A Commentary on the phrase Ya Ghafuru Ya Rahim

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“Inform my servants that lam indeed, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful” (15:49).

…إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“... Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful” (39:53).

*****

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

As we said earlier, the literal meaning of hamd (praise) is to manifest the attributes of perfection of the object of praise (mahmud). Here, while we enumerate another two attributes of Allah and thereby praise Him, we also seek pardon and special mercy from Him. We must also understand that the Forgiver and the Merciful always has the upper hand (al-yad al-‘ulya) and is Exalted. Hence employing the vocative particle ‘ya’ is also apt as we call the Exalted Forgiver and Merciful.

يَا غَفُورُ ...

O All-Forgiving …

The trilateral root of the word ghafur, which is ghayn, fa, and ra’, literally signifies the act of concealing (as-Satr) something. Ibn Faris in his etymological lexicon Mu‘jam, defining the root of the word ghafur, says:

فالعمر: الستر والعفران والعفر: بمعنى

Thus al-ghafr means to hide (as-Satr); and al-ghufran and al-ghafr have the same meaning1.

Al-Azhan, in his comprehensive Arabic lexicon Tahdhib al-Lughah, mentioning the original meaning of al-ghafr says:

أصل الغفر الستر والتغطية، وغفر الله كلوية: أي سترها ولم يفضحه بها على رؤوس الملأ

The original meaning of al-ghafr is as-Satr (to hide) and al-taghtiyah (to cover)2, and [when we say] ghafar Allahu dhunuba.hu it means ‘Allah hid his sins and did not defame him through them in front of the masses3’.

According to al-Mustafawi, however, the root meaning of al-ghafr is mahw al-athar (to efface the trace). He believes that other meanings attributed to it such as-Satr (to hide) or al-taghtiyah (covering), etc. are the corollaries of mahw al-athar (to efface the trace)4.

In light of the aforesaid, we say that Almighty Allah is al-Ghafur, because He effaces and covers the sins of the sinful.

In order to know the nature of how He effaces the sins, let us look at an interesting hadith narrated by Shaykh al-Kulayni in his al-Kafi:

عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْن وَهْبٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (ع) يَقُولُ: إِذَا تَابَ الْعَبْدُ تَوْبَةً نصوحاً أَحَبَّهُ اللهُ فَسَتَرَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقُلْتُ: وَكَيْفَ يَسْتُرُ عَلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: يُنْسِي مَلَكَيْهِ مَا كَانَا يَكْتُبَانِ عَلَيْهِ وَيُوحِي اللهُ إِلَى جَوَارِحِهِ وَإِلَى بِقَاعِ الْأَرْضِ أَنِ اكْتُمِي عَلَيْهِ ذُنُوبَهُ فَيَلْقَى اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ وَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ

Mu'awiyah Ibn Wahb is reported to have said: I heard Abu ‘Abdillah [as-Sadiq] (‘a) saying: When a servant [of Allah] returns in penitence with sincere repentance Allah loves him and thus, covers him. I asked [the Imam (‘a)]: And how does He cover him? He said: He makes his two angels [the recorders of deeds] forget what they would write against him, and Allah will inspire the members of his body and the places of the earth [informing them that]: hide his sins! Hence, he would meet Allah, the Invincible and Majestic, when he meets Him, in a state whereby there is nothing that bears witness against him with any of the sins5.

يَا غَفُورُ ...

O All-Forgiving …

When discussing the difference between al-ghufran and as-Satr, Abu Hilal al-‘Askari in his al-Furuq says:

الغفران أخص وهو يقتضي إيجاب الثواب

Al-ghufran (to forgive and cover) is more specific [than as-Satr], and it necessitates reward6.

Considering this subtlety, when we say Ya Ghafuru we are seeking more than the effacement of our sins.

يَا غَفُورُ ...

