{Supplication by which Allah Erases/Forgives all Sins}
Culled from: “The Removal of Confusion [Kāshif al-Ilbās]”
By: Shaykh Ibrāhīm Niasse
Since our purpose is to discuss the Glorification of Allah (Tasbīh), and this conversation (by its nature) drifts from one topic to another, permit us to devote attention to the “Prayer of Glorification” (Salāt al-tasbīh).
As reported by Imam al-Tabarānī and Abū Na’īm, Ibn ‘Abbās said:
Al-‘Abbās once came to the Prophet at an unusual hour, so someone said, “O Messenger of Allah!, this is your paternal uncle at the door.” He said, “Let him come in, for he must have come with some important business!” Then, when al-‘Abbās entered his presence, the Prophet! asked him, “What has brought you at this hour, O my paternal uncle?” He replied, “O son of my brother, I recalled the Age of Ignorance (al-Jāhiliyya) and its stupidity, then this world oppressed me, regardless of its spaciousness. I cried, ‘Who will comfort me?’, but I realized that there is no one who can comfort me, except Allah the Exalted, and then you.”
The Prophet! responded by saying, “Praise be to Allah, who has instilled this in your heart! Shall I offer you a present?”
His uncle said, “Yes!” He replied, “Shall I give you a gift?” His uncle said “Yes!”
The Prophet! then told him: “During any time in which the ritual prayer can be performed – not following the afternoon
prayer (‘asr) and not after the rising of the sun (after the dawn prayer until the daylight), but anytime in between – you must perform your ritual ablution correctly, then stand in honor of Allah the Almighty and Glorious. Recite the Opening of the Qur’ān (Fātihat al-Kitāb) and another chapter (sūra), which you may select from the beginning of the final section of the Qur’ān.
Then, when you have completed the Sūra, you must say fifteen times: ‘Subhān-Allah wa Alhamdu Lillahi wa Lā ilana ilā Llah wa Allahu Akbar [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Supremely Great!]’ Then, when you perform your act of bowing (rukū’), you must say that ten times.
Then, when you raise your head from bowing, you must say that ten times. Then, when you perform the prostration (sajda), you must say that ten times. Then, when you raise your head and adopt the sitting posture (jalsa), you must recite that ten times. Then, when you perform the act of prostration again, you must say it ten times. Then, when you raise your head and adopt the sitting posture again, you must say that ten times. This adds up
to a total of seventy five (glorifications).
“You must then stand up and perform another cycle (rak’a), in which you must do what you did in the first. Then you must say it ten times before the profession of faith (al-tashahhud). This
brings the total to one hundred and fifty. You must then perform two other cycles like that, so this brings the total to three hundred.
“If you have completed (this prayer), even if your sins are equal in number to the stars in the sky, Allah will erase them.
(He will erase them) even if they are like a huge pile of sand, and even if they are like the foam of an ocean.
“If you can, perform this prayer once daily. If you cannot do so, then one time every Friday. If you cannot do that, then perform it once a month. If you cannot even do that, then every year as long as you are still alive.”
A similar narration is recorded in al-Hāfiz al-Mundhirī’s al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb. On the authority of ‘Ikrimah, Ibn
‘Abbās ! said:
The Messenger of Allah! said to al-‘Abbās b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib: “O ‘Abbās, O my paternal uncle! Shall I not give you a gift? Shall I not grant you a favor? Shall I not offer you a present? Shall I not do something for you? (Let me tell you about) ten virtuous deeds (khisāl) that, when performed, Allah will grant you forgiveness for your sins, the first of them and the last, that which was committed long ago and that which was committed recently, that which was done mistakenly and that which was done deliberately, that which is major and that which is minor, and that which is committed in private and that which is committed in public.
“There are ten virtuous deeds: Perform four cycles (raka’āt) of ritual prayer, reciting in each one the Opening of the Qur’ān (Fātihat al-Kitāb) and a Sūra. When you have completed the recitation at the beginning of a cycle, say fifteen times, while you are standing erect, ‘Subhān-Allah wa Alhamdu Lillahi wa Lā ilana ilā Llah wa Allahu Akbar [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Supremely Great!]’. Then perform the act of bowing, and then say it ten times while in this position. Then raise your head from the bowing posture, and repeat it another ten times. Then move into the prostrating position, and recite it ten times. Then raise your head from the posture of prostration, and say it again ten times. Then move into the prostrating position again, reciting it ten times. Then raise yourself from prostrating and recite it ten times more. This adds up to a total of seventy-five times in each movement.
Repeat all of this in three more cycles (raka’āt). If you are able to perform this prayer once a day, then do so. If you are unable to do so, then one time every Friday. If you cannot do that, then one time every month. If you cannot do that, then do it once a year. If you cannot even do that, then (do it at least) once in your lifetime.”
