Hadith Translation & Commentary: “GLAD TIDINGS are for him who finds recorded in his BOOK OF DEEDS abundant invocations for FORGIVENESS.”
Disclaimer: This hadith is taken from زاد الطالبين (Provisions for the Seekers) originally written by Shaykh Maulana Muhammad Ashiq Ilahi al-Bulandshehri in Arabic. Provision for the Seekers is the English version translated with additional commentary by Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. No copyright infringement intended whatsoever. All rights belong to the publisher(s).
Original & Translation
طُوْبٰى لِمَن وَّجَدَ فِيْ صَحِيْفَتِهِ اسْتِغْفَارًا كَثِيْرًا
“Glad tidings are for him who finds recorded in his book of deeds abundant invocations for forgiveness.”
Note: this is an authentic hadith from Ibn Maaja.
Sentence Analysis (Tarkeeb)
Toobaa طُوْبٰى means glad tidings of the most fortunate kind. To put it simply, it refers to the really good news. Saheefah صَحِيْفَت means a book of deeds.
اسْتِغْفَارًا كَثِيْرًا is murakkab tawseefiyy and the maf’ool of the sentence.
صَحِيْفَتِهِ is mudhaaf and mudhaaf ilay.
Commentary
This hadith refers to the sincere invocations (du’as) made by a believer for forgiveness that are accepted by Allah. Istighfaar means doing sincere invocations for forgiveness.
They will be presented to the believer on the Day of Judgment and will be a source of blessing and happiness for him/her. It would be the best news ever. When we stand on the Day of Judgement with our book of deeds open and, Allah forbid, there is a bunch of embarrassing things that you do not want everyone to see, istighfaar will wipe them out. Hence, these acts of seeking forgiveness are the most weighty as they can wipe out mountains of sin.
Benefits of Istighfaar استغفار
- Can increase a person’s barakah in sustenance (risk)
- Can increase a person’s progeny
- Verses 10-12 of Surah Nuh (Chapter 71 of the Holy Qur’an)
- So I [Nuh (AS)] said, “Pray to your Lord for your forgiveness, – Indeed He is Very-Forgiving, – {10} and He will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance, {11} and will help you with riches and sons, and will cause gardens to grow for you, and cause rivers to flow for you.” {12}
Conditions for True Istighfaar
Istighfaar is slightly different from taubah in that istighfaar is more for sagheerah (small/minor) sins. Still, to get a clean and shiny heart, one should try to apply the same steps as taubah. They are as follows:
First, remove/uproot yourself from the sinful situation or one that leads to sin. Do not sit where you are more likely to do the sin.
Second, feel bad for the sin after committing it.
Additionally, make a firm and very strong intention never to return to it.
Additional Note:
In addition to the disclaimer, please note that I have not created this information. Rather, I have shared my notes on what was taught to me by my reputable teachers as I am a student of the deen (religion) Islam. All thanks to Allah, the Most High. Any mistake, misuse, or misinterpretation of the teachings would be entirely due to my lack of knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns about these notes, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach me privately through my blog here or @hadithexplained on Twitter.
