Being Muslims, we have faith that our Almighty Lord (ALLAH) will forgive us for our accidental deeds and acts. The acts that called His anger and disobedience from our side. When we come to know about these unintentional acts, we do some dhikr for repentance and to seek His mercy again. The word Astagfirullah literally stands for “I seek forgiveness in God”. It is part of our faith to ask for Allah Almighty’s forgiveness. We as Muslims believe that everything is coming from Allah Almighty and He is the creator of us all, every happening is associated with him.

What is Astaghfirullah?

There are three proper meanings and definitions of Astaghfirullah.

1. As an Expression of Redemption:

In the most literal meaning of Astaghfirullah, it is stated to be a short prayer for seeking Allah’s redemption and mercy. It is when a Muslim encounters some bad deed and wants to ask his merciful God, not to hold him accountable for his deeds on the Day of Judgment.

2. As an Expression of Shame:

Asking for Allah’s mercy is fruitless until or unless we, the Muslims are shameful for our bad deeds. In broader terms Astaghfirullah stands as an expression of shame, one should have on the bad deeds he had done. This meaning of dhikr makes the doer feel at heart, the deed was worth punishing and now he should ask for the mercy and redemption of Allah Almighty.

3. As an Expression of Disapproval:

By the expression of disapproval, we mean that the deed must not be repeated again. It was something not to be done and now we disapprove of doing it again. It is basically the condemnation of the soul.

The Benefits of Saying Astaghfirullah

Quran being the mentor has stated the benefits of doing the dhikr of Astaghfirullah. These benefits add to the meaning of this dhikr and enhance its utility.

Also Read: Virtues of Reciting Last 10 Surahs of Quran

Islam truly understands the sense of calmness, serenity, and inner peace that dhikrs bring to your soul. This adds a sense of clarity and purpose, so states the benefits as under.

1. Opening the door of mercy

The Quran says, “Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. [Quran 71:10].

By doing this dhikr will make Allah shower down His mercy on you. This benefit of Astagfirullah is also proved by Hadiths.

2. Opening the door of wealth

We, being extremely busy in our lives, forgot to seek Allah’s redemption and mercy. We invest most of our time in making money and raising our children. By doing this dhikr will open the doors of wealth for you in every regard including children for those, who are seeking to expand their families.

As the Quran says, “And give you increase in wealth and children.” [Quran, 71:12]

3. Opening the door of sustenance

Doing little dua (prayer) and getting much from His side, this is Allah Almighty. He promises to provide the best of both worlds, just by doing Astaghfar with a pure heart.

The Quran says, “Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favour his favour” [Quran, 11:3]

This is how big the mercy of Allah Almighty is.

4. Opening the door of forgiveness

The Quran says, “And Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness” [Quran, 8:33]

Allah Almighty tests every Muslim with some hard and good times to evaluate the faith of His believers. Astagfirullah shields the Muslims from any sudden calamity and provides protection.

5. Adding strength to life

The Quran says, “. . . ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength.” [Quran 11:52]

The world is bound to make you sad and distressed at times. The dhikr of Astaghfar can bring you easiness and comfort at heart and make your life strong enough to hold and face these problems.

6. Treasures in AfterLife

The Quran says, “. . . and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.” [Quran, 71:12]

The dhikr of Astaghfar cannot only bring Allah’s happiness and mercy but also be treasures in the afterlife. We as Muslims are obligated to ask for Allah’s mercy and redemption. The dhikr of Astaghfar is greater among all as it calls for Allah’s mercy as well as makes him shower down his blessings upon us. So let us make this habit of seeking forgiveness with the dhikr of Astaghfirullah!