered, except those who publicly declare their sins. Such people include a person who sinned at night, but Allah Almighty covered his sin, and in the morning he himself says: “Oh so-and-so! I committed this sin." And it turns out that he spends the night under the cover of his Lord, and in the morning throws off the cover of Allah.”
3. Realize the destructiveness of your sin Just think about everything that your momentary weakness, your impulse, your nafs, your mistake deprived you of. Count all that you have lost because of your sin. The most important thing from this is that you have done something with which Allah Almighty is displeased. Sins deprive us of our inheritance, reduce our food supply, and distance us from Allah and His mercy. Moreover, one sin leads to another. Considering all this, hate with all your soul the act that deprived you of so many benefits and complicated your situation.
4. Stop committing this sin The most important “practical” work on your mistake is to stop doing what distances you from the pleasure of Allah. After all, there is no point in repentance or anything else until a person stops doing what is not good. The hadith says: “The one who says: “I ask forgiveness from Allah,” and then returns (to what he did) can be considered to be lying.” “He who repents of a sin is like one who did not commit it at all, and he who asks forgiveness for a sin but continues to sin is like one who mocks Allah.”
5. Do not despair of the mercy of Allah Your mistake - your sin - is not a reason for despondency, and despair, especially in the mercy of Allah, is a reason to become even closer to the Creator. After all, if a person walks around constantly condemning and blaming himself, he will not see the meaning in life and will be ungrateful to Allah. This is a completely wrong position. Sins should upset and upset us, but they should not force us to give up, but, on the contrary, awaken greater enthusiasm in striving to gain the pleasure of Allah. As believers, we are characterized by how we feel about our sin and how we deal with it. Even in the worst, it is important to find good, and in this case, this is an opportunity to gain Allah’s forgiveness and learn a lesson for the rest of your life.
6. Dua of Forgiveness Perform ablution and say dua for forgiveness, of which there are many forms. These could be: Subhanaka-Llahumma uabihamdika, ashhadu an la ilaha illya anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaik (“Holy are You, O Allah, and praise be to You! I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except You, I ask Your forgiveness and offer Your repentance." Allahumma j'alni mina-tauwabin waj'alni minal-mutatahhirin ("O Allah! Make me among those who repent and make me among those who purify"). Ask Allah for forgiveness in any language, at any time and place, out loud or silently. Allah is Hearing and Knowing. “Allah Almighty says: “O son of Adam, truly, I will forgive you, regardless of what sins you have committed, until you stop calling on Me and relying on Me! O son of Adam, if you commit so many sins that they reach the clouds of heaven, and then ask Me for forgiveness, then I will forgive you!”
7. Do repentance yourself important stage in the context of committing sins, this is sincere repentance and repentance. The righteous said: “True repentance is uttering words of repentance with the tongue, repentance in the heart and the determination to never return to sin again. If a person repents in this way, Allah will forgive his sin, even if it was great. Because Allah is forgiving." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam commits sins, but the best of them is the one who repents.” The hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: “He who makes sincere repentance of his sins is as if he had not committed them.” Repentance is a great blessing and joy bestowed upon believers, who, even after committing the forbidden, upon repentance can become absolutely pure.
8. Ask for forgiveness from the offended If your sin is related to the fact that you hurt, insulted or humiliated another person, then it is very important to ask for forgiveness from him. Our religion is amazing, it calls for peace and goodness, it does not tolerate disagreement, it is on the side of harmony and tranquility. Also in this case, the offender needs to ask for forgiveness from the offended person, and the offended person must forgive him. Thus, the injunctions of Islam establish order. This is clear from the hadith: “Let the one who has acted unfairly towards his brother, regarding his honor or anything else, be freed from it today, before the dinars and dirhams disappear! After all, if he has good deeds, they will be taken away from him (on the Day of Judgment) in accordance with the offense inflicted on him, and if he does not have good deeds, something from the bad deeds of the offended person will be taken and assigned to him.” “Forgive the person who did zulm to you, that is, oppression.” “Know how to forgive and make concessions. For forgiveness and forbearance only add greatness and significance to a person. And if you want Allah to exalt you, then forgive others their sins.”
