(Part 5 of 5) The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness: Sayyid al-Istighfar Explained – Shaykh Muhammad Ba-Dhib

In this session, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib concludes Imam Ahmad ibn Zayn al-Habshi’s treatise on sayyid al-istighfar (the foremost way of seeking forgiveness). He continues looking at various methods of forgiveness and their virtues, first covering those narrated from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). In addition, Imam Habshi mentions other forms of supplication and formulas the saints and scholars—including his own teacher Imam Haddad—found effective. He closes by citing the “expiation for gatherings”— a particular form of seeking forgiveness used by the Prophet.

Upon request from Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Ba-Dhib concludes the series by mentioning his own chain of authorization to teach the text, person by person, back to the author himself.

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: “The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness: Sayyid al-Istighfar Explained”.

In this five-part series, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib covers a short treatise on explaining the foremost way of seeking forgiveness as has come to us from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The work, “Tiryaq al-Qulub w al-Absar fi Bayan al-Ulum allati Tadamanha Sayyid al-Istighfar” (The Healing of Hearts and Eyesight in Exposition of the Knowledges Contained in The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness) is by Imam Ahmed bin Zain al-Habshi (d. 1145 AH).

Text, transliteration and translation of sayyid al-istighfar can be found below.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa Anta Khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ‘ala ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, A’udhu bika min Sharri ma sana’tu, abu’u Laka bini’matika ‘alaiya, wa Abu’u Laka bidhanbi faghfirli fainnahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta

O Allah, you are my Lord. There is no god but you. You have created me, and I am your servant—and I am upon Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the worst of what I have done. I fully admit to You Your blessings upon me, and I fully admit to You all my sins. So forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins but You.

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