Turning to Allah: Seeking Forgiveness, Deliverance, and Servitude
Turning to Allah for forgiveness is an essential part of faith, helping believers seek His mercy, overcome their shortcomings, and strengthen their spiritual connection with Him. In this blessed address, Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) explains the importance of repentance, seeking deliverance from worldly troubles, and becoming devoted servants of Allah Almighty. Drawing guidance from Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ayat 193–194, he reminds us to ask Allah for forgiveness, seek protection from our mistakes, and pray for a righteous end in this world. This spiritual discourse encourages believers to look beyond worldly distractions, remember Allah with sincerity, and trust in His promise of mercy and everlasting blessings.
This is Discourse #73, delivered by Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) on 10 January 1987.
Below is the blessed address of Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) on turning to Allah for forgiveness, deliverance, and servitude.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰی وَ نِعۡمَ النَّصِیۡرُ
رَبِِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ وَیَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ یَفۡقَہُوۡاقَوۡلِیۡ
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِ عَلٰی سَیّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اٰلِ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اَصْحَابِہٖ وَعَلٰی اَذْوَاجِہٖ اَجْمَعِیْنَ وَبَارِکْ وَسَلِمْ وَصَلِ عَلَیْہٖ
اَ لْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
The Almighty Allah be praised that the Master of All Sovereignty once again granted us today the opportunity to gather in His remembrance and pleasure. Millions and billions of blessings and salutations upon the Leader of the Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, peace and blessings be upon him, through whom this grace has been granted.
The Importance of Turning to Allah for Forgiveness
Respected listeners! Allah Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an:
رَبَّنَآ اِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُّنَادِيْ لِلْاِيْمَانِ اَنْ اٰمِنُوْا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاٰمَنَّاڰ رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوْبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّاٰتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْاَبْرَارِ رَبَّنَا وَاٰتِنَا مَا وَعَدْتَّنَا عَلٰي رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ ۭاِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيْعَادَ
Translation:
“Our Lord! Indeed, we have heard a caller calling to faith, saying, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and so we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive our sins, remove our evil deeds, and cause us to die with the righteous. Our Lord! Grant us that You have promised us through Your Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You never break Your promise.”
(Surah Aal-e-Imran: 193-194)
In this verse of the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty has portrayed our very condition. All those gathered here are people to whom the message of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has reached: that your Lord and Creator is Allah Almighty, the One without any partner. He created this entire universe for your needs and created you for His worship. And for whoever obeys His command, there are countless and everlasting blessings in the Hereafter. So, the people believed in this command and embraced faith wholeheartedly.
We have now gathered to supplicate, presenting the blessed names of Allah Almighty as a means of intercession and presenting the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the Greatest Guide, as a means of intercession:
O Master of the Day of Judgement! We are weak and lacking in understanding; that is, we are helpless before Satan and the lower self. Day and night, we benefit from Your blessings, yet neither do we offer You due gratitude nor are we able to worship You as is Your right to be worshipped, and we are ashamed, remembering Your blessed names and seeking the intercession of Your beloved Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; we ask for forgiveness. Forgive us for our heedlessness and shortcomings, remove from us the evils in which we are entangled because of this world, and grant that our end be among those righteous servants of Yours who have attained Your pleasure.
O Lord of all the worlds! Fulfil Your promise and, for the sake of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, grant us deliverance from the sorrows of both worlds and bless us with the joys of both worlds, for Your promise is that whoever becomes Your servant shall have neither sorrow nor worry.
On the Day of Resurrection, when all deeds are brought forth, hands and feet will bear witness, and nothing will remain hidden. So, O Lord of all the worlds! Save us from shame and disgrace. Indeed, Your promise is true, and You never break Your promise.
Respected listeners! It is a favor of Allah Almighty that the Master has granted us this precious time for attaining a precious treasure and has made us turn away from the deception of this world, which constantly draws us towards itself.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, related that an elder once passed by a devout and pious man who was sitting at a place where there was a graveyard on one side, and household refuse on the other. The passing elder made a profoundly insightful observation: “Before you are the two treasures of this world: one is the treasure of human beings, which is called the graveyard, and the other is the treasure of wealth and possessions, reduced to the form of waste and filth. These two treasures are sufficient as a lesson.”
Ponder: Is this all that this life ultimately comes to? Go to the graveyard and see for yourself, and look at the fate of those things for which you strive day and night.
Therefore, O those who turn towards the Holy Being! Present today’s blessed Aurad before the Master and make this very supplication: O Master! Grant us Your servitude, whose end is nothing but light upon light.
With this purpose in mind, let us begin.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
The blessed Aurad-e-Naziriyah, were recited, and supplication was made.