O All-Forgiving …

The word ghafur is also in the linguistic form of fa’ul which is a hyperbolic form (sighah mubalaghah) and hence it signifies abundance. Therefore ‘Ya Ghafuru literally means ‘O One who abundantly forgives’. It is also an assimilate epithet (sifah mushbihah) which signifies perpetuity and continuity, and hence it means ‘O One who always forgives abundantly’. There is another connotation that the linguistic form fa’ul also signifies, and that is excellence, perfection and inclusiveness. Hence, the word ghafuru would mean ‘One who always forgives completely and perfectly’7.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

The word rahim comes from the infinitive rahmah which means mercy. Rahim therefore means ‘the merciful’. And because it is both a hyperbolic form (sighah mubalaghah) and an assimilate epithet (sifah mushbihah), it signifies abundant and perpetual mercy. The mercy that the divine name Rahim signifies is also introduced in some of our hadiths as special divine mercy which only the believers enjoy. This mercy is related to matters such as faith and conviction, guidance, perfection, paradise, etc. It must be known, however, that Almighty Allah spreads His specific mercy to all, but the unbelievers hamper themselves from enjoying the same due to their own limitations.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

Al-Ghafur is a divine name that comes under the divine name ar-rahim, for the former is only one of the extensions (masadiq) of the latter. In simpler words, one of the examples of Allah’s special mercy is that He is al-Ghafur (the Coverer of sins). Hence, the reason for bringing ar-rahim is perhaps to seek more than just covering the sin and protecting the sinful servant from punishment. Perhaps it alludes to the removal of worry of the effects of sin as some scholars have alluded. It can also refer to changing sins into good deeds (tabdil as-sayyi’at ila al-hasanat).

Consider the following noteworthy anecdote:

إِنَّ جَبْرَئِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) سَمِعَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيْلَ الرَّحْمَنِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ يَقُولُ: يَا كَرِيمَ الْعَفْوِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَوَ تَدْرِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ مَا كَرَمُ عَفْوِهِ؟ قَالَ: لَا يَا جَبْرَئِيلُ، قَالَ: إِنْ عَفَا عَنِ السَّيِّئَةِ كَتَبَهَا حَسَنَةً

It is narrated that Jibra’il (‘a) heard Ibrahim, the friend of the All-Beneficent, saying: O Noble Pardoner (Ya Karim al-Afw). So, he said to him: And do you know, O Ibrahim, what is the meaning of the nobility of His pardon? He (‘a) said: No, O Jibra’il. Jibra’il said: It means that if He pardons a misdeed, He writes it as a good deed8.

The Holy Qur’an alluding to this says:

إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

“Excepting those who repent, attain faith, and act righteously. For such, Allah will replace their misdeeds with good deeds, and Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful” (25:70).

يَا عَلِيُّ يَا عَظِيمُ

O All-Exalted, O Tremendous

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

Seeking pardon and special divine mercy are the foundational stages of attaining elevation (‘uluww) and greatness (‘apamali).

This is because one of the rudimentary levels of the spiritual journey to Allah, the insightful scholars believe, is al-takhliyah, which is to remove the dirt and taint of sin one has accumulated in one’s heart, before one can embellish oneself with divine attributes, which is technically known as al-tahliyah (self-beautification).

Briefly, the fundamental steps of spiritual progress according to the insightful scholars are as follows:

1) Al-Tajliyah (Strictly adhering to the apparent Islamic laws and refraining from whatever Islam has prohibited)

2) Al-Takhliyah (Cleaning oneself through the water of repentance and tawbah)

3) Al-Tahliyah (Beautifying oneself with the perfections of the Absolutely Beautiful according to one’s capacity)

4) Al-Fana’ (Dissolution in the Beloved, such that one visions that no identity exists save Allah)

Hence, by seeking forgiveness from Allah the sinful human being is clearing his heart so that he can beautify it with divine attributes.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

Invoking these divine names in this holy month alludes to the fact that it is a month of forgiveness and special divine mercy. In fact, one who is deprived of divine forgiveness in this holy month is termed ash-shaqi (wretched) in some traditions. In the well-known sermon preceding the holy month of Ramadan the Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

