Introduction
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Indeed, when the servant commits a sin, a black dot appears on his heart. When he desists, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished clean. But if he commits a sin again, it increases until it covers his heart. And that is the ‘rān’ (rust) which Allah mentioned: ‘No indeed! Rather what they have been doing has rusted their hearts [Quran 83:14]’” (Sunan Ibn Majah 4244).
A heart tarnished with sin can be a major barrier to feeling closeness to Allah. One of the many benefits of istighfar is that it cleanses our hearts and removes the stains of our sins, thus bringing us closer to Allah. There are multiple ways we can perform istighfar. We can simply recite ‘Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness in Allah)’ over and over with a sincere heart.
However our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) has taught us a special dua which he called ‘Sayyidul Istighfar (the Chief Prayer of Forgiveness’. In this article we will discuss the meaning of Sayyidul istighfar, reflecting on each part of this profound dua, with the aim of encouraging us all to recite this dua regularly, sincerely pondering over it’s meaning with the hope that the Most Merciful, the One Who forgives over and over again, forgives us entirely.
What is Sayyidul Istighfar?
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is to say: ‘
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma anta rabbee, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtanee wa-ana ‘abduka, wa-ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa-wa’dika mastata’tu, a’udhu bika min sharri ma sana’tu, aboo’u laka bini’matika ‘alayya, wa-aboo’u bidhanbee, faghfir lee, fa-innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta.
“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favour upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sins except You.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) 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.”
The Significance of Sayyidul Istighfar
This prayer is significant for several reasons:
Comprehensive Acknowledgment: It begins by acknowledging Allah as The One and Only Deity worthy of worship and our relationship to Him as His servant. This acknowledgment brings out humility from us as we acknowledge our dependence on Allah.
Admission of Fallibility: The dua includes an explicit confession of sins and shortcomings, which is a crucial step in seeking forgiveness.
Request for Forgiveness: It culminates in a plea for Allah’s forgiveness, emphasising that none but Allah has the power to forgive our sins.
Breakdown of Sayyidul Istighfar
“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity except You.”
- Acknowledgment of Tawhid (Monotheism): This opening line affirms the believer’s recognition of Allah as The Only Lord and Creator. It emphasises the fundamental Islamic tenet of Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, and rejects any form of association with Him (Shirk). By declaring that there is no deity except Allah, the supplicant reaffirms their commitment to monotheism and their exclusive worship of Allah.
“You created me, and I am Your servant.”
- Recognition of Creation and Servitude: Here, the believer acknowledges that Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of all existence, including their own life. This statement expresses humility and the understanding that we are servants (abd) of Allah. It highlights that as believers we know our roles as slaves to Allah who seek to fulfil the duties prescribed to us by Him.
“And I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can.”
- Commitment to Faithfulness: This part reflects our intention to remain true to our covenant with Allah, which includes adherence His rules and legislations, and striving to live a life of righteousness. The phrase “as much as I can” recognises that we are falling short in this, each of us to varying degrees. It is a subtleand indirect plea for Allah to accept our efforts despite our many shortcomings.
“I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done.”
- Seeking Protection from Sin: In this phrase, we seek Allah’s protection from the consequences of our shortcomings. It is an admission of our highly imperfect nature and a plea for Allah to protect us from the repercussions of our sins despite us being the cause of them, whether they are known or unknown, deliberate or accidental.
“I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me.”
- Gratitude and Recognition of Allah’s Bounties: Here, we express gratitude for the countless blessings and favours Allah has granted. We subconsciously acknowledge that despite our sins and all the ways in which we fall short in fulfilling our duties to our Lord, He still continues to bless us, grant us ease and favour us. We become mindful of the grace our Lord has bestowed upon us and acknowledge that all good things come from Him.
“And I confess my sins to You.”
- Confession and Repentance: Following gratitude, we repeat a confession of our sins as sin is in essence ingratitude. A central element of Sayyidul Istighfar is the confession of sins. The true wrong in sinning is that we sin against a Lord who deserves nothing but gratitude from us. Were we to spend our lives in complete worship and gratitude to Him, it would not be enough. Yet, we constantly sin. As such, repeatedly admitting one’s wrongdoings is crucial in sincere istighfar. It reflects a sincere recognition of our mistakes and a heartfelt request for forgiveness.
“So forgive me, for surely no one can forgive sins except You.”
- Appeal for Forgiveness: The dua culminates in a direct appeal to Allah for His forgiveness in a frank and sincere way. Here, we show our acknowledgment and acceptance that it is only Allah who can forgive our sins. We subtly convey that if He does not forgive us we have nowhere and no one else to turn to and will be at the most profound level of loss.
Conclusion
Sayyidul Istighfar is a beautiful conversation with Al-Ghafur. It take us on a journey beginning with acknowledging Him as the sole Creator of the worlds and everyone in it, including ourselves. It continues by reaffirming that we are His slaves, indebted to Him because He is our Lord, our Creator. We then present to our Lord, our efforts to be faithful to our covenant to Him, to obey and follow His commands.
We acknowledge that while we try, we fall shamefully short by sinning and we need Him to protect us from the repercussions of these sins. We acknowledge His favour and blessings upon us and humbly reiterate that we are sinners despite this. Finally, we end the dua with a sincere and frank plea for His forgiveness, acknowledging that we have nowhere else to turn if He does not forgive us.
This dua is imbued with profound theological and spiritual meaning, reflecting our core beliefs as muslims. Sayyidul istighfar serves as a comprehensive framework for spiritual reflection, repentance, and renewal.
Let us try to incorporating Sayyidul Istighfar into our daily routines, especially during the recommended times of morning and evening. This will will hopefully help us to cultivate a practice of mindfulness and continual self-improvement and serve as a reminder of the ever-present opportunity for redemption and The Boundless Mercy of Allah. May Allah make us of those who constantly turn back to Him, seeking HIs Forgiveness and hoping in His Mercy.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.’”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 4251)