As Ramadan comes along, trudging its way nearer and nearer, we start feeling it all around us. Muslims the world over are united in fasting, performing prayers and giving charity in a month that is like no other. The central theme of Ramadan for all believers unanimously is striving and struggling to earn the forgiveness of Allah, and thereby earning His pleasure and entry into paradise. But Allah promises more than just forgiveness. You may be wondering- just what can be more than forgiveness?
Ramadan is a month in which we hope and pray to start over. We want to turn over a new leaf. And this is encapsulated by the name of Allah, al-Afuww. Allah has three different names that mean One who forgives- Al-Ghaffaar, Al-Ghafoor and Al- Ghaafir (the differences between them can be discussed another time). Moreover, Allah is also at-Tawwab (The Acceptor of Repentance), as-Sattar (The Coverer of Sins) and ar-Raheem (The Especially Merciful). And yet when Aishah (radiAllahu anha) asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to teach her a dua for Laylatul Qadr, the best of all nights, the Prophet taught her, “Allahumma innaka afuwwun, tuhibbul afwa, fa afuwannee” [O Allah you are Afuww, you love Afwa, so have Afuww on me].
In the midst of such beautiful names of Allah already mentioned, why did the Prophet choose a name that is not so common? Al-Afuww only comes in the Quran six times, whereas al-Ghafoor and ar-Raheem are all over the Quran. What is so special about this name?
One of the meanings of afuww is the complete removal of something—removing all its traces. When we ask for forgiveness (maghfirah), we are asking Allah to cover up our sins for us and to protect us from the effects of our sin. We ask Allah hoping that even though we have committed the sin, He does not punish us for it. When we ask for afuww, we are asking Allah to completely erase the sin, such that its traces are also removed. This means that our slate is literally wiped clean—there will be no questioning for those sins on the Day of Judgment if Allah accepts! How beautiful is that?
We come to Ramadan this year, especially on the last ten days of this blessed month, having spent a full year committing sins upon sins. We can’t help it, we are human beings and are prone to sin. We ask Allah for forgiveness and we fall into sin again. Our record books have been blotched with some good deeds here and there and lots and lots of sins. Out of His immense Mercy and Grace, Allah grants us this special chance. He gives us a chance to seek His afuww. All the sins we committed, all our shortcomings, every time we lost our cool, every time we lied, every time we watched something we shouldn’t have, every time we did that which Allah forbade, all of it can be erased. It will be like we never did it in the first place. It will be a clean slate, and a fresh beginning. That is the promise of Al-Afuww. So as you read this piece, bring yourself to say the blessed dua that the Prophet taught, the dua that changes everything for a believer:
“Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa, fa afuwwannee.”
