*From the Mimbar* 1st Sha'ban, 1446 | January 31, 2025 All praises and adoration are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Al-Ghafur, which is one of the attributes Allah is qualified with, said: *“Then I said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving.” (Quran 71:10)*. Because we are fallible human beings, we must ask Allah for forgiveness whenever we commit a sin. Allah asserts to be Al-Ghafur by saying, *“ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him; He will send on you clouds pouring down abundance of rain and add strength to your strength, and do not turn back guilty.” (Quran 11:52)*. Allah then goes further to reassure us; He said,*“O My servants who have wronged themselves! Do not despair of the Mercy of God; verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance (and in obedience with true faith) to your Lord and submit to Him". (Quran 35:53)*. Islam teaches human beings to be forgiving and if someone sincerely asks for forgiveness, the wronged person should forgive him. *Our beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever suffers an injury and forgives (the person responsible), Allah will raise his status to a higher degree and remove one of his sins.”* The prophet also led by example in seeking istighfar about 70 times each day. *Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."* Since we are all human and we all commit sins every day, even when we are not conscious of it, it is crucial that we ask for forgiveness. Therefore, it's critical to ask for forgiveness for both intentional and unintentional transgressions. There are important considerations that must be made in order to receive Allah SWT's full and complete forgiveness: - Seeking istighfar every minute like the prophet (PBUH) - Never belittle a sin - Forgive those who have offended you It is crucial to understand that you must be able to forgive people who have harmed you if you wish to receive forgiveness from Allah. *“But if you pardon, overlook and forgive - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (64:14)*. Let's make it a habit to ask Allah for forgiveness after every prayer. This is achievable, since this will bring you peace of mind and Allah's pardon opens doors to many opportunities both here on Earth and in the hereafter. May Allah make it an easy feat for us all. Aameen. *Muhammad Ademola* *Amir, 24/25*