فَإِنَّ الشَّقِيَّ مَنْ حُرِمَ غُفْرَانَ اللَّهِ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ الْعَظِيمِ

For indeed, the wretched is he who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month9.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

Invoking the divine names of forgiveness and mercy requires one to seek the causes that enable one to attract divine forgiveness and specific mercy. Otherwise, our invocation would be the mere movement of our tongues. The following are some of the many causes that the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) have prescribed for the repentant ones:

1. Supplication

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

من قال حين يأخذ مَضْجَعَهُ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ: «الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَلَا فَقَهَرَ، وَالْحَمْدُ لله الذي بَعَن فَخَرَ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي مَلَكَ فَقَدَرَ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي يُحْيِي السوق ويُمِيتُ الأَحْيَاء وَهُوَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرِ، خَرَجَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ كَهَيْتَهُ م وكلمته أنه

Whosoever says the following three times when he retires to his bed: ‘Praise belongs to Allah, who is High and hence Dominant, and praise belongs to Allah who is Hidden and hence knows thoroughly, and praise belongs to Allah who owns and hence has power, and praise belongs to Allah who revives the dead and confers death to the living ones, and He is Powerful over everything’ would leave his sins like the day when his mother gave him birth10.

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَصُوْمُ فَيَقُولُ عِنْدَ إِفْطَارِهِ: «يَا عَظِيمُ يَا عَظِيمُ، أَنْتَ إِلهِي لَا إِلَهَ لي غَيْرُكَ اغْفِرْ لِي الذَّنْبَ الْعَظِيمَ إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنْبَ الْعَظِيمَ إِلَّا الْعَظِيمُ إِلَّا خَرَجَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَيَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

No servant of Allah fasts, and then says at the time of his iftar: ‘Ya Adhim Ya ‘Adhim, anta ilahi la ilaha li ghayruk ighfir li al-dhanb al-‘adhima, innahu la yaghfiru al-dhanba al-’adhima ilia al-Adhim (O Tremendous, O Tremendous, You are my God, I have no God other than You, Forgive for me the tremendous sin. Indeed, none forgives the tremendous sin save the Tremendous One)’ except that he leaves his sins like the day when his mother gave him birth11.

2. Washing The Dead

Imam al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said:

كَانَ فِيمَا نَاجَى اللَّهَ بِهِ مُوسَى قَالَ: يَا رَبِّ مَا لِمَنْ غَسَلَ الْمَوْتَى فَقَالَ: أُغَسِلُهُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَمَا وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

Among those things that Musa whispered to Allah was the following: O Lord, what reward is there for one who washes [the body of] the dead? Allah said: I would wash him from his sins, such that he is like when his mother gave him birth12.

3. Performing Hajj

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

الْحَجَّاجُ يَصْدُرُوْنَ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَصْنَافٍ صِنْفُ يُعْتَقُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَصِنْفُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَهَيْئَةِ يَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَصِنْفُ يُحْفَظُ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ، فَذَاكَ أَدْنَى مَا يَرْجِعُ بِهِ الحاج

The hujjaj leave in three categories: one category is that which is emancipated from Hell-Fire; another category is that which leave their sins like the day their mothers gave them birth; and another category is that whose family and wealth are safe; and that is the least that the pilgrim returns with13.

4. Ziyarah Of Imam Ar-Ridha (‘A)

Imam ar-Ridha’ (‘a) is reported to have said to a group of people from Qum:

مَرْحَبًا بِكُمْ وَأَهْلاً فَأَنْتُمْ شِيْعَتُنَا حَقًّا، وَسَيَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمُ تَزُورُونِي فِيْهِ تُرْبَتِي بِطُوسٍ ، أَلَا فَمَنْ زَارَنِي وَهُوَ عَلَى غُسْلٍ خَرَجَ مِنْ ذُنُوْبِهِ كَيَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

Welcome, for you are truly our Shias, and you will experience a day when you will visit me in my burial place in Tus. Indeed, whosoever visits me in the state of having performed the major ablution (ghusl), would come out of his sins like the day his mother gave him birth14.

