The Quest of a Curious Muslim

The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 16

I HAVE SINNED! WHAT DO I DO? 16 the habit of reciting the Arabic alone without any understanding of the meaning, and it is presumed that they have done Istighfar. However, the Promised Messiah as has taught us that Istighfar should come from the heart and can be done in a person’s own language, if it is difficult to keep track of the meaning of the Arabic words. The Holy Prophet sa used to recite Istighfar 70-100 times daily. We should be following his example, especially at a time when a sin has been committed. Second, we should try to do good deeds to remove the aftereffects of evil. The Quran says, “Good works drive away evil works” (Holy Quran, 11:115). Some of the good works include offering prayers in congregation, offering nawaafil with special prayers in the sajdah in our own language seeking Allah’s mercy, giving some sadaqah , doing various forms of zikr , doing Jama'at work, and so on. Third, we should try to find good company. Seeking out friends who are positive and motivate us to do good works is a great asset in self- reformation. Congregational prayer at the mosque