The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 425
Resurrection 425 In this way, an endless system of progress will continue which will never suffer decline. They will not be ex- pelled from paradise but will advance forward every day and will not move back. A question arises that having entered paradise, why should they seek forgiveness as their sins will have been forgiven? The answer is that the primary meaning of maghfirat is the suppression and covering up of an imperfect condition. Dwellers of paradise will desire to obtain perfection and to be sunk altogether in light. On beholding the second condition they will find their first condition defective and they will seek to have it suppressed. Then beholding a third perfection, they will desire with regard to their second condition that it should be suppressed and hidden. Thus they will desire unending maghfirat. This is the same Istighfar which some ignorant ones make the basis of criticism of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) but it will now be clear that this desire for Istighfar is the pride of man. A person who is born of woman and does not make Istighfar his habit is an insect and not a man, is blind and not seeing and is foul and not pure. [Islāmī Uşül kī Philosophy, Rūķānī Khazā'in, vol. 10, pp. 408-413]