In the version reported by al-Tabarānī, the Prophetic tradition ends with the words: “Even if your sins are like the foam of the ocean or like a great pile of sand, Allah will grant you forgiveness.” According to al-Hafiz (al-Mundhirī):
This Prophetic tradition has been reported through many lines of transmission, and on the authority of a number of Companions. This version attributed to ‘Ikrimah is the best example, for it has been authenticated by a group of experts, including al-Hafiz Abū Bakr al-Ajurrī, our Shaykh Abū Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahīm al-Misrī, and our Shaykh al-Hāfiz Abū al-Hasan al-Maqdisī, may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon them. Abū Bakr ibn Abī Dawūd said, “I heard my father say, ‘On the subject of the prayer of glorification (Salāt al-Tasbīh), there is no authentic Prophetic tradition other than this.’” Muslim b. al-Hajjāj, may
Allah have mercy on him, said, “Where this Prophetic tradition is concerned, there is no finer chain of transmission (isnād) than this,” referring to the chain of transmission that validates ‘Ikrimah’s report on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās!. He (Ibn ‘Abbās) also said about concluding the prayer, “When I come to the end (of the prayer of glorification), I say this after the profession of faith (al-Tashahhud) and before the salutation of peace (al-Salām):
Arabic;
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ تَوْفِيقِ أَهْلِ الْهُدَى وَ أَعْمَالِ أَهْلِ اليَقِينِ وَ مُنَاصَحَةِ أَهْلِ التَّوْبَةِ وَ عَزْمِ أَهْلِ الصَّبْرِ وَ حَذَرِ أَهْلِ الْخَشْيَةِ وَ طَلَبِ أَهْلِ الرَّغْبَةِ وَتَعَبُّدِ أَهْلِ الْوَرَعِ وَ عِرْفَانِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ حَتَّى أَخَافَكَ
اللَّهُمَّ مَخَافَةً تَحْجُزَنِي بِهَا عَنْ مَعَاصِيكَ حَتَّى أَعْمَلُ بِطَاعَتِكَ عَمَلًا أَسْتَحِقُّ بِهِ رِضَاكَ وَ حَتَّى أَنَاصِحَكَ بِالتَّوْبَةِ خَوْفاً مِنْكَ وَ حَتَّى أُخْلِصَ لَكَ النَّصِيحَةَ حُبّاً لَكَ وَ حَتَّى أَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا حُسْنُ ظَنٍّ بِكَ سُبْحَانَ خَالِقِ النُّورِ
Transliteration;
“Allahummah! Innī as'aluka Taufīqi Ahli-l Hudā wa A‘amāli Ahli-l Yaqīni Wa Munāsihati Ahli-t Taubati wa ‘Azmi Ahli-s Sabri wa Hadhari Ahli-l Khashyati Wa Talabi Ahli-r Ragbati wa Ta'abbudi Ahli-l Wara‘i wa 'Irfāni Ahli-l 'Ilmi hattā Akhāfaka.
Allahumma Innī As-aluka Makhāfatan tahjuzanī bihā ‘an Ma‘āsīka hattā A‘amalu bi-Tā‘atika ‘amalān astahiqqu bihī Ridāka wa hattā Anāsihaka bi-t Taubati khaufān minka wa hattā Ukhlisa laka-n nasīhata hubbān laka wa hattā atawakkalu ‘alayka fī-l umūri kullihā husnu zannin bika. Sub'hāna khāliqi-n Nūri...”
Translation;
“‘O Allah, I beseech You to grant me the success of the people of right guidance, the actions of the people of certitude,
the sincere advice of the people of repentance, the firm resolve of the people of patience, the wariness of the people of apprehension, the quest of the people of yearning, the devotion of the people of piety, and the insight of the people of
knowledge, so that I may be afraid of offending You.
“‘O Allah, I beseech You to grant me a sense of fear, by which you will prevent me from committing acts of sinful disobedience against You, so that I may practice obedience to You with conduct that makes me worthy of Your good pleasure; and so that I may be honest with You in repentance, for fear of offending You, and so that I may be completely sincere with You, for love of You, and so that I may place my trust in You regarding all affairs, because of my excellent opinion of You. Glory be to the Creator of Light…’”
I advise you to hold tightly this mighty and exalted treasure!
Source:
“The Removal of Confusion: Concerning the Flood of the Saintly Seal Ahmad al-Tijānī [A Translation of Kāshif al-Ilbās ‘an Faydat al-Khatm Abī al-‘Abbās]”
By: Shaykh al-Islām Al-Hājj Ibrāhīm b. ‘Abd-Allah Niasse
Translated by: Prof Zachary Wright, Muhtar Holland and
Prof. Abdullahi El-Okene
Published by: Fons Vitae (2009)
RAMADAN WA LAYLATU-L QADR MUBARAK!!!