Holy Quran Says “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)”.
This beautiful verse of Quran says that ALLAH swt forgives those who repent and who ask for forgiveness with clear and sincere intentions. If intensions are not true, the action loses its importance in the sight of ALLAH.
We are human beings are bound to do mistakes and commit sins. It is also a fact that the most of the small sins we do daily, we do not even realize. And it’s also a fact that we can keep ourselves away from the big sins because we know what they are. But we cannot mostly keep ourselves away from those small sins that seem to us negligible acts like, sometimes we hurt our fellows without even realizing that. Or sometimes we talk ill about others in their absence and do not realize our mistake. Sop for these sins we have to ask for forgiveness.
The other reason for asking forgiveness is that by asking for forgiveness we actually submit ourselves to ALLAH swt being humble souls and good creation of HIS. If we do not do this, this will only mean that we are over confident about ourselves which is none other than pride, one of the most disliked acts in Islam.
Holy Quran: 46:16
“They are those from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds. (They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise — a promise of truth, which they have been promised.”
Therefore, if we only try to be humble ALLAH swt will overlook our sins and HE will enter us in paradise where all HIS good people will live. And the only way to be humble is to ask for forgiveness by realizing our position and status.
There are several ahadith reported by companions of Muhammad s.a.w.w that tells us that our beloved prophet s.a.w.w used to ask for forgiveness daily. Some ahadith mentioning this act are given below.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I ask Allaah for forgiveness one hundred times a day.” Narrated by Muslim (2702).
And
And Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “By Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness and I repent to Him more than seventy times every day.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6307).
And
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We used to count the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying in a single gathering one hundred times: Rabb ighfir li wa tubb ‘alayya innaka anta al-Tawwaab al-Raheem (O Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful). Narrated by Abu Dawood (1516) and al-Tirmidhi (3430)
And
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I never saw anyone say “Astighfir Allaah wa atoobu ilayh (I ask Allaah for forgiveness and I repent to him)” more than the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Narrated by al-Nasaa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/118).
When our beloved prophet s.a.w.w never hesitated to do astaghfar, we should also do the same.
This beautiful verse of Quran says that ALLAH swt forgives those who repent and who ask for forgiveness with clear and sincere intentions. If intensions are not true, the action loses its importance in the sight of ALLAH.
We are human beings are bound to do mistakes and commit sins. It is also a fact that the most of the small sins we do daily, we do not even realize. And it’s also a fact that we can keep ourselves away from the big sins because we know what they are. But we cannot mostly keep ourselves away from those small sins that seem to us negligible acts like, sometimes we hurt our fellows without even realizing that. Or sometimes we talk ill about others in their absence and do not realize our mistake. Sop for these sins we have to ask for forgiveness.
The other reason for asking forgiveness is that by asking for forgiveness we actually submit ourselves to ALLAH swt being humble souls and good creation of HIS. If we do not do this, this will only mean that we are over confident about ourselves which is none other than pride, one of the most disliked acts in Islam.
Holy Quran: 46:16
“They are those from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds. (They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise — a promise of truth, which they have been promised.”
Therefore, if we only try to be humble ALLAH swt will overlook our sins and HE will enter us in paradise where all HIS good people will live. And the only way to be humble is to ask for forgiveness by realizing our position and status.
There are several ahadith reported by companions of Muhammad s.a.w.w that tells us that our beloved prophet s.a.w.w used to ask for forgiveness daily. Some ahadith mentioning this act are given below.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I ask Allaah for forgiveness one hundred times a day.” Narrated by Muslim (2702).
And
And Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “By Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness and I repent to Him more than seventy times every day.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6307).
And
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We used to count the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying in a single gathering one hundred times: Rabb ighfir li wa tubb ‘alayya innaka anta al-Tawwaab al-Raheem (O Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful). Narrated by Abu Dawood (1516) and al-Tirmidhi (3430)
And
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I never saw anyone say “Astighfir Allaah wa atoobu ilayh (I ask Allaah for forgiveness and I repent to him)” more than the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Narrated by al-Nasaa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/118).
When our beloved prophet s.a.w.w never hesitated to do astaghfar, we should also do the same.