The Honour of Prophets — Page 28
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 28 do we implore so that your support and providence may uphold us and protect us from stumbling lest we fall prey to weakness and are unable to worship you. It is obvious from this entire discourse that the true meaning of istighfar is not that a sin has occurred, but stems from the desire that no sin should occur. Human nature finding itself weak naturally seeks strength from God, as a child seeks milk from its mother. Therefore, as God has bestowed upon man from the beginning a tongue, eyes, a heart and ears etc. , so has He impressed in him, from the beginning, the desire for istighfar and has made him feel that his own being stands in need of God’s assistance. This is indicated in the verse: 11 ِ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْۢبِكَ وَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنٰت This means that the Holy Prophet was directed to supplicate: pray to God that He may safeguard your nature against human weakness and that He may strengthen your disposition with His own strength, so that this weakness does not become manifest. Pray also by way of intercession for those men and women who believe in you so that they may be saved from punishment for faults they commit on account of the weakness of their nature and so that their subsequent 11 And ask forgiveness for thy frailties, and for believing men and believing women. ( Muhammad, 47:20)