Home › Causes Of Forgiveness › Most Virtuous Types Forgiveness
Chapter 5. The most virtuous types of forgiveness
The most virtuous types of forgiveness begin with praise of his Lord, then praising the ability to recognise sin and then ask Allah (the Exalted) for forgiveness.
As it comes in Hadith on the authority of Shadid Ibn Awais that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
"The Master of the supplication of forgiveness is when the servant says, "O Allah, you are my Lord; there is no deity other than you; you created me; I am your slave; I am upon your covenant and promise as much as I am able; I seek refuge from the evil I have done disobeying you by your blessings upon me; and my sins; forgive me as no one forgives sins except you." [Bukhari]
In the two authentic collections, Abdullah Ibn Amr reports that Abu Bakr the Truthful asked, "O Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication which I can use in my prayer." He replied,
"Say, "O Allah, I have oppressed myself in many ways; no one forgives sins except you; so forgive me from the mercy you have and show me mercy as truly you are the All-Forgiving and All-Merciful." [Bukhari & Muslim]
The Types of forgiveness
From the type of forgiveness is when the servant says,
"I seek the forgiveness of Allah; the Greatest whom there is no deity except him; the Ever Living, the Self Subsistent and to him I repent."
It is narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said,
"If someone said to forgive them (then do so) even if they flee from the battlefield." [Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi]
In the book of actions for the day and night of Imam An-Nisa'i narrated from Khabab Ibn Al-Arat (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, how do we seek forgiveness?" He replied (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings),
"O Allah, forgive us; show us mercy and turn to us; you are the All- Forgiving and All-Merciful."
On this (subject) Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have not seen anyone say, "I seek the forgiveness of Allah and turn to him," more than the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings)." [Nisai]
"Lord, forgive me and turn to me as you are All-Forgiving and All-Merciful." [Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi & An-Nisai]
In the four authentic collections, Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) in gathering and he said, hundred times,
How many times a day?
In the authentic collection of Al-Bukhari reports from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said,
"I swear to Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah and turn to him more than one hundred times a day." [Bukhari]
In the authentic collection of Imam Muslim reports from Al-Ghar Al-Mazani from the Prophet (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said,
"He would recite to my heart. I seek the forgiveness of Allah one hundred times a day." [Muslim]
In Al-Musnad on the authority of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) I asked,
"O Messenger of Allah, the sharpness of tongue is general for my family." He replied, "Where are you seeking forgiveness? I seek the forgiveness of Allah one hundred times a day and night." [Ahmad]
Abu Dawood, in his collection, reports on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
"Whoever seeks forgiveness often; Allah makes for him relief for every concern; for every constriction an exit and provision from where he did not acquire." [Abu Dawood]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
"I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to him; one thousand times every day and that is according to my ransom." [Abu Nayim in Al-Hilyah Al-Awilyah]
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said,
"Blessed are those who find in their records much seeking forgiveness." [Baihaqi]
Abu Muhal said, "There is no neighbour (better) for the servant in his grave; more beloved to him than much seeking forgiveness."
The medicine of sins is seeking forgiveness
Generally the medicine of sins is seeking forgiveness. We narrate that Abu Dhar said,
"Every illness has a cure and the cure for sins is seeking forgiveness." [Hakim (Marfu)]
Qatada said, "The Quran indicated to your illnesses and your medicines; as for the illnesses those are your sins, and as for your remedy that is seeking forgiveness." [Baihaqi]
Some have said, "The pickaxe of the sinner is tears and seeking forgiveness. Whoever is concerned about their sins should seek forgiveness frequently."
Riha Al-Qisa said, "I have more than forty sins that I seek forgiveness from Allah one hundred thousand times." [Abu Nayim in Al-Hilyah Al-Awilyah]
Take yourself into account, form the time of maturity, if you slip up do not let them exceed thirty six and seek forgiveness for each one of them one hundred thousand times. Pray one thousand units for each one. Finish the Quran in each unit. Someone said, "Despite this I am not safe that from the presumption that my Lord may bring me into account for them. So I have it in my mind that the repentance is accepted."
Seeking forgiveness from few sins
Whoever is overly concerned about their sins should perhaps connect them to the lowliness of what he spoke about; then cling to seeking forgiveness. As Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to seek forgiveness for children, he would say, "They do not commit sin." Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah forgive Abu Hurayrah." So believe in their supplications.
Bakr Al-Mazani said, "If a man where to knock on a door as the poor do and say, "forgive me," his acceptance would be the action."
Whoever has many sins and wrong actions until the number are unknown and innumerable he should seek forgiveness from Allah (the Exalted) that which he knows. As Allah (the Exalted) has prescribed everything and numerated it as He (the Exalted) stated,
“On the day when Allah will raise them all together and inform them of what they did. Allah kept account of it whilst they forgot.” [Quran, 58:6]
"I beseech you for the good that you know; I seek refuge from the evil you know and I seek forgiveness from what you know as you are the knower of the unseen." [Imam Ahmed, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nisai & Al-Hakim]
In a poem one of them said, "I seek forgiveness from Allah from what Allah knows; unfortunate is he who Allah does not show mercy to; do not consider that Allah will punish each wrong action; rather Allah is clement; so seek the forgiveness of Allah for every slip up; blessed are those who refrain from what Allah dislikes; blessed is he who perfects his secrets; blessed is he prevents himself from what Allah prohibited."