All of us make mistakes and commit sins; however, all of us wish to have a pleasing record of deeds on the Day of Judgment; on the day about which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children, But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.} [Quran 26:88-89]
The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever likes to have a pleasing record, let him frequently ask for the forgiveness of Allah.” [Al-Bayhaqi] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]
The Prophet also said: “The devil said (to Allah), ‘By Your honor, I will keep on seducing Your slaves as long as their souls are in their bodies (i.e. alive).’ The Lord replied, ‘By My honor and glory, I will keep forgiving them as long as they ask for My forgiveness.’” [Ahmad]
Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
- {And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 4:110]
- {And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.} [Quran 3:135]
- {The patient, the true, the obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allah], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.} [Quran 3:17]
- {But Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.} [Quran 8:33]
Abu Hurayrah said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: ‘By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.’” [Al-Bukhari]
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, were you not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah would forgive them.” [Muslim]
He also said: “Blessed is the person who finds many requests for forgiveness in his record of deeds.” [Ibn Maajah: sound chain of narrators] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {“And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.’”} [Quran 71:10-12]
Ibn Mas`ood reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever says, ‘Astaghfirullaah Al-‘Atheem allathy la ilaaha illa huwa Al-Hayy Al-Qayyoom wa atoobu ilayh (I seek forgiveness from Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence and I repent to Him),’ his sins will be forgiven even if he had fled from the battlefield.” [Abu Daawood]
Shaddaad ibn Aws reported that the Prophet said: “The most superior way of seeking forgiveness is to say, ‘Allahumma anta rabbi la ilaaha illa ant, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduk, wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa‘dika mastata‘t, a‘oothu bika min sharri ma sana‘t, aboo’u laka bini‘matika ‘alayy, wa aboo’ bithanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru athunooba illa ant (O Allah! You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You. You created me and I am Your slave, who keeps Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil that I committed and I am grateful to You for the blessing that You conferred on me. I do admit my sins, so forgive me as no one can forgive sins except You).’ The one who says this supplication during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Paradise; and if anyone says this supplication during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari]
‘Aa’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allah used to frequently say before his death: ‘Subhaan Allah wa bi-hamdih astaghfirullaah wa atoobu ilayh (Glory be to Allah, all praise is due to Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and return to Him in repentance).’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In a Qudsi Hadeeth (sacred narration), on the authority of `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab the Prophet said: “Allah The Almighty, said: ‘O son of Aadam, as long as you supplicate Me and have hope in Me I will forgive your sins and I shall not mind. O Son of Aadam, if your sins were so numerous that they reached the clouds then you asked for My forgiveness, I will forgive you. O Son of Aadam, if you were to come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth, then you met Me, not associating anything with Me (in worship), I will bring you enough forgiveness to fill the earth.’” [At-Tirmithi: Hasan]
Anas ibn Maalik Al-Ansaari the servant of the Messenger of Allah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins (nose string) and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord'. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.” [Muslim]
In a Qudsi Hadeeth, on the authority of `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab the Prophet said: “If somebody commits a sin and then says, 'O my Lord! Forgive my sin!' Allah The Almighty says: 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them.' Then he again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, forgive my sin.' Allah The Almighty says: 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them.' Then he again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, forgive my sin.' Allah The Almighty says: 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.'” [Muslim]