Supplication for Forgiveness and Protection from Hellfire: Quranic Supplications 17
During Ramadan 2023, Sheikh Faraz Rabbani gave a series of daily video talks on supplications in the Quran. This series of articles are drawn from those talks and the related eBook. This article is about asking for forgiveness and protection from Hellfire. The video series can be viewed here.
يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
“Our Lord, verily have we believed, so forgive us our sins, and keep us from the chastisement of the fire.” [Quran, 3:16]
This supplication begins with a declaration of faith. Why do we have to declare our faith before Allah? We don’t. He knows us better than we know ourselves. This is a statement of commitment that, “O Lord, we have answered Your call. We have believed and we are committed to our faith, even if we may fall short. So forgive us our sins.” Why? “Because You are our caring Lord.” The رَبَّ is the caring Lord. “We’ve made a commitment to faith, but we fall short. You are merciful, so forgive us our sins.”
What is forgiveness? Very often we approach forgiveness as being a form of self-blame, self-chastisement, that I messed up. No. When we realize that we sinned, or erred, or fell short, we ask Allah to overlook it and to wipe it out. Forgiveness is covering over and wiping out all that is ugly and unbecoming, whether it be sin, whether it be shortcoming, whether it be remissness.
Forgiveness Is More
That’s not all that forgiveness is. Forgiveness is also to replace that with the good, and the beautiful, and the beloved. So forgive us our sins, wipe them away, and replace them with the good, and shield us from the chastisement of the Fire.
We fear when we fall short. But when we turn in commitment of faith and in seeking forgiveness we express our fears we come back with certitude, commitment, and clarity. We also make this dua not only for ourselves. Sometimes we see our children behaving in ways that distress us.
Sometimes we may have siblings or relatives or friends drifting in life, struggling. We make this supplication for ourselves, for them, and for all people. And we have the confidence and certitude that our Lord answers.
So we turn to Allah in supplication. We ask Him in need, but we return with contentment and clarity and certitude that Allah answers.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