5. Ghusl On Specific Nights Of The Month Of Ramadan

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

مَنْ اغْتَسَلَ لَيَالِي الْغُسْلِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَان خَرَجَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَهَيْئَةِ يَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ فَقُلْتُ: يَا بْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ (ص) مَا لَيَالِي الْغُسْلِ؟ قَالَ: لَيْلَةُ سَبْعَ عَشَرَة وَلَيْلَة تِسْعَ عَشَرَة وَلَيْلَة إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ وَلَيْلَةُ ثَلاَثَ وَعِشْرِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَان

Whosoever performs the major ablution (ghusl) on the nights of ghusl of the holy month of Ramadan, would leave his sins and come into a state like the day when his mother gave him birth. So, I asked: O son of the Apostle of Allah (S), what are the nights of ghusl? He said: the night of the seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-third of the month of Ramadan15.

6. Siyam (Fasting)

The following is a tradition from Imam al-Baqir (‘a) worthy of consideration:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ أَنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَر عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ لَهُ: يَا جَابِرُ، مَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ فَصَامَ نَهَارَهُ، وَقَامَ وِرْدًا مِنْ لَيْلِهِ، وَحَفِظَ فَرْجَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ، وَغَضَّ بَصَرَهُ وَكَفَ أَذَاهُ، خَرَجَ مِنَ الذُّنُوْبِ كَيَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ، قَالَ جَابِرٍ: قُلْتُ لَهُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذَا مِنْ حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: مَا أَشَدُّ هَذَا مِنْ شَرْطٍا

Jabir is reported to have said: Abu Ja'far [al-Baqir] said to him: O Jabir, whosoever experiences the month of Ramadan, and fasts during its days and stands in remembrance of Allah during the night and protects his private parts and his tongue, and lowers his eyes [from the unlawful], and restrains from disturbing others, comes out from his sins like the day when his mother gave him birth. Thereupon Jabir said: I said to the Imam: May I be made your ransom, how beautiful is this tradition! The Imam (‘a) said: And how difficult are the conditions [to attain such forgiveness]!16

7. Salat (Prayer)

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

إِذَا قَامَ الْعَبْدُ لِلصَّلَاةِ، فَكَانَ هَوَاهُ وَقَلْبُهُ إِلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى، اِنْصَرَفَ كَيَوْمٍ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

When a servant of Allah stands for prayer, and his desire and heart is towards Allah, the Exalted, he would finish his prayer [and he would be] like the day his mother gave him birth17.

8. Love For Imam ‘Ali (‘A)

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

حُبُّ عَلِي يَأْكُلُ الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ

Love for ‘Ali (‘a) consumes the sins the way fire consumes firewood18.

9. Helping The Troubled

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) is reported to have said:

مِنْ كَفَّارَةِ الذُّنُوبِ الْعِظَامِ إِغَانَةُ الْمَلْهُوفِ، وَالتَّنَفُسُ عَنِ الْمَكْرُوبِ

Among those things that expiate tremendous sins are: helping the troubled, and comforting the anguished one19.

10. Sujud (Prostration Before Allah)

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله (ص) فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ الله (ص) كُثُرَتْ ذُنُونِي وَضَعُفَ عَمَلي، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله (ص) : أَكثر السُّجُودَ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْطُ الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا تَحْطُ الرِّيحُ وَرَقَ الشَّجَرِ

A man came to the Apostle of Allah (S) and said: O Apostle of Allah, my sins have increased and my action is weak. Thereupon the Apostle of Allah said: Frequent prostration, for surely it falls off the sins the way the wind fells the leaves off the tree20.

