Prayers for Ramadan, Prayers for Forgiveness (Part 2)

Peace, one and all…

We have entered the last 10 days of Ramadan.  If the month of Ramadan is a special time in the Islamic calendar, the last 10 days are a particularly special time within Ramadan.  Tradition connects the last 10 days with prayers for salvation from Hell.  In other words, these final days of Ramadan are especially connected with seeking forgiveness.  Here are a number of beautiful prayers, drawn from a wide range of sources, all of which offer a focus for asking for forgiveness.

I hope all who pass by find these beautiful prayers beneficial.  May God forgive us all for our sins and shortcomings.  May we all be purified by the forgiveness, compassion and tender mercy of the Divine.

‘The Chief of Forgiveness-Prayers’ (Du`a Sayyid al-Istighfar)

This prayer is attributed to the Prophet himself (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) and is described in the tradition as the best prayer for forgiveness.

‘O God!  You are my Lord.  There is no god but You.  You created me.  I am Your servant.  I shall try to fulfill my pledge with You as well as my power permits.  I seek refuge with You from the evil of my deeds.  Due to Your favours to me I turn to You and thank You and also confess my mistakes.  Forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins bu You.  O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!’

The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan (Part 2)

I seek forgiveness of God for my words and deeds,
for my vain strivings, and the exhaustion of my abilities.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my ignorance and transgressions,
for the greatest of my conscious sins, and the minor ones I have committed.

I seek the forgiveness of God for what my hand has wrought,
for my errors and [the sins] toward which I was inclined.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which my hand did not earn,
and for that which I earned upon attaining adulthood.

I seek the forgiveness of God for saying ‘I’ and ‘with me’,
[for saying] ‘belonging to me’ and ‘mine’, and for my suspicions and my [limited] understanding.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which I did not know,
for that which I knew and for which I wrote by pen.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my sleep, my lethargy,
and my wakefulness, and for that which has maintained me [in life].

I seek the forgiveness of God during the day, its night,
and its morrow, before it is created from nothingness.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which occurred during my youth,
and for my disagreements with the aged and mature.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as I have feared what He has bestowed,
and [as often as] the clouds have rained on the plains and hills.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of pilgrims, going
toward lands characterised by purity and sanctity.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the breaking of dawn, and as often
as the doves coo their songs in the branches.

(I will share the remaining part of this long and beautiful du`a in a subsequent post, insha Allah)

The Prayer of Repentance (Du`a Tawbah)

This beautiful prayer is attributed to the 4th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Ali ibn al-Hussain (more widely known as Imam Zayn al-Abidin, may God sanctify his noble soul).  It is beautifully recited below.  You can also find the text itself online.

Part One

Part Two

The Prayer of Glory (Du`a al-Baha’)

This prayer is attributed to the 5th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Muhammad al-Baqir (God sanctify his noble soul).  I posted this beautiful prayer a few years ago.

In closing, let me offer this beautiful prayer of the Mevlevi Order, entitled The Rose Prayer (Gulbenk):

‘May this moment be blessed.  May goodness be opened and may evil be dispelled.  May our humble plea be accepted in the Court of Honour; May the Most Glorious God purify and fill our hearts with the Light of His Greatest Name.  May the hearts of the lovers be opened.  By the breath of our master Mevlana, by the secret of Shams and Weled, by the holy light of Muhammad, by the generosity of Imam Ali, and the intercession of Muhammad, the unlettered prophet, mercy to all the worlds.  May we say Hu, Huuu…’

And my last prayer is praise of God, the Sustainer of All Being.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman