Istighfar: Strength for soul and steadfastness for heart
It should be remembered that the
Umma (the Muslims) have been granted
two things. One, to achieve strength and two, to display that strength.
Istighfar is meant to get strength; in other words it is seeking after help.
Sufis say that just as taking exercise with the help of some heavy things
(called
Mugdars and
Mogris) gives strength to the body so
is the case with
Istighfar i.e. it gives strength to the soul and
also grants steadfastness to the heart. Whoever wishes to get strength should
do
Istighfar (ask for forgiveness)
Ghafar actually means to
cover or to suppress.
Istighfar helps to cover and suppress the feelings
and the thoughts which try to take the man away from God. Thus
Istighfar
means to overpower the poisonous matter that attacks man to undo him, and
by removing the checks and hurdles in the way of obeying the commands of
Allah, to act upon those commands in a practical manner.
This also should be remembered that there are two kinds of matters.
One, the poison which is handled by the Satan and, two, the elixir. When
a man shows pride and thinks that he is somebody to be reckoned with and
does not seek help from the elixir, the poison overpowers him. But when
he humbles himself and realises that he is nobody and very low and thus
feels the need of the help of God then Allah really produces a fountain
through which his soul begins to flow. This is what Istighfar means i.e.
to overpower the poisonous matter with the power received from God.
(Malfoozat vol. 2, pg. 67-68)