ICICE AL-NOOR MASJID KHUTBAH FOR FRIDAY 20/11/2020

THE VIRTUES OF ISTIGFAAR

All praise is due to Allah the most generous , the Exalted, Who stretches His Hand in the night so as to accept the repentance of those who commit sins by the day and He stretches His Hand in the day to allow the night sinners to repent , I thank Him for His seize less blessings, I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the one Who urges his nation to constantly repent, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, his households and his companions till the last day.

O servants of Allah! fear Allah and know that Allah has commanded us to seek His forgiveness and repentance in so many verses in the glorious Qur’an. He described Himself as the most forgiving, The Forgiver of all Sins, and Accepter of repentance. He praised those who seek forgiveness and promised a good recompense for them. All these show us the importance and the virtues of repentance and our need to it.

Allah informed us about the prophets that they used to repent to Him. He mentioned Adam and Eve when they said: (“: Our Lord! We have been unjust to ourselves, and if you forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers.”) And about Noah (“And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers”.) And he also said “(My Lord! forgive me and my parents and who so ever enters my house believing, and the believing men and the believing women”). Allah made mention of Prophet Moses saying: (He prayed: “O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul! Do Thou then forgive me!” So (Allah) forgave him) He also said: “(And Dawud guessed that We have tested Him and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allah) in repentance.) And He said about Solomon: (My Lord! Forgive me and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.)” And Allah also ordained the last messenger as told him that: “(and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and women.)” And He instructed us to seek for His forgiveness” (therefore take straight path to Him, and seek forgiveness of His”) And Allah says in the Hadith of Qudsi “( O My slaves, you commit sins night and day and I forgive all sins, so seek for My forgiveness and I shall forgive you.”)

The following are the benefits and advantages of Istigfaar Oh servant of Allah:-

1- it repulses punishment of Allah. He said: “(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah’s) forgiveness.”)

2- it is a cause of easing hardships and sorrows:( It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas that : the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever persists in asking for forgiveness, Allah will grant him relief from every worry, and a way out from every hardship, and will grant him provision from (sources) he could never imagine.)

3- it’s a cause of having a heavy rain and abundance of wealth and righteous children and healthy food. A man came to Al-Hasanul Basri complaining about drought and dryness, He told him to engage in Istigfaar, and another one came complaining about poverty he asked him to seek for Allah’s forgiveness, then another one came complaining of lack of child he also instructed him to ask Allah for forgiveness. They were supprised of Him giving one answer for three different problems, He then said I didn’t say anything from my own view. Allah (s.w.t) said: (“(I said: Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you continuously. And give you increase in wealth and children and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.”).

The resurrection of the creatures in the hereafter shall be categorized into different groups. A group will appear in a gloomy and dark faces, while some will come with faces full of sorrow and anxiety and others will come carrying burdens of others.

While another category will appear in a very bright and lightning faces, full of happiness and excitement and they will be covered with tranquility. Allah will reward them with mercy and forgiveness, He’ll free them from Hell and punishment. Do you know who are those people?? They’re those who ask Allah’s forgiveness constantly and continuously. The messenger of Allah said in the Hadith of Abdullah bn busr : “(Glad tidings to those who find a lot of seeking forgiveness in the record of their deeds.”) And He also said: (“Whoever wants to be pleased with his book of deeds should seek forgiveness abundantly”).

O you Who believe, ask Allah’s forgiveness frequently on your daily basis in your homes, in your offices, on your way, on your bed, in the market

and anywhere. You don’t know when the forgiveness descends, let us be cleansed from our sins, let the Istigfaar be a means of tranquility and prosperity in our midst of you believing men and women and To Ummah at large. Let it be a solution of our problems, ailments, and tribulations. Let it be a source of our victory against our enemies.