Wipers of Sins

Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (39:53); “Know that Allah is severe in punishment and that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” (5:98); “And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Certainly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (73:20); “Verily, Allah forgives not the setting up of partners with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases whatever is less than that. And whoever sets up partners with Allah has indeed strayed far away.” (4:116); “Will they not repent to Allah and ask His forgiveness? For Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful". (5:74); “And who can forgive sins except Allah?” (3:135); “And those who, when they commit a lewd act or wrong themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins and who forgives sins except Allah? And they do not persist in what (wrong) they were doing while they knew it. For such, the reward is forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens with rivers flowing through, wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is the reward of the doers (of good)!” (3:135-136).

Allah Almighty have also said in the Holy Quran, “Say: Shall I not inform you of things far better than those (things of this world)? For the pious, there are gardens with their Lord, wherein rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal home and pure wives. And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is Seer of the slaves. Those who say, Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. They are those who are patient, those who are true and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend (in charity) and those who pray and beg for Allahs forgiveness in the last hours of the night.” (3:15-17) In a Hadithi Qudsi, Allah says, "O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it."

When asked about the major sins, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied." To associate anyone with Allah, to disobey the parents, to kill unlawfully and to give false evidence." Safwan ibn Mobraz al-Mazan reports that  he heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) saying: "(On the Day of Resurrection) Allah will draw near to a believer and put His forgiveness over him and screen him (his sins) then Allah will say: Do you know such and such sin? Do you know such and such? He will say: Yes, my Lord! This conversation will continue) until Allah will make him confess his sins, and thinks that he is ruined. Then Allah will say: I concealed them (your sins in the world) and I do forgive you today. Then he will be given the record book containing his good deeds." (Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah) Narrated Abu Huraira, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said: "There were two fraternal persons among the sons of Israel. One of them was engrossed in committing sins while the other was devoted to worship. The devotee used to see his fellow committing sin and advise him. Desist from doing so. One day when he found his fellow committing sin. He said to him: Avoid it. His fellow said: Leave me alone. Have you been sent out as a vigilant on me. The devotee said: By Allah, He will neither forgive you nor admit you to Paradise. When they died, they were gathered before the Lord of the Worlds. Allah asked the devotee: Were you assured of knowing Me or were you having power over what was in My Hands? Then He said to the sinner: Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy; and ordered the angels about the devotee: Lead him to the Hell." (This Hadith is sound and related by Abu Dawid in his Sunan). Abu Huraira narrates that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said: "A man never did good deeds. Rather, he used to lend (money) the people and advise his servants: Take from the solvent and leave the insolvent and forgive him. Perhaps Allah may forgive us. When he died, Allah asked him: Did you ever do anything good? He replied: No, but I had a servant and I used to lend people money. Whenever I sent him out to recover the loans, I advised him: Accept from the solvent and leave the one who is unable to repay (i.e. excuse him). May Allah forgives us. then Allah The Exalted remarked: I have forgiven you." (Related by An-Nasa'i.)

Hearing these sacred texts Allah Almighty call out to the servants, a call of forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. For Allah  know that man was created weak and is prone to fall into sin, after calling out to mankind, He inform them that as long as they call on Him and put their hope in Him, He will forgive them and not mind. This statement alone can convince one to have hope and never to despair. When one calls out to Allah or makes supplication (du’a), he is displaying his need and dependence of Allah. He is demonstrating his weakness to the fact that he has no power to do anything for himself. It is the essence of submission and servitude. It is also a recognition of Allah’s attributes of kindness, generosity, forgiving and merciful nature, and His unlimited power and knowledge. Humans are never in a situation where they are not in need of Allah. A believer always turns to Allah to ask for guidance as well as to seek forgiveness of sins and shortcomings. At supplications, meanwhile, one should truly seek Allah’s aid and His forgiveness and demonstrate his need for Allah and submit to Him with fear and hope in receiving the desired response. WE read in the Holy Quran, “And invoke Him in fear and aspiration (of hope). Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to those who do good” (7:56); “Call out to Him with fear and hope.” (7:56); “They forsake their beds to call their Lord in fear and hope.” (32:16). 

