Sirr al-Istighfar Aqib al-Salawat
- Author died
- 1332 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Bashāʾir al-Islāmiyyah lil-Ṭibāʿah wal-Nashr wal-Tawzīʿ
Sirr al-Istighfar Aqib al-Salawat (The Secret of Seeking Forgiveness Following the Prayers) is a treatise by the Damascene scholar Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (1283–1332 AH / 1866–1914 CE) defending the practice and elucidating the wisdom of seeking divine forgiveness immediately after prayer.
Cause of Composition and Purpose
Al-Qasimi was prompted to write the work after some students related that a contemporary jurist argued that it is impermissible for a worshipper to say أستغفر الله (Astaghfirullah, "I seek forgiveness of Allah") upon completing prayer. That jurist claimed that forgiveness is sought only for sins, citing the Quranic verse: إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ ("Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance and then repent"). Al-Qasimi composed the treatise to refute this opinion, demonstrate the textual basis of the practice, and clarify why seeking forgiveness is prescribed after acts of worship.
Contents and Arguments
In his refutation, al-Qasimi argues that:
- Hadith scholars have unanimous agreement on the transmission of reports establishing that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited istighfar after prayer, and the leading imams concurred on its recommendation (nadb) without dissent.
- It is improper to set aside authentic prophetic reports to favor subjective legal reasoning (ra'y), especially when the Prophet ﷺ himself instituted this practice through both his explicit statements and actions.
- The work compiles the relevant prophetic hadiths regarding istighfar after prayer and explores the spiritual reason (sirr) for concluding major acts of worship and obedience with requests for forgiveness.
Manuscripts and Publication
The text was preserved in an original holograph manuscript penned in the author's own Persian script. It was edited by Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Ajmi and published in 1421 AH (2000 CE) by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah in Beirut as part of the Liqa' al-'Ashr al-Awakhir bi-al-Masjid al-Haram series.
Answer updated