Understanding Salat — Page 153
Jilsah 153 application is to prevent us from missing what we can gain. If someone earns $100, but because of a mistake he made, he loses $50, then that loss is an example of a sin that causes spiritual harm. In this context, istighf ā r is seeking forgiveness for our sins. However, if a person earns $100, but he didn’t realize that he missed the opportunity to earn $500, then that loss is an example of a natural weakness that deprived him of spiritual good. If he spends all of his time making sure he doesn’t make the mistake that cost him $50, he’ll end up missing hundreds of dollars in opportunities. If our istighf ā r is only about seeking forgiveness for our past sins, then we are missing the true meaning of istighf ā r. Our istighf ā r would then be focussed on the past and on negativity. This can have the effect of closing our minds; we would start dwelling on the past. Our regret over past mistakes may motivate us not to make the same mistakes again, but it won’t motivate us to open our minds to the opportunities we are missing. When we say ‘My Lord, forgive me’ [ ْ رَب ِّ اغْفِرْلِي ], we should primarily pray that we not miss any opportunities for spiritual pro- gress because of our natural weaknesses. Observing istighf ā r with this intention will open our mind to seeing opportuni- ties that are in front of us that we may not have noticed. It will give us a more positive and forward-thinking mindset. Rather than living in the past and having guilt as our driv- ing force, we will instead focus on the future, and hope will become our driving force. When we say ‘My Lord, forgive me’ [ ْ رَب ِّ اغْفِرْلِي ], we should