So Said The Promised Messiah (as) — Page 60
ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS Wa anistagh-firoo Rabbakum summa tooboo ilaihi "And if you ask for forgiveness from your Lord and then you turn to Him". You should remember that this Umma has been granted two things. One is to obtain strength and the other is for a practi- cal display of that strength. In order to obtain strength, "Istighfar has been given to the Muslims, which in other words can be called asking for help (Istimdad and Istianat ). The mystics say that just as one gets physical strength through exercise (exercise with dumbles and other things) so also it can be said that Istighfar is the means of exercise for spiritual strength. It gives strength to the soul and also grants stead- fastness to the hearts-whoever wishes to gain strength should be doing Istighfar (i. e. he should be asking for the forgiveness of his sins). Ghafara means to cover up or press down. With I~tighfar one tries to cover up or press down the low passions which keep him away from,God. Thus Istighfar actually means that one should try to press down (and put an end to) the poisonous matter which attacks the man to ruin him, and thus getting away from what stands between him and his God, he should act upon His Commandments. This should also be remembered that there are two kinds of matters to be found in human beings. One, the poisonous matter and, two, the elixir. The poisonous matter is handled by the Satan. When a man shows ,pride and begins to think that he is somebody very important, and he does not ask for help from the fountain of elixir, then' the poisonous matter overpowers him, but when he humbles himself and begins to realise that he is nobody and of no importance and feels the need for seeking after the help of God, then a fountain 60