What Is the Importance of Istighfar in Islam? Benefits and Significance Explained

What Is the Importance of Istighfar in Islam? ~ Hello, dear readers! In several previous articles, I have explained some important points about the miracles of Istighfar. In this article, I will address an important question: What is the importance of Istighfar? As Muslims, we must understand this. Islam strongly encourages us to frequently recite Istighfar, which is why I am writing this article.

Before I go into further detail about the importance of Istighfar, there are three key points I want to clarify:

Once I have discussed each of these points, I will explain the significance of Istighfar.

Four Verses of the Quran About the Importance of Istighfar

The four verses of the Quran regarding the importance of Istighfar are as follows:

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

And Allah will not punish them while you are among them, and He will not punish them while they seek forgiveness (recite Istighfar). (Al-Anfal, 33)

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا

So I said to them, "Ask forgiveness from your Lord (recite Istighfar), for He is the Most Forgiving." (Noah, 10)

يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا

He will send rain to you in abundance. (Noah, 11)

وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا

And He will increase you in wealth and children, and provide for you gardens and rivers. (Noah, 12)

Dear readers, if we reflect on these four verses of the Quran, the importance of Istighfar, according to these verses, is as follows:

• Istighfar is one of the best ways to avoid the punishment of Allah.
• Istighfar is a powerful prayer through which Allah grants us ease in our endeavors, blesses us with offspring, provides us with abundant rizq (sustenance), and much more.

The Four Hadiths About the Importance of Istighfar

The four hadiths regarding the importance of Istighfar are as follows:

رَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ وَالْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ وَابْنُ أَبِيْ الدُّنْيَا عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ وَلَا أُمَّةٍ اِسْتَغْفَرَ اللهَ فِيْ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعِيْنَ مَرَّةً لَمْ يُكْتَبْ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِيْنَ , وَمَنْ اِسْتَغْفَرَ اللهَ فِيْ كُلِّ اللَّيْلَةِ سَبْعِيْنَ مَرَّةً لَمْ يُكْتَبْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِيْنَ

Al-Baihaqi, al-Asbahani, and Ibn Abi ad-Dunya narrated from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "There is no servant or person who asks Allah for forgiveness (recites Istighfar) seventy times each day, except that they will not be recorded among the liars. And whoever asks Allah for forgiveness (recites Istighfar) seventy times each night will not be recorded among the heedless."

رَوَى أَبُوْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ لَزِمَ الْإِسْتِغْفَارَ جَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ ضَيْقٍ مَخْرَجًا , وَمِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا , وَرَزَقَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

Abu Dawud narrated from Ibn Abbas, from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam: "Whoever consistently recites Istighfar, Allah will grant him a way out of every distress, relief from every sorrow, and provide him sustenance from where he does not expect."

وَرَوَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : يَقُوْلُ اللهُ تَعَالَى ياَ ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوْبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِيْ غَفَرْتُ لَكَ

At-Tirmidhi narrated from Anas, from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam: He said, "Allah the Exalted says: O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you seek My forgiveness (recite Istighfar), I will forgive you."

وَرَوَى أَحْمَدُ وَالْحَاكِمُ : قَالَ إِبْلِيْسُ وَعِزَّتِكَ لَاأَزَالُ أُغْوِيْ عِبَادَكَ مَا دَامَتْ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِيْ أَجْسَادِهِمْ . فَقَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : وَعِزَّتِيْ وَجَلَالِيْ لَاأَزَالُ أَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَغْفَرُوْانِيْ

Ahmad and al-Hakim reported: "Satan said, 'By Your Glory, I will continue to lead Your servants astray as long as their souls remain in their bodies.' Allah the Mighty and Majestic said, 'By My Glory and Majesty, I will continue to forgive them as long as they ask for My forgiveness (recite Istighfar).'"

Read Also: The Powerful Miracles of Istighfar

Dear readers, if we reflect on these four hadiths, the importance of Istighfar according to these teachings is as follows:

1. Istighfar is a prayer through which Allah forgives all our sins, no matter how many they are. Take note! Allah will forgive all our sins if we seek His forgiveness (recite Istighfar).
2. Istighfar is a prayer through which Allah provides solutions to our problems.
3. Istighfar is a prayer that prevents us from becoming heedless of Allah.

The Most Excellent Forms of Istighfar

The most excellent forms of Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) are as follows:

Istighfar al-Adhim

وَرَوَى أَبُوْ دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ عَنْ اِبْنِ مَسْعُوْدٍ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ قَالَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ الَّذِيْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّوْمُ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ . غُفِرَتْ ذُنُوْبُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ قَدْ فَرَّ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ

Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad), sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, "Whoever says, أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ الَّذِيْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّوْمُ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ (I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Most Magnificent, Who there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, and I repent to Him), then his sins will be forgiven, even if they are as great as fleeing from the battlefield."

Sayyidul Istighfar

وَقَدْ رَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : أَلآ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الْإِسْتِغْفَارِ اَللُّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ , وَأَبُوُءْ بِذَنْبِيْ , فَاغْفِرْلِيْ , فَإِنَّهُ لَايَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَفِيْ رِوَايَةٍ : وَارْحَمْنِيْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ . يَقُوْلُ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ قَالَهَا حِيْنَ يُمْسِيْ فَمَاتَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ , وَمَنْ قَالَهَا حِيْنَ يُصْبِحُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Al-Bukhari and others narrated from Shaddad bin Aus, from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad), sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, who said, "Shall I not inform you about the master of Istighfar (Sayyidul Istighfar)? It is: اَللُّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ , وَأَبُوءْ بِذَنْبِيْ , فَاغْفِرْلِيْ , فَإِنَّهُ لَايَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ (O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I am upon Your covenant and Your promise as much as I am able. I seek refuge with You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I confess my sins. So, forgive me, for no one forgives sins except You)." In another narration, it adds, "وَارْحَمْنِيْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْم (And have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful)." The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said, "Whoever says this in the evening and dies, will enter Paradise; and whoever says it in the morning and dies, will enter Paradise."

Dear readers! This is a brief explanation of the importance of Istighfar. Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

That's all for this article. I hope it is beneficial. Ameen!

See you in the next article!