9. Do good after sin “Verily, the owner of the left scroll (the angel who records bad deeds) holds his pen raised over the scroll of the sinful Muslim slave for six hours. If he repented and asked forgiveness from Allah (for the sin he committed), then he (the angel) discards this sin. Otherwise, he records it as one bad deed.” 10. Perform tawbah prayer - this is a prayer of repentance “If a person commits a sin, gets up to cleanse himself, then performs prayer and then asks Allah for forgiveness, then it cannot be that Allah does not forgive him.” It is performed in two rak'ahs.
Realize your mistake. It is very important to recognize when you have deviated from Allah's guidance. You must analyze what made you do it, how it will affect you and what consequences it will have for you. Think clearly, be honest with yourself and admit own mistakes. This is not necessary in order to feel bad, but in order to realize and accept the bitter truth that You committed a sin. Never forget that Allah created us and sustains us, and all He asks in return is that we worship and obey Him.
Don't ask for forgiveness under pressure from others. Many can guide you and tell you what is right and what is wrong, and if others know that you have committed a sin, then they can advise you to ask for forgiveness. But, if this is not sincere regret, then such repentance will have no power. It only has effect when it comes from your his heart, and not from someone else.
Resolve to never repeat this mistake. When seeking repentance, you cannot tell yourself: “I will ask for forgiveness and do it again.” No, it should not be. You must make every effort to never make this mistake again. You can't think: "I'm not sure I can do this." You must be confident! Don't let a shadow of doubt spoil your desire to be forgiven, otherwise repentance will not be accepted and you will incur punishment on yourself instead. Remember that a minor sin becomes a major sin if it is repeated.
Apply the three factors that determine the effectiveness of taub. The Tawba process includes the following factors:
- Recognizing your sins and mistakes;
- Feeling ashamed of violating Allah's trust;
- A promise to never repeat the mistake.
Admit if your sins or mistakes have affected someone else. Consider whether your actions have offended others. If yes, then seek their forgiveness as well.
- If the sin is to violate the rights of another person, it may concern them Money or property, then it is necessary to restore their rights.
- If the sin was slandering someone, then ask him for forgiveness with all your heart.
Know that Allah is the most merciful of all and is naturally inclined to forgive. However, He may be severe in punishment in one case or another, and we should never take His forgiveness for granted. If, having entered the path of repentance, you are not devoted to your God, then it will not bring any benefit. Have faith in Allah and pray that He will fix everything. Remember what the Quran says about Allah:
- “Verily, Allah loves those who repent a lot and loves those who purify themselves” (Al-Baqarah 2: 222).
Trust in the power of tawb. Tauba has many advantages that deserve no less attention.
- Tauba paves the way to success.
- Tauba protects us from adversity and trials.
- Tawbah helps clear our conscience.
- Tawbah pleases Allah.
- Tawbah is the path of life transformation.
- Tawbah makes our duas (supplications) more “worthy” of an answer.
- Sincere tawbah (repentance) leads to forgiveness of sins.
Perform the prayer. Pray with utmost sincerity and respect for Allah. Make it five obligatory prayers. If you can, try doing them in a mosque. A calm and selfless environment can help you. Do not hesitate to pray the additional rak'ahs of sunnah (recommended) and nafil (optional). They will definitely be credited to you, especially if completed sequentially.
Ask Allah for forgiveness after namaz (prayer). As the Koran says: “Perform prayer at the beginning and end of the day and at certain hours of the night (i.e., the five obligatory prayers)” (Hud 11: 114). It clearly states that Allah loves those who pray in right time With the right attitude and devotion.
Ask Allah for forgiveness all day long. Strive to receive forgiveness, although this path may be long and tedious, it is your only opportunity. Know that you are unlikely to be forgiven in one day, and He most likely will not forgive you after listening to just one or two prayers. It is a slow process of improving yourself from within.