Know may Allah be pleased with you that our great master, the Concealed Pole, the Known Mohammedian Seal, Sidna Shaykh Mawlana Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani Hassani (may Allah be pleased with him) has mentioned in his rasail different acts of worship that are effective in wiping one’s acquired sins with the goodwill of seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Sidna Shaykh advises his companions and confidants to constantly persist in wiping sins using all the available methods. The strongest of these wipers is to set prayers upon the Chieftain of the Universe, the Spout of Divine Compassion, the Spring of Divine Mercy, the Seal of Messengers, the Holy Prophet Mawlana Mohammed ibn Abdellah (peace and blessing be upon him). “It is clear that he whom Allah Almighty has busied his tongue and heart with setting prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)” says Shaykh al-‘Haramayn Sidi Mohammed ibn Alawi al-Maliki Debbarh (d. 1417/2006), “has been truly blessed with Allah’s kindness and mercy. He also has been given security from all that he fears, and has attained the utmost protection from all harm and evils; indeed he is carried aboard the ship of salvation. This means he is secure from all things which create worries and needs, secure from poverty, debt, subjugation, weakness, disease, fear, and all other calamities and disasters; he has guaranteed that his worldly affairs will be upright and good. And should he obtain, alongside this, forgiveness from the sins and salvation from the perils of the Day of Resurrection, so that he may enter Paradise in peace, he has most certainly guaranteed that his affairs in the Hereafter will be good and upright, too”. 

Out of all the authentic formulas to shower prayers upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), Sidna Shaykh Tijani (may Allah be satisfied with him), prompted his companions and confidants to especially use the Salat al-Fatih, which is incomprehensibly much greater when compared to the recitation of other formulas. Salat al-Fatih is a unique prayer in setting peace and blessing upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with special intentions that recognizes that only Allah can make the prayer and only the one in the purest of state can ask Allah to help him to do the duty. The prayer is made with all its outward and inward meaning and levels known to Allah. The prayer is very effective in wiping acquired sins. Sidna Shaykh Tijani has said, “The lives of all the people have been spent in futility, except the lives of the practisers of Salat al Fatih, for they have gained both worldly and otherworldly profit.” He clarified that a single recitation of Salat al-Fatih wipes the sins of all human beings from creation to trumpet. Thus he recommended his companions and confidants to rehearse Salat al-Fatih as much possible especially on Fridays. He said (may Allah be pleased with him): “If it is recited 100 times on Thursday night before Friday, will wipe out the sins of 400 years.” Another great prayer is the one of “Allahumma salli ‘ala sayyidina Mohammed ‘abdika wa rasulika an-Nabi al-Ummi wa ‘ala alihi wa sa’hbihi wa sallim” [Oh Allah send benediction upon Your Servant, our Master Mohammad, the Prophet not taught by any human (but directly by You, O Allah), Allah's blessings be upon him and upon his Family and companions.]. If recited 80 times on Thursday night before or on Friday after the `Asr prayer, will wipe out the sins of 80 years.

Sidna Shaykh Mawlana Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) has mentioned other forms of worship that are effective in wiping sins:

• The supplication of “Ya man Adhara-l-Jamil” is among the greatest treasures of wiping sins: “Ya man adhara-l-jamil wa satara al-qabi’h, wa lam yu’a´khid bil jarira, wa lam yahtiki as-sitr, wa ‘adhima al-‘afw, wa ya ‘hasana at-tajawuj, wa ya wasi’a al-maghfira, wa ya basita al-yadayni bi-ar-ra’hma, wa ya sami’a kulli najwa, wa ya muntaha kulli shakwa, wa ya karim-as-saf’hi, wa ya ‘adhima-l-manni, wa ya muqil-a al-a‘tarat, wa ya mubtadiyan bi-n-ni’am qabla-s-ti’hqaaqihaa, yaa Rabbi, wa yaa Sayyidii, wa yaa Mawlaay, wa yaa Ghaayata Raghbatii; as aluka alla tushawwiha khilqatii, bi-balaai ad-dunya wa-la bi’adaabi an-nar. [O Allah that bestow splendour and stow spite! (That) let off faults and cover swathe! (That) hold the foremost amnesty, top discharge, and infinite forgiveness! Your Hands are broadened with mercy! You listen to all secret conversations and You Are the destination of moans; O Most Generous Forgiving! O Most Giver! O Most Releaser of obstructions! O Initial Donator of graces without being deserved! O God! O Master! O Lord! I ask You not to distort my being neither in this life’s decay nor in next life’s anguish!] As for its special quality, we learn from a traditional report, transmitted [by a chain of reliable authorities] from Sidna Abdellah b. al-‘Ass (may Allah be well pleased with him) by al-Hakim that Gabriel (peace upon him) came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). He saluted him and said, “I have come to you with a present!” The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) answered, “What is it?” Then he mentioned to him this supplication. Upon hearing it, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) enquired, “What is the reward of its reviewer?” Gabriel responded, “Should have the angles of the seven heavens gather and account its reward, they would have failed! Each one of them would depict a unique reward until the Day of the Judgement! Amid the mentioned rewards is that Allah orders, “Reward him/her in numbers of what I have created in the seven heavens, in paradise and in hell, in my kingdom and in my throne; (reward him) in numbers of drops and rains, oceans, stones and sands.” Still Allah gives him/her the rewards of all creation and of 70 prophets, to mention only few.” Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada (d. 1212/1797) articulates in the Jawahir that this supplication is greater than that of Hizb Sayfi. (Note that a special licence from your muqaddam is needed to benefit from this supplication.) 

• The Hizb Sayfi. Gabriel (peace upon him) told the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him):  "The Hizb Sayfi has twelve thousand special properties, six thousand in this world and six thousand in the Hereafter. If someone makes a constant practice of its recitation, he wll acquire all of those special properties, those that are worldly and those that are Otherworldly (...)". Sidi al-Haj Omar ibn Said al-Futi Tijani (d. 1279/1864) mentiones in Kitab Rima'h al-Hizb al-Rahim ala Nuhur Hizb ar-Rajim (The Spears of the League of the Merciful thrown at the Necks of the League of the Accursed) that the Hizb’s otherworldly qualities is that if someone persists in its recitation in the morning and evening Allah will grant him forgiveness for all his previously committed sins. (Note that a special licence from your muqaddam is needed to benefit from the supplication.)

• The Salat Tasbi’h (glorification prayer) reported from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). It has been reported in the Kitab al-Jami’a li-ma f-taraqa mina-l ‘ulumn (The Absolute in What Has Separated from the Sciences) by written by Sidna Shaykh’s companion Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Mishri Sibai (d. 1224/1809) that the glorification prayer is enough to wipe all the sins from the age of puberty to death. In the Ihya' ulum ad-din of Imam Ghazali (d. 526/1111), he wrote that this prayer is not restricted to a period or seasons, and that it is loved that no week should pass without it, or once a month. The detail of the glorification prayer has been related from Ikrima on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be satisfied with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said to his uncle Sidna Abbas ibn Abdelmuttalib (may Allah be satisfied with him): “Will I not favour you, will I not present you with something that if you do it, Allah shall forgive you your sins, the initial and final ones, the old and new ones, the mistaken and deliberate ones, the secretly and openly committed ones. Pray fourfold raka’ats, reciting in each raka’a, the Fatihah (Ch.1) and any chapter of the Quran. When you finish recitation in the first raka’a and are still standing, say: “Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu li-llah, wa la ilaaha illa-llah, wa Allah Akbar, wa la ‘hawla wa la quwwata illa-billah al-‘Ali al-‘Adhim” [Glory be to Allah, and all Praise is for Allah, and there is no God but Allah, and Allah is Great, and there is no might or power except with (the help of) Allah, the Most-High, the Incomparably Great], 15 times.