11. Salawat (Invoking Allah’s Abundant Mercy On Muhammad And His Household)

Imam ar-Ridha’ (‘a) is reported to have said:

مَنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى مَا يُكَفِّرُ بِهِ ذُنُوبَهُ فَلْيُكْثِرُ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ فَإِنَّهَا تَهْدِمُ الذُّنُوبَ هَدْمًا

Whosoever is unable to do what expiates his sins must invoke blessings on Muhammad and his progeny abundantly, for surely it thoroughly destroys the sins21.

12. Hasanat (Beautiful Deeds)

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

إِذَا عَمِلْتَ سَيِّئَةً فَاعْمَلْ حَسَنَةٌ تَمْحُوهَا

If you do a bad deed, then do a good deed and you shall erase the bad deed22.

13. Musafahah (Shaking Hands)

Imam al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَيْنِ إِذَا الْتَقَيَا فَتَصَافَحَا أَدَخَلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَدَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيَهُمَا وَأَقْبَلَ بِوَجْهِهِ عَلَى أَشَدِهِمَا حُبًّا لِصَاحِبِهِ، فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِوَجْهِهِ عَلَيْهِمَا تَحَانَتْ عَنْهُمَا الذُّنُوبُ كَمَا يَتَحَاتَ الْوَرَقُ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ

Indeed, when two believers meet and shake hands with one another, Allah places his hand between them, and inclines towards the one whose love for his companion is more intense; and when Allah, the Invincible and Majestic, inclines towards both of them, their sins fall off from them, the way leaves fall off from the tree23.

14. Istighfar (Seeking Forgiveness)

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

مَنْ اسْتَغْفَرَ الله مائة مرة حين ينامُ بَاتَ وَقَدْ تَحَاتَتْ عَنْهُ الذُّنُوبُ كُلُّهَا كَمَا يَتَحَاتُ الْوَرَقُ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَيَصْبَحُ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ ذَنْبٌ

Whosoever seeks forgiveness from Allah a hundred times before sleeping, would spend his night while all his sins would have fallen from him, the way leaves fall from the tree, and he would wake up while he has no sin upon him24.

The Importance Of Seeking Forgiveness At Pre-Dawn

The Holy Qur’an and the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) highly emphasise that one should seek forgiveness during the sahr (pre-dawn) moments of every night. Enumerating the characteristics of the God-wary (muttaqun), Almighty Allah says:

الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُلْفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ

“The patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask forgiveness at the pre-dawn times” (3:17).

وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

“And at pre-dawn times they seek forgiveness” (51:18).

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

خَيْرُ وَقْتٍ دَعَوْتُمُ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيْهِ الأَسْحَارُ، وَتَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِي قَوْلِ يَعْقُوْب (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ): سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي قَالَ: أَخَّرَهُمْ إِلَى السَّحَرِ

The best time in which you can call Allah, the Invincible and Majestic, is at pre-dawn. Thereafter he read the following verse about the statement of Ya'qub (‘a): I shall soon seek forgiveness for you from my Lord. He then said: Prophet Ya‘qub delayed them until pre-dawn25.

The following are narratives worthy of reflection:

وروي أن داود (عليه السلام)، سأل جيرَئِيلَ عَنْ أَفْضَلِ الأَوْقَاتِ، قَالَ: لا أعْلَمُ إِلَّا أَنَّ الْعَرْشِ يَهْتَرُّ فِي الأَسْحَارِ

It is narrated that Prophet Dawud (‘a) asked Jibra’il (‘a) about the best of times. He said: I do not know, except that the Divine Throne shakes during the pre-dawn times26.

وَفِي وَصَايَا لَقَمَانَ لابيه: يا بني، لا يَكُوْنُ الدَيْكَ أَكْبَس مِنْكَ، يَقُوْمُ فِي وَقْتِ السَّحَرِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرِ، وَأَنتَ نَائِمُ

And from among the counsels of Luqman to his son is: O my dear little son, let not the cockerel be cleverer than you; it rises at the pre-dawn time and seeks forgiveness while you are asleep27.

