The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 245
Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness. Priority of Istighfar over Repentance 245. Istighfar and Taubah (repentance) are two separate matters. From one point of view, Istighfar has priority over repentance, inasmuch as Istighfar is the help and strength which are obtained from God and repentance means standing on one's own feet. It is the way of God that when a person seeks help from Him, He bestows strength and with that strength the supplicant stands on his own feet and thus possesses the faculty to do good, which is called 'turning to God'. This is the natural sequence of it. It is appointed for seekers that they should seek help from God in every condition. Till a seeker obtains strength from God, he can do nothing. . The strength for repentance is acquired after Istighfar. If there is no Istighfar, the faculty of repentance dies. If you will thus follow up Istighfar with repentance, the result will be as set out in the verse: 84 يُمَتَّعُكُمْ مِّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى. This is the way of God, that those who follow up Istighfär with repentance will achieve their cherished grades. . Every sense has its limits within which it achieves its high grades; not everyone can be a Prophet or a Messenger or a Truthful (Siddiq) or a Testifier (Shahid). [Malfūzāt, vol. II, pp. 68-69]. Istighfar is a Spiritual Exercise و آنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ ؟ 85 84 'He will provide for you a goodly provision until an appointed term. Hüd, 11:4 [Publisher] 85 And that you seek forgiveness of your Lord, and then turn to. Him. '. Hud, 11:4 [Publisher]