The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 324
CH. 2 201. And when you AL-BAQARAH performed "the acts of worship PT. 2 فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمْ مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ have كَذِكْرِكُمْ أَباءَ كُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا فَمِنَ prescribed for you, celebrate النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ the praises of Allah as you celebrated the praises of your fathers, or even more than that. And of men there are some who say, 'Our Lord, grant us good things in this world;' and such a one shall have no share in the Hereafter. 207 "2:129. "See 2:153. 4:135; 42:21. do. After returning from 'Arafāt to Mash'arul-Harām, pilgrims should proceed to Mina where sacrifices are offered and the state of Iḥrām comes to an end. The clause, and seek forgiveness from Allah, hints that as Hajj consists of certain rites, there is the possibility of some persons not understanding the meaning and spirit of these rites. Moreover, where a number of religious acts are crowded into a short space of time, there is always the possibility of some persons missing and omitting certain things or of forgetting the prescribed order thereof. The pilgrims are, therefore, exhorted to have recourse to Istighfar, i. e. seeking God's forgiveness as well as His protection against error and its consequences. The word literally means "to pray for the covering up of sins and protection," which signifies forgiveness for past sins and protection against future ones. Thus, when a pilgrim offers Istighfar, he seeks not only forgiveness for what is 324 past or protection against stumbling with regard to the observance of the rites of Pilgrimage but also protection against future stumblings. It should also be remembered that Istighfar is not needed by ordinary people only, but holy servants of God also resort to it. The former offer Istighfar to seek protection against future sins as well as from the consequences of past errors; while the latter seek protection against human shortcomings and limitations that may hinder their progress and work. Holy men too, are human, and though they may be free from sins, they are always eager to seek divine help and assistance against human weaknesses and frailties. Nay, as they have to set an example to others and their responsibilities are also far heavier than those of other people, they resort to Istighfar more often than ordinary men. 207. Important Words: 153 (celebrate praises of) is derived from 5; which means, (1) he