- The Prophet said: “Verily, Allah the Exalted extends His hand at night so that those who have committed something evil during the day will repent, and He extends His hand during the day so that those who have committed something evil at night will repent, until the sun rises from where it sets.” "(beginning of the Day of Judgment) (Sahih Muslim).
Use different names Allah, which relate to His kindness and forgiveness. Most suitable names may be: Al-Afuw (the Merciful), Al-Ghafoor (the Forgiving) and Al-Ghaffar (the Forgiving).
- “And Allah (has) the most beautiful names; pray to Him through them” (Al-Araaf 7: 180)
Fast during the month of Ramadan. This is the most important time for every Muslim to show his devotion to Allah. In addition, it is considered the “month of forgiveness.” Get into the essence of sincerity and devotion.
- Read the article “How to make the most of Ramadan” to find out more.
Remember that good deeds help you forget about bad deeds. Focus on good deeds that are pleasing to Allah, and avoid those that Allah forbids.
- The Prophet said: "Five daily prayers and each next friday prayer after the previous one, and fasting in each subsequent Ramadan after the previous one will serve as atonement for the sins committed between them, if a person does not commit serious sins" (Sahih Muslim).
Do charity (zakat). Zakat is a wonderful way to atone for your sins, through which you will not only feel relief, but also improve someone else's life.
Perform Hajj. This The best way to receive forgiveness. It is said that all sins will be atoned for when we perform Hajj for the first time.
- Read "How to perform Hajj" for details.
Develop self-control to avoid similar situations in the future. Sometimes you may feel tempted to “break the law,” but remember that Allah, the Merciful, has promised to reward those who are patient and restrain themselves from inappropriate behavior.
Don't stop doing those "little things" that could contribute to your quest for forgiveness.
- React correctly to the adhan. The Prophet said: “Whoever says, having heard a person reciting the adhan: “I also testify that there is no god but Allah alone, who has no partner, that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I accept Allah as Lord, Muhammad as a messenger, and Islam as a religion - all the previous sins of such a person will be forgiven" (Sahih Muslim).
- Say "Amen." The Prophet said: “When the Imam says “Amen”, say “Amen”, because the angels also say Amen, and all the previous sins of a person whose Amen coincides with the angels are forgiven (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
- Be among the worshipers of Allah or those who honor Him. It is very important to stay away from the bad community or any person who distracts you from the holy path of Islam.
- Following the Islamic dress code will help you remember Allah and remind you to be completely obedient.
- By diligently praying two rak'ahs of prayer, you will sooner be able to gain forgiveness. The Prophet said: “Whoever takes ablution and does it perfectly, and then reads two rak'ahs of prayer without making any omissions in it (and without allowing inattention in it), his sins will be forgiven” (Ahmad).
Rely on the mentioned duas to seek forgiveness. Many duas have already been mentioned in previous tips, but there are many others that can help you find forgiveness.
- “Our Lord! We have done injustice to ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, then we will certainly be one of the losers” (Al-Araf 7:23) and Allah forgave him.
- "...And the Lord forgave him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Merciful! (Al-Baqarah 2:37)
- Repeat constantly Astaghfirull. Say it 3 times after each prayer and at least 100 times a day. This literally means "May Allah forgive me."
- Repeat "SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi" 100 times a day and all your sins will be forgiven, even if they were as numerous as the foam of the sea (Bukhari).
Ibn Hajar was asked a question to which [others] gave two different answers.
The question was:
“Is it permissible to make a dua for believing men and women to have all their sins forgiven and to be freed from Hell? And the first answer is: “Not allowed.” Imam Ibn Abdussalam and Imam al-Qurafi (Malikis) replied that it is not permissible to make such a dua, because we are so contrary to the words of Allah and the hadith of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that among them (the believers) there are those who will enter Hell.
