He Prophet ﷺ would lengthen his sitting until it was about almost as long as his sajdah (Bukhari and Muslim). He would say:
رب اغفر لي اغفر لي
“O my Lord! Forgive me, forgive me.” (Ibn Majah)
Forgiveness
When we say the above, most of us know the general meaning of ‘maghfira’ or forgiveness. But since we are learning the intricate meanings of our words and actions during the prayer, we also need to know what the deeper significance of these words is. Ibn Al-Qayyim said that maghfira is erasing the sin, removal of its traces and prevention of its evil. It is taken from the word mighfar, which means the metal helmet that a warrior wears to protect himself. And just as a mighfar protects the one wearing it from the consequences of the attacks, maghfira (forgiveness) protects a person from the consequences of the sin. And just as the mighfar covers the warrior’s head, maghfira veils the person’s faults. Thus when Allah bestows upon you maghfira, He protects you from the consequences of your sin and veils that sin from others. That is what we seek when we say “Rabbi ighfir-ly.”
While the most common du`a’ when we are sitting is the one mentioned above, there is another one that we can say which is more comprehensive:
رب اغفر لي وارحمني {واجبرني} {وارفعني} واهدني {وعافني} وارزقني
“O my Lord! Forgive me; have mercy on me; strengthen me; raise my rank; guide me; pardon me; sustain me.” (Tirmidhi)
May Allah enable us to taste the significance of every single action of prayer. Ameen.
When passing through a mountain pass, a Bedouin (villager) once came across an old man who was blind and who seemed to be afflicted with various ailments all over his body. It was clear that he was wasting away. He was even paralyzed and was constantly forced to remain in a seated position.
The Bedouin could clearly hear him say, "All praise is for Allah, Who has kept me safe from ailments with which He has tested many among His creation; and He has indeed preferred me over many among those that He created."
"My brother!" exclaimed the Bedouin. "What have you been saved from? By Allah, I think that you have been afflicted with every single kind of ailment!"
"Go away from me," said the old man, as he raised his head. "Do I not still have a tongue with which I can pronounce His Oneness, and with which I can remember Him every single moment? And do I not still have a heart with which I can know Him?"
These words of the old man were enough for the Bedouin to repent to Allah for his sins and ask Him for forgiveness.
Remember, there is always someone else who is in more problem than you.
'If you are grateful [to Me], I shall most certainly give you more and more; but if you are ungrateful, verily, My chastisement will be severe indeed!'
[Surah Ibrahim(14:7), The Holy Quran]
Sharafat soz tasveeron ki uryani nahin jati
Adaab ki aar main Targheeb-e-roomani nahin jati
KHUDA maloom nasal-e-nauu ka kia anjam hona hai
Watan se fasah naghmo ki farawani nahin jati
Azab aaye to us main saienkron ki jaan jati hai
Nahin jati to shaitano ki shaitani nahin jati
Kahin basti ki basti bond pani ko tarasti hai
Kahin barish barasti hai to tughyani nahin jati
Zamana is qadar qaail hwa ha jhoote logon ka
Jo sach kehte hain unki ek bhi maani nahin jati
Jahan k zarre zarre se numayan hai jaalal Uska
Magar hum se Khuda ki zaat pehchani nahin jati..!
“The weakness of all those who are drowning in the ocean of illicit love is that they have given their hearts to bodies which are going to turn to dust. Instead of giving their hearts to the Creator of hearts, they have given their hearts to faces; the beauty of which will inevitably be lost with the passage of time or with illness.
Many are the lovers who run off like mules when age snatches away the beauty of the faces of their beloved ones? Those who give their hearts to Allah Ta'ala enjoy unending happiness, because Allah Ta'ala's beauty neither decreases nor perishes.”
