1. Seeking Allah’s Forgiveness Chapter 7 & 8

2. Seeking Allah’s Forgiveness Allah commands us to see forgiveness. He states: “And seek forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate.” (73:20) We should constantly be from those who seek Allah’s forgiveness. We are humans who make so many mistakes and because of this we should seek the forgiveness Allah for those things we do knowingly and unknowingly. Allah states, “And whoever does evil, or wrongs his own soul, but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, will find Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate. Allah is so Merciful to His slave. Even when His slave wrongs his own soul, Allah is still waiting to forgive them. So turn to Him consistently.

3. Seeking Allah’s Forgiveness On the authority of Shaddad ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam, said, “The chief of prayers for forgiveness is: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ." Allahumma anta rabbee la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtanee wa-ana ‘abduka, wa- ana ‘alaa ‘ahdika wawa’dika mas-tata’tu, a’oothu bika min sharri ma sana’tu, aboo-o laka bini’matika ‘alaya, wa-aboo-o bizambee, faghfir lee zunoobi fa- innahu la yaghfiruz-zunooba illa ant.

4. Seeking Allah’s Forgiveness Allahumma anta rabbee la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtanee wa-ana ‘abduka, wa- ana ‘alaa ‘ahdika wawa’dika mas-tata’tu, a’oothu bika min sharri ma sana’tu, aboo-o laka bini’matika ‘alaya, wa-aboo-o bizambee, faghfir lee zunoobi fa- innahu la yaghfiruz-zunooba illa ant. ‘O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshiped except You, You created me and I am Your servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise [to honor it] as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I committed. I acknowledge Your favor upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sins except You.’ The Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam, added, “If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise.”

5. Supplication Allah states, “Call on Me – I will answer you.” (40-60) Allah states, “Surely those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Hell in humiliation.” (40:60) Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, “Whoever does not supplicate to Allah invokes His wrath.” (Tirmithi) An-Nu’man ibn Basheer narrated that the Prophet said, “Supplication is worship.” Abu Saeed al Khudri narrated that the Prophet said, “No Muslim makes a dua to Allah, without being granted one of three things by Allah: it hastens the fulfillment of what he has asked for; or it is saved up for him until the Day of Judgment; or it prevents a similar kind of trouble from happening to him – unless it was something bad, or something that might break family ties.” (Tirmithi)

6. Good Observances in Making Supplication Best times to make dua; Arafat, Ramadan, Jumu’ah, early morning, when it is raining, sajdah, between the athan and Iqamah, etc. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, “A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in prostration, so increase your supplication when in prostration.” (Muslim) The Prophet said, “Supplication made during the time between the athan and the iqamah is never made in vain.” (Tirmithi) The Prophet said “None of you should say, O Allah forgive me if you wish or O Allah have mercy on me if you wish, but he should always be firm in asking Allah, for nobody can compel Allah to do something against His will.” (Bukhari)

7. Good Observances in Making Supplication Continues… Abu Hurayrah said, لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ اكْرَمَ على اللَّهِ تَعالى مِنَ الدُّعاءِ ‏‏‏ "There is nothing that is more noble in the sight of Allah than dua (supplication)." Al Shawkani commented on this hadith stating: "It has been said that this is the case because of the fact that it shows the power of Allah, and the incapability of the one making dua. But it is more correct to say that since dua is worship, and, as confirmed in another hadith, the essence of worship, it is the most noble act because of this position. This is because mankind has only been created to worship Allah."

8. Good Observances in Making Supplication Continues… Al-Khattabi also stated: "The meaning of Dua (supplication) is the servant's asking his Lord for His Help, and asking for His continued support. Its essence is that a person shows his neediness to Allah, and frees himself from any power or ability to change (any matter by himself). This characteristic is the mark of servitude, and in it is the feeling of human submissiveness. Ibn Taymiyyah replied that without it (dua), he could not function.

9. Good Observances in Making Supplication Continues… In demonstrating yet another benefit regarding supplication the Shaykh related the following narration: "A man came to Al Hasan al Basree, the noble Taabi'ee, and complained to him of poverty. So he said to him, 'Ask forgiveness of Allah.' Another man came to him complaining that he did not have children. So he said to him, "Ask forgiveness of Allah.' A third man came to him complaining of the bareness of his garden. So he said to him, 'Ask forgiveness of Allah.' Then he recited to them the saying of Allah, the Perfect and Most High: فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا "I said (to them): 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft- Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.' (Surah Nuh, Verses 10 - 12)

10. Good Observances in Making Supplication Continues… It is also good to face the Ka’bah, say it 3 times, and to be in wudu when making dua. None of this mandatory. We should begin our dua by praising Allah and sending salah and salam upon the Prophet. We should end by Praising Allah, and sending salah and salam upon the Prophet. The one who asks should not say, “I prayed but He has not responded to my dua.” This is a sign of despair which may cause the person to not want to make dua any longer.