  Then bow and repeat the formula while bowing, 10 times.
  Then rise from bowing and repeat it while standing, 10 times.
  Then prostrate and repeat while prostrating, 10 times.
  Then rise from prostration and repeat while sitting, 10 times.
  Then prostrate and repeat while prostrating, 10 times.
  Then rise from the prostration and repeat saying it 10 times, bringing it to a total of 75 times in a single rakaat.” Do this in all the four raka’ats. If you are able to pray this every day then do so, if not then in every week, if not then every month, If not then once a year”
   

• The Istighafr of Sidna al-Khidr (peace upon him), “Allahumma inni astaghfiruka min kulli danbin tubtu ilayka minhu thumma ‘udtu fiih, wa astaghfiruka min kulli ma wa’adtuka bihi min nafsii thumma lam uufi laka bihii, wa astaghfiruka min kulli ‘amalin aradtu bihi Wajhaka fa-khalatani fiihi ghayruka, wa astaghfiruka min kulli ni’amatin an’amta bi-haa ‘alayya fa-sta’antu bihaa ‘alaa ma’asiyatika, wa astaghfiruka Ya ‘Alima al-Ghayb wa Shahada min kulli dhanb-in adhnabtuhu fi-diyaa’i an-nahaari aw sawaadi al-layli, fi-mala’in, aw khalaa’in, aw sirran, aw ‘alaniyatan, Ya ‘Halim! [Oh Allah! Forgive the sins I repented but I did recommit, and forgive the promises I assured You but I did not keep, and forgive each work I practiced for Your Face but was joined by other purposes, and forgive each grace You bestowed upon me but I used it to disobey You, and forgive O Knower of the Unseen and the Seen the sins I committed at day or night in secret or public, O Most-Clement!]. Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada (d. 1212/1797) informs in his Jawahir that Sidna Shaykh Tijani used the istighafr of al-Khidr twice a day. He took its licence (ijaza) from his Shaykh Sidi Mahmud al-Kurdi al-Iraqi al-Misri (d. 1186/1771) who had it directly from Sidna al-Khidr (peace upon him) himself in daylight. "Had the one recites this istighfar with a correct license Allah would forgive all his sins", notes Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada. (See another great wiistighfar that wipes sins and is mentioned in Sidna Shaykh's  rasail can be found here.)

• The Musabba’at al-‘Ashr Prayer, which consists of; Al-Fatiha (Ch. 1), An-Naas (Ch. 114), Al-Falaq (Ch. 113), Al-Ikhlas (Ch. 112), Al-Kafirun (Ch. 109), Al-Kursi (2:255), “Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu li-llah, wa la ilaaha illa-llah, wa Allah Akbar, wa la ‘hawla wa la quwwata illa-billah al-‘Ali al-‘Adhim” [Glory be to Allah, and all Praise is for Allah, and there is no God but Allah, and Allah is Great, and there is no might or power except with (the help of) Allah, the Most-High, the Incomparably Great], “Allahumma salli ‘ala sayyidina Mohammed ‘abdika wa rasulika an-Nabi al-Ummi wa ‘ala alihi wa sa’hbihi wa sallim” [Oh Allah send benediction upon Your Servant, our Master Mohammad, the Prophet not taught by any human (but directly by You, O Allah), Allah's blessings be upon him and upon his Family and companions.], “Astaghfiru-l-llah-a al-‘Adhim, lii wa liwaalidayya wa lil-muminina wal muminat, wal-muslimiina wal muslimaat, al-a’hya’ minhum wal amwat, innaka qariibun mujiibu ad-da’awaat” [Oh Allah! Forgive me and my parents, and all believing men and believing women, and all Muslim man and Muslim women, from among those that are alive and those that have passed away. Truly Your are the Hearer, the Near One, the Acceptor of supplications.], “Allahumma f’al bii wa bihim ‘aajilan wa aajilan fi-d-din wa-d-duniaya wal aakhira maa anta lahuu ahl, wa laa taf’al binaa yaa mawlaana maa na’hnu lahuu ahl, innaka Ghafuur ‘Hallim, Jwwaadun Kariim, Rauufun Ra’hiim” [O Allah! Give me and them, now and in the future, in religion and in this world and in the Hereafter what you have and do not give us, O our Lord, what we (sinners) deserve. Truly, You are Forgiving, Merciful, Generous, Bountiful, Most Kind, Merciful.]

