Ramadan and Repentance

"If the servant acknowledges his sin and repents, then Allah accepts his repentance."  [Reported by Muslim]

Then his saying  at  the end  of the hadeeth of Shaddaad ibn  Aws, "None  forgives  sins except You," is an acknowledgement that Allah Alone  is  the One  who  forgives  sins,  and  that He  is  the One  who accepts repentance from  His  servants. Therefore the servant turns - in repentance, obedience, seeking forgiveness and pardon - to Allah Alone, since none forgives sins except Him.

Amongst the benefits to be obtained from the explanation and clarification of this hadeeth is that it makes apparent to us the fact that it contains two affairs:  Tawheed and al-Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness).  These   two  are  the  greatest and   most   important  of affairs  and  they are similarly combined in many texts of the Book  of Allah  and  the  Sunnah of  His  Prophet (Peace be upon him).  From these texts is the saying of Allah, the Most High:

“Then  know  that   none  deserves  nor   has   the   right   to   be worshipped except Allah, and  ask for forgiveness for your  sins and   also   for  believing men   and  believing women, for  Allah knows  well   your   actions  whilst  awake  and   whilst  in   your places of sleep.” [Surah Muhammad (47):19]

Likewise Allah mentions what Dhun-Noon said, calling out through the depths of the darkness:

“None has  the  right  to  be  worshipped but  You,  far  removed are You  from  imperfection! I have been one of those who have wronged themselves!”  [Surah al-Anbiyaa (21):87]

There is also the Saying of Allah, the Most High:

“So make your worship purely for Allah and seek   His forgiveness for your sins.”  [Surah Fussilat (41):6]

So,  in  these aayaat, the Tawheed of Allah  and  the seeking  of His forgiveness for sin are mentioned together and  there are many texts like  these that combine the two matters, as  they are combined in this tremendous hadeeth - the hadeeth of the most  excellent manner of seeking  forgiveness.

To summarize briefly, this tremendous hadeeth comprises:

(i)   Acknowledgement of Allah's Divinity and sole right to be worshipped

(ii) Acknowledgement that He is the Creator

(iii)  Acknowledgement of the Covenant that Allah has taken from His servants

(iv) The hope for that which He has promised them

(v) Seeking refuge from having transgressed against ones soul

(vi) Attribution of all blessings to the One who gave and granted them and that is Allah Alone

(vii)  Attribution of sins and commission of mistakes to one’s own self

(viii) And it contains the servant's desire for forgiveness and his acknowledgement that none can forgive except Allah, the One free of all imperfections.

May  Allah  guide  me  and  you  to every  good  and grant us  success  in  attaining it  -  we  say  of  this mighty hadeeth, that comprises all these very  great  matters and  all these excellent, comprehensive and  beneficial meanings, that it fully deserves to bear  the title, "The  most  excellent manner of seeking forgiveness."

It is therefore befitting that we give it the importance and attention that it deserves - that we memorise its wording and make it one of our adhkaar in the   morning, after the Fajr prayer and in the evening, either before or after sunset.

The most excellent manner of seeking forgiveness is that the servant says:

“O   Allah, You   are   my   Lord.   None has   the   right   to   be worshipped except You.  You created me, and I am Your slave/worshipper.  And  I  am  faithful to  my  covenant and  my promise as far as I am  able. I seek Your refuge from the evil of what I have done. I  acknowledge  before You  all  the  favours that  You  have  bestowed upon me.  And I confess all my sins to You.  So forgive me, since none can forgive sins except You.”

I ask  Allah, the Noble and  Generous, the Lord of the tremendous Throne,  by   His  perfect  Names  and by His   lofty  and   sublime attributes, that He  provides us with His aid in establishing this  and every dhikr and  every act of obedience to Him.

Allah  knows  best,  and  may  He  extol  and  send  blessings  of  peace and  security, and bless the slave of Allah and His Messenger-our Prophet Muhammad. Our final call is that all praise is for Allah, the Lord of all creation.