The Value of Istighfar

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al- Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

A’ūdhu bi-Llāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

(Qur’ān 71:10-12). ‘Istaghfirū Rabbakum ‘Innahu Kāna Ghaffārāan (10) Yursili AsSamā'a Alaykum Midrārāan (11) Wa Yumdidkum Bi'amwālin Wa Banīna Wa Yajal Lakum Jannātin Wa Yaj`al Lakum ‘Anhārāan (12)’, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver (10) He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers (11) And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers (12).’ Sadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla is saying, “Ask forgiveness from Allah ﷻ so that Allah ﷻ sends you rain and Barakah, so that He ﷻ sends you offsprings, money and wealth”. This is the advice of Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla to people.

If you ask forgiveness from Allah ﷻ - Before making Dua for rain, they used to repent and make Istighfar and then make Dua for rain. Allah ﷻ gives His ﷻ Barakah then. Everything has its principles and pillars. Who applies it certainly benefits from it. The benefit of Akhirah is better and more. But it is also in Dunya; Allah ﷻ still gives Barakah.

Repenting and asking forgiveness is important. “I didn’t commit a sin. I didn’t do anything”. There is not a person without a sin. Everyone has certainly made a mistake or a sin. They have faults and things they did by being aware or unaware of them. We should repent and ask forgiveness for them. Don’t say “I didn’t do”. Even our Holy Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, “I make Istighfar 70 times a day”. A Prophet is infallible. And Allah ﷻ doesn’t let our Holy Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam who is the greatest of all Prophets commit a sin at all. He ﷺ doesn’t do it. Yet, he ﷺ says, “I make Istighfar 70 times a day”.

People should also repent and make Istighfar at least 70, 100, or more than 100 times a day, or as much as they can. Its benefit is enormous. When people commit a sin, Allah ﷻ doesn’t allow angels to write it down until eight hours have passed. If you repent until that time, they won’t write it down. Even if you repent afterwards, Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla will erase what is written. We have such a Merciful and Majestic Lord.

We should always praise Him ﷻ and make Shukr to Him ﷻ for the blessings and beauties He ﷻ gives us. To glorify and exalt Him ﷻ is the duty of every Muslim. Dunya is not our duty. Our duty is to glorify Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla and to make Him ﷻ happy. Allah ﷻ is happy when His ﷻ servant repents and asks forgiveness. It is beneficial to us. There is no greater benefit than it.

If you honor the people in this world, everyone knows that you do it for a personal benefit. The benefit is with Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. If you want benefit, obey Allah ‘Azza waJalla, glorify and exalt Him ﷻ. No need for anyone else. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla is the one who gives everything. May Allah ﷻ make this beauty everlasting for all of us insha’Allah. May He ﷻ make it everlasting for Muslims. May they not look for it here and there. What they should look for: Allah ﷻ says, “Make Dua to Me and look for Me.”

May Allah ﷻ help us. May He ﷻ give strength of Iman to all of us insha’Allah. May He ﷻ increase His ﷻ goodness. May Allah ﷻ give good rain and every Barakah. May Allah ﷻ protect Muslims from Fitnah and evil insha’Allah.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 03 January 2023/ 10 Jumada al-Akhir 1444 Fajr Prayer, Akbaba Dergah

www.hakkani.org