The great effect of seeking the Forgiveness and some of its benefits - III part

It eases the travelling for the travellers, protects them from its evils, and preserves their families and properties.

If the slave gathers seeking the Forgiveness of Allâh, honoring Him from  imperfection; and glorifying the praises of Him together in the time period after the midnoon till sunset and in the time period from sunrise till before midnoon, the response will be highly expected. And this itself is an education of the psyche and a purification of the heart, and by this overcoming the psyche occurs at first, then the other form of victory in the real life occurs. Allâh, the Most High, said:

فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ }غافر55

“So be patient (O Muhammad!). Verily, the Promise of Allâh is true, and ask forgiveness for your fault, and glorify the praises of your Lord in the Ashi (i.e. the time period after the midnoon till sunset) and in the Ibkâr (i.e. the time period from early morning or sunrise till before midnoon)" (Ghafir: 55)

Seeking the Forgiveness of Allâh frequently makes the slave think that he has no grace or right on any one of  Allâh's slaves, as he knows that there are many slaves who are better than him and doing more good deeds with higher level of sincerity, while he who seeks the Forgiveness of Allâh and repents to Him rarely, is characterized by continuous blaming of people, complaining of their neglecting to give him his rights, and discontentment with them and they are more discontented with him.

Seeking the Forgiveness of Allâh and repentance to Him frequently busy the slave with his defects, so he stops thinking and talking about the defects of other people. And blessed are those who are interested in their defects, not in the defects of other people, and woe unto those who are interested in the defects of other people, not in their defects.

The asker for the Forgiveness of Allâh performs good deeds continuously for the benefit of other people, asks for the Forgiveness of Allâh for his believing brothers frequently, and says usually: "O My Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and all the Muslim men and women.", as he knows that his brothers need asking for the Forgiveness of Allâh and repentance to Him. Allâh, the Most High, said:   

وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ }محمد19

"…and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women." (Muhammad: 19)

The asker for the Forgiveness of Allâh remembers Allâh, and this leads to remembering him by Allâh, as Allâh, the Most High, said:    

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ }البقرة152

"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you" (Al-Baqarah: 152)

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "If there is no advantage in the remembrance of Allâh but this advantage, enough is it as a grace and honor." 

Seeking the Forgiveness of Allâh frequently is a type of remembrance of Allâh, the Most High, and this is a safeguard against hypocrisy, as the hypocrites remember Allâh rarely.            

وَلاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً }النساء142 

"…and they do not remember Allâh but little." (An-Nisa': 142)

Ka’ab said: “He who remembers Allâh, the Most High, frequently, is free from hypocrisy.”

Seeking the Forgiveness of Allâh is a companion of knowledge, and by both of them, the slave's grade is raised in this worldy life and in the Hereafter, and the pious scholar seeks the Forgiveness of Allâh and repents to Him continuously. Allâh, the Most High, said:   

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ }محمد19

"So know (O Muhammad!) that Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women (Muhammad:19)

It has no benefit at all if conjugated with major hypocrisy. Allâh, the Most High, said about the hypocrites' asking for seeking His Forgiveness while they are liars:

سيقول لك المخلفون من الأعراب: شغلتنا أموالنا وأهلونا فاستغفر لنا يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ }الفتح11

"Those of the bedouins who lagged behind will say to you: "Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us." They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts" (Al-Fath: 11)

It recompensates for the defects in the worship and every thing the slave did not do,or did in a defective manner, as in the long verse of Surat Al-Muzzammil, . Allâh, the Most High, encouraged us to ask forgiveness after reciting the Qur'ân, fighting the enemies, performing As-Salât (the prayers), giving Zakât (the obligatory charity), and lending to Him a goodly loan. Allâh, the Most High, said:    

وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْراً وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْراً وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ }المزمل20

“…and whatever good you send before you for yourselves, (i.e. Nawâfil non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and 'Umrah, etc.), you will certainly find it with Allâh, better and greater in reward. And seek Forgiveness of Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (Al-Muzzammil: 20)

It is a cause for the victory of this religion and this nation, specially if it is done by the Messenger (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him), the Rightly-Guided Caliphs or the pious scholars and worshippers. As-Sa’di (May Allâh have mercy on him) said in the explanation of Surat An-Nasr:

"It denotes that the victory of this religion continues and increases when glorifying the Praises of Allâh, and asking for His Forgiveness is done by the Messenger (May Allâh exalt his mention, and peace be upon him) as it is a form of gratefullness. And this has occurred in the period of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and after them, as Allâh's Help has been continuous to the extent that Islam has reached what no other religion has reached. 

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