How to seek forgiveness- Hadith on how sins will be forgiven

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By Ustadha Fahmina

How to seek forgiveness- Hadith on how sins will be forgiven

A Muslim should always take heed. Be fearful of Allah’s ﷻ punishment, be reminded of his shortcomings, push ahead to bear his responsibilities according to his capabilities and seek his forgiveness. In the present time of trials, it is essential that we turn towards Allah. Allah swt is all-forgiving. He says that even if our sins are like the foam of the sea, he would forgive them. There are numerous ways shown to us by our dear prophet Rasul Allah SAW by which we can seek forgiveness of our sins. Some of them are-

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1.Sins are forgiven on doing Wudu

“When a Muslim or believer washes his face in ablution, every sin committed with his eyes will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin committed with his hands will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin committed with his feet will be washed away with the last drop of water, until he emerges purified from sin.”(Muslim)

“There is no man that performs Wudū’, does it well, and prays, except that when he prays, he will be forgiven, whatever [sins he commits] between that and the next prayer.”(An Nasai)

2. The 5 Daily Prayers

The Prophet (sall Allāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “The five daily prayers, Jumu’ah (Friday prayers), and Ramadān remove bad deeds between one and the next, if major sins are avoided.”(Muslim)

3. Ruku and Sajdah make sins fall away

“When the servant stands to pray, all his sins are taken and placed on his head and shoulders. Every time he bows or prostrates, the sins fall away.”(Tabarani)

4. Walking towards Mosque is expiation of sin and elevation of Status

“Whoever purifies himself for ablution in his house and walks to a House among the Houses of Allāh in order to fulfil an obligation among the obligations of Allāh, then one step of his will expiate his sins and another step will elevate his status.”(Muslim)

5. Greeting Other Muslims and doing Salam

Narrated Al-Bara’ ibn Azib: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Two Muslims will not meet and shake hands having their sins forgiven them before they separate.(Sunan Abi Dawud )

6. Wait for the next Prayer

“One of you does not sit waiting for the prayer except that he is counted as being in the prayer, so long as he does not break his ablution. The angels supplicate for him saying, ‘O Allāh, forgive him. O Allāh, have mercy upon him.’”(Muslim)

7. Saying “Āmīn” after the imām when he recites Al-Fātihah

Abu Hurairah narrated that : the Prophet said “When the Imam says ‘Amin’ then (all of you) say ‘Amin.’ For whoever’s ‘Amin’ concurs with the ‘Amin’ of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven.”(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 250)

8. Praying in Congregation

“The Mu’ath-thin’s sins will be forgiven as far as his voice reaches, and every wet and dry thing will ask forgiveness for him. For the one who attends the prayer, twenty-five hasanāt (good deeds) will be recorded, and it is will be expiation (for sins committed) between them (the two prayers).”(Ibn Majah)

9 Rakat of Duha prayer

“Whoever continuously performs the two rak’āh of Ad-Duha will have his sins forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea.”(At tirmidhi)

10. Praying Tahajjud

“When it is the last third of the night, our Lord; the Blessed; the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, “Is there anyone who invokes Me (demands anything from Me), that I may respond to his invocation; is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give (it to) him; is there anyone who asks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?”(Al Bukhari)

11. Sitting in his place for Prayer

“If a person stays in his place after the prayer, the angels supplicate for him. Their supplication is, ‘O Allāh forgive him. O Allāh, have mercy upon him.’”(Musnad Ahmed)

12. Reading Astaghfar

“He who says: ‘Astaghfir ullāh-allathī lā ilāha illā Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyūm, wa atūbu ilayhi (I seek the Forgiveness of Allāh, there is no true God except Allāh, the Ever-Living, the Self- Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance)’, his sins will be forgiven even if he ran away from the battlefield [while he was engaged in fighting for the cause of Allāh].”(At-At-Tirmidhī)

13. Reading Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi 100 times

Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Whoever says, ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,’ one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.(Sahih Bukhari)

14. Reading Surah Mulk

“There is a Sūrah in the Qur’ān which contains thirty ayāt which kept interceding for a man until his sins are forgiven. This Sūrah is ‘Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion’ [i.e., al-Mulk]. (At-At-Tirmidhī)

15. Not leaving the Fajr and Asar Prayer

“The angels of the day and the angels of the night meet at the Fajr and ʻAṣr prayers. They meet at the Fajr prayer and the angels of the night ascend, while the angels of the day remain. They then meet at the ʻAṣr prayer, and the angels of the day ascend while the angels of the night remain. Their Lord asks them, ‘How did you leave my slaves?’ They reply, ‘We came to them and they were praying and we left them and they were praying, so forgive them on the Day of Judgement.”(Musnad Ahmed)