15. Ziyarah Of Imam Al-Husayn (‘A)

Muammar reports: I heard Ziyad Ibn ‘Ali (‘a) saying:

مَنْ زَارَ قَرَ الحُسَيْنِ بْنَ عَلِيّ ( عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) لَا يُرِيدُ بِهِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى غُفِرَ لَهُ جَمِيعُ ذُنُوبِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ، فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا مِنْ زِيَارَتِهِ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ لوبكم

Whosoever visits the grave of al-Husayn Ibn ‘Ali (‘a) and by that he does not desire save Allah, the Exalted, all his sins would be forgiven, even if they would be like the foam of the sea; therefore, frequent in visiting him, and Allah will forgive you your sins28.

16. Lawful Copulation Between A Believer And His Believing Wife

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

إذا أقبل الرجل المؤمن على امرأته المؤمنة، الكتلفه ملكان، وكان كالشاهر سيقة في سبيل الله، فإذا فرغ منها تحالت عَنْهُ الذُّنُوبُ، كَمَا يَتَحَاتَ وَرَى الشَّجَرِ أَوَأَنَّ سُقُوظَهُ، فَإِذَا لَهُوَ اغْتَسَلَ السَّلحَ مِنَ الذُّنوب، فقالت إمراء بأبي أَنتَ وَأَتِي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، هَذَا الرِّجَالِ، فما النساء؟ قال: إذا هي حملت كتب الله لما أخر الصائم القائم، فإذا أخذها الطلق لمْ يَدْرِ مَا لَهَا مِنَ الأَجْر إلا الله إذا وضعت كتب الله لها بكل مصةٍ يعني من الرضاع حَسَنَةً، وَلَهَا عَلها

When a believing man approaches his believing wife, two angels surround him and he is like one who unsheathes his sword in the way of Allah, and when he finishes his engagement with her, his sins fall off from him the way the leaves of a tree fall off during the autumn, and when he performs the ablution (ghusl), he is removed from his sins. [Thereupon a woman who was hearing the Prophet’s words said:] May my father and mother be your ransom, O Apostle of Allah, all this that you said is for men. What is there for the woman? He (‘a) said: If she gets pregnant Allah records for her the reward of the one who fasts and stands in prayer, when she experiences her labour pain, other than Allah no one knows what reward there is for her. And when she delivers, Allah writes for her a good deed and erases a bad deed every time the baby suckles when feeding29.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

By invoking the names al-Ghafuru and ar-Rahim, we seek divine forgiveness and mercy. We must remember, however, that ghufran and rahmah are of different levels. Narrations reveal that the Holy Prophet (S) and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) would also seek forgiveness. Their istighfar however cannot be compared to ours. They neither committed major nor minor sins. They would also refrain from acts classified as abhorred (makruh). Furthermore, they would adhere not only to the obligatory acts, but even to the supererogatory acts. Then what is the meaning of their istighfar and their seeking forgiveness?

Scholars of insight inform us that although it was essential for the Holy Prophet (S) and his infallible progeny (‘a) to pay attention to the world and perform their divine duties of guiding the people, it would create a kind of discomfort and turbidity in them. They would seek forgiveness because of not having been able to be totally absorbed in Allah whilst attending to the world.

The late Imam Khumayni alludes to this in one of his sermons: Right from the Holy Prophet (S) until the Imam of the time (‘aj) all were afraid of sinning. Their sin was not what you and I possess. They comprehended such greatness that paying attention to the world of plurality was deemed as a major sin to them30.

The Comprehensive Spirit Of The Imam (‘A)

Some insightful scholars explain that many of the supplications of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) are in reality due to the fact that they behold the sins of their nations as their own sins.

