The Proper Way To Seek Allah's Forgiveness

Baanati Sunnah Study group  December 4, 2009 ♦ Acceptance of the du’as from Allah azza wa jal ♦ Du’a of Yunus Shaykh ul-Islaam Taymiyyah mentioned that way of anbiya (prophets) when supplicating to Allah azza wa jal was to humble themselves ♦ Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah compared the situation of when one asks for food you do not ask directly but state hunger/need then ask ♦ So mention need from Allah azza wa jal first ♦ This is humbling oneself ♦ Everything is from Allah azza wa jal but it is permissible to ask help of the people ♦ Asking people for things that only Allah azza wa jal can give can lead to shirk ♦ When believer makes the du’a he is supposed to acknowledge the evil of the sin he has committed and that has afflicted him when making du’a ♦ Acknowledge that he has been afflicted by his own sin ♦ Ask Allah azza wa jal forgiveness first for sin so Allah azza wa jal will repress the harm that will come to him from the sin ♦ Also Yunus felt shy because of his sin so he felt overwhelmed within himself so he didn’t not ask for the harm to be removed right away ♦ He had patience during his oppression of himself ♦ He told himself he was the cause of his harm ♦ 21:87 And (remember) Dhan-Nûn (Yunus), when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him (i.e. the calamites which had befallen him)! But he cried through the darkness (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allâh)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers." ♦ Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned the people want a quick du’a to remove their sins from them ♦ Good deed strictly for sake of Allah azza wa jal without riyaa (showing off), fame or worldly desires and mention it to Allah azza wa jal in order for Allah azza wa jal to remove harm from sins/sins o Sahih Al-Bukhari Book of Good Manners: Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "While three persons were traveling, they were overtaken by rain and they took shelter in a cave in a mountain. A big rock fell from the mountain over the mouth of the cave and blocked it. They said to each other. 'Think of such good (righteous) deeds which, you did for Allah's sake only, and invoke Allah by giving reference to those deeds so that Allah may relieve you from your difficulty. ♦ Yunus said what he was and did not ask for the harm to be removed right away ♦ Acknowledging sin is one of the steps for your harmed to be removed in your du’a

♦ When Yunus supplicated to Allah subhananu wa ta ‘ala saying “Glorified (and Exalted) are You” it becomes clear that Yunus acknowledges that Allah azza wa jal is… o Absolved of oppressing or punishing without cause o Rather I (Yunus) am the oppressor who has oppressed himself o Allah azza wa jal mentions this many time throughout the Quraan o 16:118 – (…)And We wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves. o 11:101 We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves. So their âliha (gods), other than Allâh, whom they invoked, profited them naught when there came the Command of your Lord, nor did they add aught (to their lot) but destruction. o 43:76 We wronged them not, but they were the Zâlimûn (wrongdoers, polytheists, etc.). o 7:23 They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." ♦ Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am your slave. I keep Your covenant, and my pledge to You so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeeds. Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You. ♦ Reference: Whoever recites this with conviction in the evening and dies during that night shall enter Paradise, and whoever recites it with conviction in the morning and dies during that day shall enter Paradise, AlBukhari 7/150. Other reports are in An-Nasa'i and At-Tirmithi. ♦ Bukhari called it the Master of Seeking forgiveness in terms of Duaaat ♦

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"‫ َوَأَنا‬،‫ك‬ َ ‫عْبُد‬ َ ‫خَلْقَتِني َوَأَنا‬ َ ،‫ت‬ َ ‫ل َأْن‬ ّ ‫ل ِإَلَه ِإ‬ ّ ‫ت َرّبي‬ َ ‫الّلُهّم َأْن‬ ‫شّر َما‬ َ ‫ن‬ ْ ‫ك ِم‬ َ ‫عوُذ ِب‬ ُ ‫ َأ‬،‫ت‬ َ ‫طْع‬ َ ‫سَت‬ ْ ‫ك َما ا‬ َ ‫عِد‬ ْ ‫ك َوَو‬ َ ‫عْهِد‬ َ ‫عَلى‬ َ ‫غِفر ِلي‬ ْ ‫ َوَأُبوُء ِبَذْنِبي َفا‬،‫ي‬ ّ ‫عَل‬ َ ‫ك‬ َ ‫ك ِبِنْعَمِت‬ َ ‫ َأُبوُء َل‬،‫ت‬ َ ‫صَنْع‬ َ َ ‫ل َأْن‬ ‫ت‬ ّ ‫ب ِإ‬ َ ‫ل َيْغِفُر الّذُنو‬ َ ‫"َفِإّنُه‬.

o Allaahumma 'Anta Rabbee laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta, khalaqtanee wa 'anaa 'abduka, wa 'anaa 'alaa 'ahdika wa wa'dika mas-tata'tu, 'a'oothu bika min sharri maa sana'tu, 'aboo'u laka bini'matika 'alayya, wa 'aboo'u bithanbee faghfir lee fa'innahu laa yaghfiruth-thunooba 'illaa 'Anta. Believer must acknowledge the ‘adl (justice) of Allah azza wa jal Allah azza wa jal does not oppress in the slightest and does not punish except for sins we have committed Every punishment arises from pure justice Every favour from Him arises from his mercy Must not be disrespectful when supplicating to Allah azza wa jal

♦ May be living through the effects of a sin we committed unawares and it may affect us negatively in our future ♦ RUN to repent first