All praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His aid, we ask
for His forgiveness and we repent to Him. We seek Allaah's refuge
from the evils of ourselves and the evil consequences of our actions.
Whomsoever Allaah guides, then none can misguide him and
whomsoever Allaah misguides, then none can guide him. I testify
that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Alone,
having no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His Slave and
His Messenger. May Allaah extol and send blessings of peace upon
him, upon his true followers and upon all of his Companions. To
proceed:

My noble brothers, this lecture, upon the topic of seeking al-
Istigfaar - asking for forgiveness for ones sins - deals with one of the

most important topics to which the Muslim should give attention in
his life and for which he should have the utmost concern. Included
in it is the explanation of a tremendous way of seeking forgiveness,
from amongst the various forms of seeking forgiveness that occur in
the sunnah of the Prophet !. We ask Allaah that it should be
beneficial to us and a blessing for us.
There are many texts to be found in the Book of Allaah, the
Majestic and Most High, and in the sunnah of His Messenger !
that encourage one to seek forgiveness: texts commanding it,
showing its excellence, showing the excellence of its people and of
those who are constant in it. In fact, there are so many of these texts
that it would be very difficult to enumerate them. From them is the
saying of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High:

“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed greatly against
themselves through sins! Do not despair of the Mercy of
Allaah. Indeed Allaah forgives all sins to those who repent.
Indeed He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." Soorah
az-Zumar (39):54

 This booklet deals with one of the most important topics to which the Muslim should give attention in his life and for which he should have the utmost concern. Included in it is the explanation of a tremendous way of seeking forgiveness, from amongst the various forms of seeking forgiveness that occur in the sunnah of the Prophet.