They have united with the spirits of their nations, and hence tangibly sense the agony and pain due to what their nations have committed. It is because of this very situation that you find them speaking of the different sins, which obviously is far from their exalted station of infallibility. Explaining this reality, Ayatullah Sa'adat Parwar in his masterpiece Nur-e Hidayat, says:

Imam (‘a) considers himself as the nation of his time, and the nation of his time as himself, and he also considers their conversations as his conversations. In other words, he considers the ummah to be his own spirit; and that is why he utters such expressions [of admitting to sins]31.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

While we recite Ya Ghafuru Ya Rahim and anticipate self-purification in order to be able to receive divine grace, we must also assimilate this attribute and forgive those who have done wrong to us. If we remind ourselves that the fundamental aim of our lives is to manifest Allah’s attributes, we would be convinced that the only right thing to do is to forgive those human beings who have done wrong to us, unless, however, they are antagonists of truth and have lost their aptitude to change and transform themselves. In the Holy Qur’an the expression, ‘...fa hum la yarji‘un [...and they shall not return (2:18)] is employed for them.

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) reminds us of the reality of assimilation in a very beautiful manner. He is reported to have said in a lengthy counsel to his companion, ‘Abdullah Ibn Jundab:

Forgive one who oppresses you the way you love to be forgiven, and take a lesson from Allah’s forgiveness to you32.

يَا غَفُورُ يَا رَحِيمُ

O All-Forgiving, O All-Merciful

When we are taught to invoke these beautiful names in this supplication, we are taught the culture of having hope in Allah. Only one who has hope of being forgiven will call Allah with the divine names Ya Ghafuru Ya. Rahim. Despair, therefore, must never overtake us. The Holy Qur’an says:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“Say [that Allah declares]: ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah will forgive all sins. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful” (39:53).

The language of this verse deserves meticulous reflection. The usage of ‘ya ‘ibadi (O My servants)’, the clause ‘Indeed, Allah forgives all sins and the clause ‘Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful’ with their grammatical subtleties of emphasis and perpetuity leave no room for even thinking of despair. This is one verse where the language of divine love can be tangibly felt.

This transports us to the well-known quatrain of Abu Sa‘id Abu al-Khayr (d. 440/1048) when he says the following:

باز آ باز آ هر آنچه هستى باز آ * گر کافر و گبر و بت پرستى باز آ

ین درگه ما درگه نا امیدی نیست * صد بار اگر توبه شکستی باز آ

Come again, come again, whoever you are, come again!

Even if you are a disbeliever, fire-worshipper or idol-worshipper, come!

This portal of ours is not that of despair

Even if you break your penitence a hundred times, come again!33

In this beautiful quatrain, Abu Sa‘id paints a beautiful picture of divine mercy and forgiveness. As long as the human being truly comes to Allah penitently, He will not discard him but forgive him. Therefore, as we say Ya Ghafuru Ya Rahim we must not allow the least kind of despair into our hearts.

The following is an interesting anecdote narrated from volume two of the book Zubdat al-Qisas:

إِنَّ النَّبِي مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ نَادَى رَبَّهُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فِي مُنَاجَاتِهِ مِنْ فَوْقِ جَبَلِ الطُّورِ: يَا إِلَهُ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَجَاءَهُ الْجَوَابُ: لَبَّيْكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا إِلَّهُ الْمُطِيعِيْنَ، فَجَاءَهُ الجواب: لَبَّيْكَ، ثُمَّ قَال: يَا إِلَه الْعَاصِينِ، فَجَاءَهُ الْجَوَابُ: لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ. فَقَالَ مُوسَى عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا وَعَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إِلَهَيْ مَا الْحِكْمَةُ أَنَّنِي عِنْدَمَا دَعَوْتُكَ بِأَحْسَنِ أَسْمَائِكَ أَجَبْتَنِي مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَمَّا قُلْتُ: يَا إِلَهِ الْعَاصِيْنِ أَجَبْتَنِي ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَجَاءَهُ الْجَوَابُ : يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ الْعَارِفِينَ يَعُوْلُوْنَ عَلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِمْ وَالْمُحْسِنِينَ عَلَى إِحْسَانِهِمْ، وَالْمُطِبْعِينَ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِمْ، لَكِنَّ الْعَاصِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ سِوَايَ، فَإِنْ يَئِسُوا مِنِّي فَبِمَنْ يَلُوْذُوْنَ؟