  The Musabba’at is recited seven times each, most preferably, before sunrise and sunset. Hence, they are called Musabba’at al-‘Ashr (The Ten Invocations Recited Sevenfold each). Imam al-Ghazali narrates in Ihya' Ulum ad-Diin that Sidna al-Khidr (peace upon him) received the Musabba’at as a gift from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) then taught them to the Sufi Shaykh Ibrahim Taimi in front of the Ka'aba and recommended their recitation. Ibrahim at-Taimi then saw the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in a dream and asked him regarding what was taught to him by al-Khidr. Hence, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) acknowledged it and related to him some of its benefits. And the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, meaning, "By God that had appointed me as Prophet with Truth, the person who practices it is a person who was made happy by Allah, and the person who leaves it is a person who was made unfortunate by Allah." The Musabba’at needs a special licence from the muqaddam to benefit from its interior benefits. Sidi al-Hajj Ibrahim Niass Tijani (d. 1390/1975) shows that, “The Musabba’at gives the beginner secret lights and the one who is far along in his travels, divine lights, and Allah will open up for him the doors of virtues (karamat) and increase him in it. Allah will extinguish the heart of the desires of the ego (nafs), and will provide blessings in his faith and in his daily life and in the hereafter. Allah will cause blessed lights to enter the body and beautify it. This supplication enriches the one who reads it and causes ease to come when difficulty is at hand, and it removes harm and protects against evil ones, the envious ones, and against the devil (shaytan). This supplication contains the Greatest Name of Allah (al-Ism al-A’adham) and the reading of it causes any eye which falls upon you to like you. And if Allah is asked by this supplication, Allah gives it to you. Its uses are many, and Allah knows best. May Allah bless those students who are constant in their work”.

• The Tasbih (Glorification of Allah) of; “Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu li-llah, wa la ilaaha illa-llah, wa Allah Akbar; mila’ ma ‘alim, wa ‘adada ma ‘alim, wa zinata ma ‘alim [Glory be to Allah, and all Praise is for Allah, and there is no God but Allah, and Allah is Great (may this prayer be equal to) Allah’s filling, quantity, and weight of knowledge.] Sidi al-Hajj Ibrahim Niass said: “Glorification of Allah morning and evening is recommended in the Holy Quran. If one observes it as a service to Allah morning and evening, it serves as protection, erases the sins committed, and attracts prosperity for here and the Hereafter. To say this whole thing once is enough to forgive all of your sins and keep you safe from the punishment of the fire. And in the Quran Allah mentions that we should meditate on each sign, so that men of understanding may receive admonishment”.

• The blessed Prophetic Du'a, “Allahumma maghfiratuka awsa’u min dunubi, wa ra’hmatuka arja ‘indi mi ‘amali,” (Oh Allah! The extent of Your forgiveness is far wider as compared to my sins and the extent of Your mercy is a matter of greater hope for me than my deed. It comes in a Hadith that a person came crying the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying “O my sins! O my sins!” The Prophet then taught the person this supplication.

• Reciting the last verses of Surat al-‘Hashr, “If We had caused this Quran to descend upon a mountain, you (O Mohammed) verily had seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitudes coin We for mankind that haply they may reflect. He is Allah, than Whom there is no other God, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful. He is Allah, than Whom there is no other God, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him). He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise” (Quran 59:21-24). Misqil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said: “If one recites these in the morning, seventy thousand angels ask forgiveness for him until the evening, and if he recites it in the evening they do so until the morning (Tirmidhi).