Regarding the prayer for forgiveness of sins in the words of Allah Almighty in the story of Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him:
{رب اغفر لي ولوالدي ولمن دخل بيتي مؤمنا وللمؤمنين والمؤمنات}
The meaning: “O Lord, forgive the sins of me, my parents and those who will enter my house by believing, as well as believing men and women,” and the like, then it came in the form of a verb during the dua and has no meaning of generality, because the verbs are in indefinite form and perhaps this means, for example, all the believers of that time.
Others replied: It is permissible to make such a dua for several reasons. First: the imams, may Allah be pleased with them, said that it is desirable (sunna) for khatib to make dua for believing men and women. The second reason: Imam al-Mustagfiri reported from Abu Hurayrah, and he from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
ما من دعاء أحب إلى الله من قول العبد اللهم اغفر لأمة محمد رحمة عامة
« There is no dua more beloved by Allah than the words of a slave: “O my Allah, forgive the sins of the Ummah of Muhammad by His common Grace.”».
This is written in Al-Ujala and other famous books. Third reason: Sheikh Sharafuddin al-Burmawi was asked whether it is possible to ask for the forgiveness of all sins and not [believers] be detained for interrogation? And he replied: “It is possible to ask Allah for the forgiveness of all sins. Indeed, Allah can be pleased with those people who deserve it, and free the one asking from debts to Allah and people. As for the dua about not being placed for interrogation (i.e. in the Arasat area for reporting), this is a request for the impossible and one cannot ask for it. On the contrary, one should ask Allah to ease his [hardships] in this place.”
Which of these opinions is correct?
Sheikh Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, may Allah have mercy on him, replied:
Truly, making a dua to free all believers from Hell is prohibited, moreover, it is kufr, because it exposes sacred texts, indicating that some believing sinners will definitely enter Hell. As for the prayer for the forgiveness of all sins, if a person means by this a request to free all believers from Hell, then we have already said the ruling for this. If he means forgiveness, from which follows the alleviation of sins for some and the forgiveness of sins for others, or simply made such a dua, without any intention, then there is nothing forbidden in this. If you ask why it is possible with the above intention, then this is already clear. As for the permissibility of such a dua without any intention, then [it is permissible] because it does not follow from such a dua complete cleansing from sins, since such dua is used both in this sense and in the sense of relieving sins. Moreover, if a person makes a dua: “O my Allah, forgive all sins of all believers,” and makes the intention that he asks to forgive the sins of some and alleviate others, then this is also permitted. But if the intention is that no one will be led to Hell, then such a dua cannot be made.
If a person says in dua: “Forgive all Muslims for all their sins,” and does it without any intention or with the intention of freeing everyone from Hell, it is haram. If by this he wanted to ease [the severity of sins] for some, then it is possible. The difference between these two examples is clear from the above.
Verily, Allah commanded His Prophet Muhammad to seek forgiveness for the believing men and women:
{واستغفر لذنبك }
Meaning: " Ask for forgiveness of your sin"(Sura "Ghafir", verse 55), -
and:
{وللمؤمنين والمؤمنات}
«… and believing men and women"(Sura Nuh, verse 28).
Therefore, it is necessary to relate the words of Ibn Abdussalam and his disciple al-Qurafi to what I have explained.
So, we have learned: the generalization of the first answer is prohibition, and the answer of the second is permissibility, and this is wrong. And the fact that the second cited a hadith from al-Mustagfiri as an argument is also incorrect, because general Mercy does not mean forgiveness of all sins in the sense of cleansing from all of them. Indeed, from Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with them both, it was narrated:
» إن لله رحمة على أهل النار فيها «
« Verily, the Mercy of Allah Almighty is upon the inhabitants of Hell in Hell”, - because Allah could punish them even more than they are being punished. Allah Almighty also said:
{وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين}
« We did not send you except as a mercy for the worlds"(Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 107). Therefore, in the message of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), there is mercy for his enemies, namely, that they are not punished immediately. Allah, Holy and Great, knows best.
(From the book “Al-Fatawa al-Hadisiyah” (pp. 86-88). Damascus: Dar al-Taqwa, 2008).
