Reflections on ‘Sinning’?!
A post-Fajr reflection on the 22nd day in Ramadan 1444, or the 13th April 2023.
One of the new habits that I have recently been blessed with is that of doing plenty of Istighfar. What this is, is simply asking Allah SWT for forgiveness, by the simplest act of the repetition of two Arabic words “أَسْتَغْفَرُ الله” (Astaghfarullah). Now you may be wondering: “what is the big deal here? We all say this every now and then,” right? However, it is sometimes said mockingly, and even at the time of, or straight after, sinning. How about we do this at times of ease? When we are strong in Imaan (faith), and at times of sincere worship. It is an act of worship in and of itself. It is a duaa (supplication). It is an act of repentance, when said frankly and mindfully.
I remember a while back I was going through a difficult time and my parents -may Allah SWT forgive them and be pleased with them- suggested once that I did 1000 istighfar’s. At that time, I really struggled with the practise, and unfortunately, part of me did not see the point. Here I am at a time of hardship and I am being asked to seek forgiveness. “Was I at fault, and therefore caused my hardship?” I pondered. The thing is, whether our hardships are self-inflicted or not, Istighfar has been known and proven to reduce anxiety. A sense of ease occurs after the practise.
Saying a thousand Istighfar may take you about 15 minutes of your day, but believe me: that it is nothing compared to the time that we may have spent in sinning... And yet, Allah SWT is the most merciful! He is so merciful in that in just a split second of you saying “Astaghfarullah” mindfully and with sincerity in repentance from a particular sin that you may have committed repeatedly over years, he could easily forgive it all for you.
We should not be open about our sinning. However, there is no harm in sharing ideas and acts of repentance. The reality is, all mankind are sinners. It is fact.
May Allah bless my current Quran teacher who made it very clear to me that success in the memorisation of the Holy Quran will only come with a morning* ritual which includes 1000 Istighfar. Yes, another benefit from Istighfar- and repentance in general- is success in learning, better focus, and a better memory. This phenomenon does tie in nicely with the following ayah (verse) from the Holy Quran from Surat (chapter of) Fatir:
*(Another really good time for Istighfar is during Suhoor time, i.e. in the hour or so before Fajr time starts. Proof for this is when Allah SWT praises those who do this in a few verses in several chapters the Quran).
