Seeking forgiveness (istighfar)

On the believers' prayer in Al Imran 16, Sha'rawi holds that God legislated repentance and forgiveness because He knows that the self can betray its owner. Seeking forgiveness is a duty that must be carried out ¹.

He says that once a servant knows God has guaranteed forgiveness, he approaches Him with love rather than fear, and the dread leaves him. The prayer "our Lord, we believe; forgive us" shows knowledge of the weight of belief ^{3 1}.

He holds that repentance is a mercy that opens the door for one who sinned and turned back. The sting of a sin when remembered is written as a good deed, and God's legislation meets the reality of human nature ¹.

This is Sha'rawi's account of repentance and seeking forgiveness, not checked against the books of fiqh and creed. The academic view and any non-Sunni view have not been checked.

The Sheikh attributes to Ja'far al-Sadiq a counsel: when sins come, seek forgiveness; when blessings come, give thanks; and when trials come, repeat often the formula of la hawla (needs_source: the attribution is not sourced in the recording). ⁴ He says that istighfar is a form of God's pardon, and cites a line by al-Ghazali that God's pardon covers all sins (needs_source: the text of the line is not sourced in the recording). ⁵ He likens forgiveness to a repaid debt: the creditor may keep a reproach, but God does not reproach the one whom He has forgiven. ⁶ He cites a hadith qudsi that sins which reach the sky are forgiven when the servant returns, and tells of a man who obeyed for twenty years and sinned for twenty, and of what was said to him through Moses (needs_source: the story is not sourced in the recording). ⁷ He recalls that Moses asked God for forgiveness and was forgiven, and says that God forgives those who turn back to Him. ⁸ He cites a hadith qudsi that God forgives the sins of night and day, and that the first and last of creation could not diminish His kingdom by anything. ⁹ He tells the story of Adam's disobedience and his forgiveness, and says that God made Himself known to Adam through the attributes of forgiveness and mercy, which shows a patience that does not complain. ¹⁰

The Sheikh lists the remedies: love of God, of His law, of the Prophet ﷺ and of the Qur'an, and then frequent istighfar. He cites a hadith that persistence in istighfar relieves every distress and brings provision from unexpected sources, and he calls it the Muhammadan pharmacy. ¹¹ He says the cure is love of God's law, of His Prophet and of the Qur'an, together with much istighfar, and cites a hadith that God gives a way out of every narrow place to one who keeps on seeking forgiveness. ¹² He advises saying istighfar several times after each prayer, and repeating la hawla. ¹³

He states a saying that there is no small sin with persistence and no great sin with seeking forgiveness (needs_source: the saying is not sourced in the recording). ¹⁴ He says that backbiting is put right by asking the pardon of the person backbited, or, if that is not possible, by speaking well of him where one spoke ill. ¹⁵ He notes that Sura Al Imran and Sura Al Hadid both urge hastening to seek forgiveness from God, and he holds that the Qur'an uses hastening in worldly matters too. ¹⁶ He says that Nuh told his people to seek forgiveness so that rain would come to them and they would be given wealth and children, and that seeking forgiveness is the path to provision (needs_source: the link between istighfar and provision is not yet sourced). ¹⁷