16. Going to Jumuah early

“If a man takes bath on Friday, cleans himself as much as he can, oils his hair, applies perfume available in his house, sets forth for the mosque, does not separate two people (to make a seat for himself), performs as many Prayers as written [by Allāh] for him, remains silent when the Imam speaks, his sins between that Friday and the following Friday will be forgiven.”(Sahih Bukhari)

17. Visiting the Sick

“A Muslim does not visit his brother except that Allāh sends seventy thousand angels who supplicate for him, whichever hour of the day it is until the evening, or whichever hour of the evening it is until morning.”(Muslim)

18. Attending Circle of remembrance

“Verily, Allāh Almighty has caravans of angels who have no other job but to follow gatherings of remembrance. When they find such gatherings of remembrance, they sit with them; some of them surround the others with their wings until the space between them and the heavens is covered.

When they disperse, they ascend to the heavens and Allāh Almighty asks them, even though he is best informed about them, ‘From where have you come?’ They say: ‘We came from Your servants on earth who were glorifying You, declaring Your Greatness and Oneness, praising You and asking from You.’ Allāh says: ‘What do they ask from Me?’ They say: ‘They ask for Your Paradise.’

Allāh says: ‘Have they seen My Paradise?’ They say, ‘No’. Allāh says: ‘What if they were to see My Paradise?’ They say: ‘They seek your Protection’. Allāh says: ‘From what do they seek my protection?’ They say: ‘From your Hellfire, our Lord.’ Allāh says: ‘Have they seen my Hellfire?’ They say, ‘No’. Allāh says: ‘What if they were to see My Hellfire?’ They say: ‘They ask for Your Forgiveness.’

Allāh says: ‘I will pardon them, give them what they request, and grant them protection.’ They say: ‘Our Lord, there is one among them, a simple servant who happened to pass by and sit there alongside them.’ Allāh says: ‘I will also grant him pardon, for whoever sits with these fellows will not suffer misery.’”(Al Bukhari)

19. Reading Dua at the end of gathering

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك،

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whoever sits in a gathering and indulges in useless talk and before getting up supplicates: ‘Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika (O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance),’ he will be forgiven for (the sins he may have intentionally or unintentionally committed) in that assembly.”[At-Tirmidhi].

20. Reading this Dua after eating

الحمد الله الذي أطعمني هذا، ورزقنيه من غير حول منى ولا قوةٍ،

Mu’adh bin Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who has taken food and says at the end: ‘Al- hamdu lillahi-lladhi at’amani hadha, wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwatin (All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavour on my part or any power),’ all his past sins will be forgiven.”At-Tirmidhi].

21. Fasting in Ramadān

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:”The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i )

22. Worship on Laylat al-Qadr

Abu Hurairah narrated that:The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: “Whoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever spends the night of Lailat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”(Sunan an-Nasa’i)

23. Fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah, and ‘Āshūrā

“It (fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah) expiates the sins of the past year as well as the coming year.”(Muslim)

“Fast the Day of ‘Āshūrā, for indeed I anticipate that Allāh will forgive (the sins of) the year before it.”(Ibn Majah)

24. Performing Hajj/‘Umrah

Abu Hurairah narrated that : The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever performs hajj for Allah, and he does not have sexual relations nor commit any sin, then his previous sins will be forgiven.”(Sahih Muslim)

25. Following up a bad deed with a good deed

“Be conscious of Allāh wherever you are. Follow the bad deed with a good one in order to erase it, and engage others with beautiful character.”

26. Saqadah (voluntary charity)

“Charity extinguishes sin just as water extinguishes fire.”(At tirmidhi)

27. Deduct Part of Debt

“Once a man died and was asked, ‘What did you use to say (or do) [in your life time]?’ He replied, ‘I was a businessman and used to give time to the rich to repay his debt and [used to] deduct part of the debt of the poor.’ So he was forgiven (his sins.)” (Sahih Bukhari)

Written by

Ustadha Fahmina

Founder and Senior Editor

Ustadha Fahmina holds the Alimah sanad from two prestigious institutes and is a certified Optometrist Doctor. She teaches Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah to Women and Kids and is passionate about spreading authentic information about the religion of Islam. Connect with her to keep updated about her recent ebooks and projects.

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