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

Pure Water

Peace, one and all…

‘Any life lived apart from spiritual companions
is to your essence lifeless and asleep.
Water that makes you murky is poison,
but poison that makes you clear is pure water’
(Mevlana Divan-i Kebir, 898, trans. Shaykh Kabir Helminski)

The Living Water

Peace, one and all…

Praise be to God in every condition and state!

I have just started a 7 week online retreat with the Threshold Society at Spirituality and Practice.  Thank you Allah for Your every mercy!

‘Say: “Shall I tell you of better things than those [earthly joys]? For the God-conscious there are, with their Sustainer, gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and spouses pure, and God’s goodly acceptance.” And God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His servants’ (3:15, trans Asad).

‘Though your life has almost passed,
this present moment is its root:
if it lacks moisture, water it with repentance.
Give the Living Water to the root of your life,
so that the tree of your life may flourish.
By this Water past mistakes are redeemed.
By this Water last year’s poison is made sweet’
(Rumi, Mathnawi V, 2222-2224)

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Tent of Adab

Peace, one and all…

In His noble book, Allah Subhanahu wa’a Ta’ala (the Glorifed and Exalted)relates a short episode from the life of prophet Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam):

‘Has the story reached you of the honoured guests of Ibrahim? When they entered his dwelling and said, ‘Peace!’ He said, ‘Peace, to people we do not know. Then he turned quietly to his household, and brought forth a fat [roasted] calf, and placed it before them, saying, “Will you not eat?”‘
(51:24-27)

 

This passage relates part of the wider story of Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam).  In these passages, we see Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam) greeting some unknown visitors.  Shortly afterwards, we learn that these visitors are actually angels, charged with two important missions; firstly, to deliver the good news of a child to the elderly Sarah and Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam) and secondly, to announce God’s imminent judgement on the city of Sodom, in which Ibrahim’s relative Lut (Lot) lived (alaihim al-salam).

We find the same story related in the Book of Genesis:

As I was reading these verses recently, I was struck by the profound teaching they contain.  As I reflect upon them more fully, I begin to understand them as a description of prophetic adab.  And, because the prophets (God’s peace be upon them all) are our teachers, their example must also become my own way.  That is, visitors to my home must be greeted warmly and in an open-hearted manner.  They must be offered rest, shelter and food.  They must be honoured, and then offered easy-going, appropriate conversation.

‘The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.  He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” (Genesis 18:1-5)

In both accounts, Ibrahim’s first act, upon seeing the visitors, is to offer a warm and heartfelt greeting.  The Quran has Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam) give his visitors the salam, whilst the biblical account has Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam) ‘bow low to the ground’.  In both accounts, we see Ibrahim (alaihi al-salam) accutely concerned to greet his visitors, even though he clearly doesn’t know them.  His next act is to have food prepared, and not just any food, but a fat calf, according to the Quran.  Once they have accepted his hospitality and have ‘washed their feet’ according to the Genesis account, they explain the purposes of their visit.

 

Strangely, I found exactly the same idea recently in a sayin attributed to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya (God sanctify his soul).  God willing, I will add it here as soon as I can find the book in which I first read it.

Wa akhiru da’wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Greatest Commandments

Peace, one and all…

‘Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39)