Once Prophet Musa (‘a) called upon his Lord on Mount Sinai, ‘O God of the universe!’ And Allah responded, ‘Labbayk (Here I am).’ Musa (‘a) continued and called, ‘O God of the obedient ones!’ and Allah responded, ‘Labbayk (Here I am).’ Then Musa (‘a) said, ‘O God of the sinners!’ Upon this Allah said: ‘Labbayk, Labbayk, Labbayk!’ So Musa asked Allah, ‘O God, what is the wisdom behind responding to me only once when I called you with the best of Your names, and thrice when I said “O God of the sinners?” Allah said: ‘O Musa, surely the knowing ones rely on their recognition, the virtuous upon their virtue, and the obedient upon their obedience. But the sinful have none save Me. So if they despair from Me, with whom can they take refuge?’34

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• 1. Ibn Faris, Mu jam Maqayis al-Lughah, v. 4, p. 385.
• 2. Al-Jawhari in his As-Sihdh also has a similar definition: Ref: Al-Jawhari, as-Sihah, v. 2, p. 770.
• 3. Al-Azhari, Tahdhib al-Lughah, v. 8, p. 112.
• 4. Al-Mustafawi, al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat al-Qur’an al-Karim, v. 7, p. 293.
• 5. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 436.
• 6. Abu Hilal al-‘Askari, al-Furuq fi al-Lughah, p. 230.
• 7. Sayyid ‘Ali Khan al-Madani, Riyad as-Salikin, v. 4, p. 144.
• 8. Riyad as-Salikin, v. l, p. 329.
• 9. Shaykh as-Saduq, al-Amali, p. 93.
• 10. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 535.
• 11. Sayyid Radi al-Din Ibn Tawus, Iqbal al-A‘mal, v. 1, p. 24.
• 12. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 3, p. 164.
• 13. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 4, p. 253.
• 14. Shaykh as-Saduq, ‘Uyun Akhbar ar-Ridha’ (‘a), v. 1, p. 291.
• 15. Shaykh as-Saduq, Fada’il al-Ashhur al-Thalathah, pp. 137-138.
• 16. Al-‘Amili, Wasa’il ash-Shi'ah, v. 10, pp. 303-304.
• 17. Mirza Nun, Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, v. 3, p. 59.
• 18. Rayshahri, Mizan al-Hikmah, v. 1, p. 136.
• 19. Rayshahri, Mizan al-Hikmah, v. 2, p. 1001.
• 20. Rayshahri, Mizan al-Hikmah, v. 2, p. 1001.
• 21. Rayshahri, Mizan al-Hikmah, v. 2, p. 1001.
• 22. Rayshahri, Mizan al-Hikmah, v. 2, p. 1000.
• 23. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 2, pp. 179-180.
• 24. Al-‘Amili, Wasa’il ash-Shi 'ah, v. 4, p. 1029.
• 25. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 477.
• 26. Mirza Nuri, Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, v. 12, p. 146.
• 27. Mirza Nuri, Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, v. 12, p. 146.
• 28. Ibn Qulawayh, Kamil az-Ziyarat, p. 275.
• 29. Mirza Nuri, Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, v. 14, pp. 151-152.
• 30. Ayatullah Khumayni, Chehel Hadith, p. 342.
• 31. Ayatullah ‘Ah Sa‘adat Parwar, Nur-e Hidayat, pp. 114-115.
• 32. Ibn Shu‘bah al-Harrani, Tuhafal-'Uqul, p. 305.
• 33. Abu Sa‘id Abu al-Khayr, Ruba‘iyyat-e Abu Sa ‘id Abu al-Khayr.
• 34. Qasas al-Tawwabin, p. 198.