Al-Ghaffaar (The Forgiving)
This is the Attribute of Allah due to which Allah forgives the sins of mankind. There are three Attributes related with forgiveness. The other two will be described later insha Allah. These are Ghaafir, Al-ghafoor and Al-Ghaffaar
Ghaafir: The One Who forgives sins.
Al-Ghafoor: The One who forgives a lot of sins.
Al-Ghaffaar: The One Who forgives a lot more sins. We may consider this
Attribute like the superlative degree of the forgiving quality of Allah Almighty.
Allah said in verse 82 of surah Taha:
82. وَاِنِّىۡ لَـغَفَّارٌ لِّمَنۡ تَابَ وَاٰمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًـا ثُمَّ اهۡتَدٰى
Its English translation is:
(20:82) But I am indeed Most Forgiving to him who repents and believes and does righteous works and keeps to the Right Way.”60
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The explanation given in the Tafheemul-Qur’aan is:
60. According to this (verse 82), there are four conditions for forgiveness:
(1) Repentance: to refrain from rebellion, disobedience, shirk or disbelief.
(2) Faith: sincere belief in Allah and the Messenger and the Book and the Hereafter.
(3) Righteous works: to do good deeds according to the instructions of Allah and His Messenger.
(4) Guidance: to follow the right way steadfastly and to refrain from straying into any wrong path.
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We must remember that the vast forgiveness of Allah has conditions as you see in the verse 82 of surah Taha. Also we must keep in mind the following verses of surah Al-Nisaa for seeking forgiveness, (When a person turns to Allah for seeking forgiveness, his action is called repentance /tawbah). Also we say the word tawbah to Allah to forgive our sins. The other words are astaghfaar and astaghfirullah.
The verses of surah Al-Nisaa and their English translation is:
اِنَّمَا التَّوۡبَةُ عَلَى اللّٰهِ لِلَّذِيۡنَ يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السُّوۡٓءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوۡبُوۡنَ مِنۡ قَرِيۡبٍ فَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ يَتُوۡبُ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمًا حَكِيۡمًا 17
(4:17) (And remember that) Allah’s acceptance of repentance is only for those who commit evil out of ignorance and then soon repent. It is towards such persons that Allah turns graciously. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
وَلَيۡسَتِ التَّوۡبَةُ لِلَّذِيۡنَ يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ ۚ حَتّٰۤى اِذَا حَضَرَ اَحَدَهُمُ الۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ اِنِّىۡ تُبۡتُ الۡـــٰٔنَ وَلَا الَّذِيۡنَ يَمُوۡتُوۡنَ وَهُمۡ كُفَّارٌ ؕ اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ اَعۡتَدۡنَا لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا اَ لِيۡمًا 18
(4:18) But of no avail is repentance of those who do evil until death approaches any one of them and then he says: ‘Now I repent.’ Nor is the repentance of those who die in the state of unbelief, of any avail to them. For them We have kept in readiness a painful chastisement.*27
Exp-note *27:
*27. The Arabic word tawbah means ‘to return, to come back’. A man’s tawbah after he has sinned means that God’s servant, who had turned away from his Master in disobedience, has repented, and has returned to obedience and service. On the other hand, tawbah on the part of God means that the attention of the Master, which had turned away from His erring servant, has once again turned towards him. In this verse, however, God makes it clear that His servants from whom tawbah is acceptable are only those who commit errors inadvertently and out of ignorance. Such persons will always find the door of God open for them whenever they turn to Him in repentance.
But this tawbah is not for those who pile up sin upon sin throughout their lives in sheer indifference to God and who cry for pardon as soon as they see the angel of death approaching. The Prophet (peace be on him) has warned against this attitude in the following words: ‘God accepts the repentance of a slave until the gurgling (of death) begins.’ (Tirmidhi, ‘Da’wat’, 98; Ibn Majah, ‘Zuhd’, 30; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 132 and 153, and vol. 3, pp. 425 — Ed.) For when the last leaf of a man’s book of life has been turned, what opportunity remains for a man to return to righteous conduct? Likewise, if a person spends even the very last moment of his life in a state of disbelief and then on the threshold of the Next Life he comes to discover that the facts are quite contrary to what he had imagined, what sense is there for him to seek forgiveness?
(From the commentary of Tafheemul-Qur’aan)
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A scholar said on youtube, in the explanation of Al-Ghaffaar, that for repenting to Allah and asking HIS forgiveness we must:
1. Correct our intention to repent
2.. We must regret /have feelings of regret on committing the sin
3. Resolution i.e. we must decide not to make the sin again.
4. If a person has hurt someone in words, he must ask his forgiveness, if he has taken unjustly someone’s money or some other thing, then he must return his money or the thing to him. Only then will Allah forgive the sinner.
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The above verses and explanation mean that we must be very careful and serious, trying to protect ourselves from making sins. One shouldn’t think that he can make sins freely because Allah is so much Forgiving and Merciful. No one can deceive Allah. Allah is All-Wise All-Knowing.
If any makes sin due to ignorance or mistake, then as soon as he/she realizes the sin, must regret and repent to Allah for forgiveness. Allah The Al-Ghaffaar will accept his tawbah and will forgive him/her if he/ she didn’t hurt or harm a person.
The scholar on youtube also said that Allah has promised a lot of blessings in this world for those saying “astaghfaar” ( O Allah forgive me……..repeated). He then read a hadeeth of the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) which is as follows (in English):
The person who says lots of “astaghfaar”, Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala will make a way out for him from each worry, and also a way out for him from each difficulty and trouble; and HE is going to sustain him from a side/ source that he could not expect.
