Verse 107
The Women • madinah
View Aspects
Commentary:
استغفار (asking forgiveness) is the keystone of all spiritual progress. The word does not merely mean verbal asking for forgiveness, but also extends to acts leading to the covering up of one’s sins and shortcomings; and this covering up, implied in the root meaning of Istighfar (see 2:200) may be of diverse nature: (1) the covering up of evil propensities in man (2) the covering up of evil thoughts and their being restrained from being converted into actions; (3) the covering up of sins actually committed and preventing them from being exposed; and (4) finally the covering up of the sins, as it were, from the sight of God Himself, i.e. complete and absolute forgiveness and their being treated as non-existent. What a vista of bliss for a true believer!
Istighfar constitutes the keystone of all spiritual progress. It does not merely mean verbal asking for forgiveness but extends to such acts as lead to the covering up of one’s sins and shortcomings.