• The Daily Office of: “La ilaaha illa-llah wa’hdahu la-sharika lahu, La ilaaha illa-llah lahu al-Mulk wa lahu al-‘Hamd, La ilaaha illa-llah wa la ‘hawla wa la quwwata illa-billah al-‘Ali al-‘Adhim, (There is no god but Allah, the One, the Only; there is no god but Allah, the Supreme King, to Whom thanks are expressed; there is no Ability or Might save that of Allah the Most-High, the Great) three times a day. Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with) used the Daily Office in his morning and evening wirds.

•  Answering the Adhan (call to prayer) by repeating after the mu’addhin . Sidna Omar ibn al-Khatab (may Allah be satisfied with him) reported that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: "When a Muadhdhin (Caller) to prayers says; Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, each of you should say the same. When he says: Ash-hadu an La ilaha illa-llah, you should say the same. When he says: Ash-hadu anna Mohammedan Rasulu-llah, you should say the same. When he says: Hayya ala Salah, you will say, La Haula wa quwwata illa bi-llahi. He will say: Hayya alal Falah, you will say, La Haula wa quwwata illa bi-llahi. He will then say: Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, you should say the same. He will end the Adhan with La ilaha illa-llah, and you will also say: La ilaha illa-llah. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) then said: "Whoever follows the Mu'adhin (caller to prayer), as shown above, in his heart will enter Paradise (Reported by Muslim in his Sahih). The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said: “Whoever said when he hears the Muadhdhin, 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. He is Alone and has no partners with Him, and indeed Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord and with Muhammad as the Messenger', all his sins are forgiven even if his sins are greater than the surf in the ocean." (Narrated by Muslim). And above all, remember that your supplication is never turned down between the Adhan and the Iqamah (Call for starting the congregational Salat), as is narrated in the hadith reported by Abu Dawud that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "The supplication between Adhan and Iqamah is never turned down" (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

• The Isbagh al-wudu’. Imagine that you wash away the sins from your body through the ritual of wudu’ (ablution) just as you wash out dirt and dust from it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Muslims to observe isbagh (completion or perfection of ablution so that it reaches well all the intended parts). Widely authentic hadith texts provide two basic motifs for the interpretation of wudu’: the removal of sins and the fashioning of the resurrection body. A cited hadith declares: The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “When someone stands to perform wudu’ and washes his hands, the sins flow out of his hands; when he washes out his mouth, the sins flow out of his mouth; when he blows water out of his nose, the sins flow out of his nose, and so on until he washes his feet (Narrated by Muslim and Ibn Maja). In a well-authenticated and widely cited hadith Abu Hurayra narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said, “You are the ones who will have white blazes and white lower limbs (al-ghurr al-muhajjalin) on the Day of Resurrection from performing ablution thoroughly (isbagh al-wudu’); any one of you who is able should lengthen his blaze and the whiteness of his lower limbs.” The ghurra and the tahjil, words that literally refer to the blaze on the forehead of a horse and the whiteness of its lower legs, are understood in this context as a luminosity that adorns the limbs washed in wudu’ when the body arises on the Day of Judgment. It is by this radiance that the Islamic Ummah will be distinguished from all others at the Hereafter. In Another cited hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) says: “Whoever performs wudu’ well, then raises his gaze heavenward and says, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Mohammed is His servant and messenger,’ the eight gates of paradise will be opened for him, and he can enter whichever of them he wishes.”

  قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "من توضأ فأحسن الوضوء خرجت خطاياه من جسده حتى تخرج من تحت أظفاره" (رواه مسلم). ﻭ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ألا أدلكم على ما يمحو الله به الخطايا، ويرفع به الدرجات؟ قالوا: "بلى يا رسول الله قال: "إسباغ الوضوء على المكاره، وكثرة الخطا إلى المساجد، وانتظار الصلاة بعد الصلاة، فذلكم الرباط، فذلكم الرباط" رواه مسلم. ﻭ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ما من عبد يذنب ذنباً فيحسن الطهور، ثم يقوم فيصلي ركعتين، ثم يستغفر الله إلا غفر له" رواه الترمذي. ﻭ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ما من امرئ مسلم تحضره صلاة مكتوبة فيحسن وضوءها وخشوعها وركوعها إلا كانت كفارة لما قبلها من الذنوب ما لم تؤت كبيرة، وذلك الدهر كله" رواه مسلم. ﻭ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "من توضأ فأحسن الوضوء، ثم أتى الجمعة فاستمع وأنصت غفر له ما بينه وبين الجمعة الأخرى وزيادة ثلاثة أيام" رواه مسلم. عن حمران أنه قال فلما توضأ عثمان قال: "سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: 'لا يتوضأ رجل فيحسن وضوءه ثم يصلي الصلاة إلا غفر له ما بينه وبين الصلاة التي تليها رواه مسلم . وعن عثمان رضي الله عنه أنه دعا بطهور ثم قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: 'ما من امرئ مسلم تحضره صلاة مكتوبة فيحسن وضوءها وخشوعها وركوعها إلا كانت كفارة لما قبلها من الذنوب ما لم يؤت كبيرة وذلك الدهر كله) رواه مسلم . وعن أبي هريرة  رضي الله عنه أنه سمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : "أرأيتم لو أن نهرا بباب أحدكم يغتسل فيه كل يوم خمسا ما تقول؟ هل ذلك يبقي من درنه ـ وسخه ـ؟ قالوا: لا يبقي من درنه شيئا قال فذلك مثل الصلوات الخمس يمحو الله بها الخطايا" رواه البخاري.

  The link between wudu’ and sin is well expressed in the legal tradition. In this way, Ibn al-Hajj writes, the ablution ritual culminates in the purification of the heart and “the renewal of faith, the renewal of repentance and of sincerity” (tajdid aliman wa-tajdid al-tawba wa al-ikhlas). Ibn al-Qayyim also emphasizes the role of the limbs of wudu’ in the commission of actions in general, and of sins in particular. He says, “This is the basis (wajh) of singling out these limbs among all the others for ablution, from the physical point of view (min haythu al-mahsus). As for the spiritual point of view (amma min haythu al-ma_na), these limbs are the instruments (alat) of actions by means of which the human being (al-abd) performs what he wants to do, and by means of which God is disobeyed or obeyed. The hand seizes (tabtash), the foot walks, the eye looks, the ear hears, and the tongue speaks; washing these limbs, in adherence to God’s commandment and in realization of servanthood to him (iqamatan li-ubudiyatihi), entails the removal of the uncleanness and filth of disobedience (daran alma siya wa-wasakhiha). Furthermore, do not forget the great supplication following the wudu’ that will open for you all the eight gates of Paradise to enter by whichever of them you wish as the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Whoever amongst you performs the wudu’ well, and then says, 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. He is Alone and has no partners with Him. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger', the eight gates of the Paradise would be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes" (Muslim).

• Repeating “Aamiin” (Amen) after the Imam. Narrated by Abu Hurayra: the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Say Aamiin" when the Imam says it and if the Amin of any one of you coincides with that of the angels then all his past sins will be forgiven." Also remember what the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said through Abu Huraira: "When the Imam says, "Sami' a-l-lahu Liman hamida," you should say, "Allahumma Rabbana laka-l-hamd." And if the saying of any one of you coincides with that of the angels, all his past sins will be forgiven."

• Praying Two Raka'at at night or during the day, (but it is best) in hiding, away from the eyes of the people. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said, "Whoever prays two raka'at in private, where no one sees him except Allah and His angels, Allah will give him a letter or right of safety from Hellfire." Likewise Sidna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah glorify his face) reported that he had heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Whoever makes two raka'at out of belief and expecting the reward of Allah, Allah will write for him one hundred good actions and leave out 100 bad actions and will raise him up one hundred degrees and forgive his sins, the previous and the latest." And it is reported that whoever makes prayers during the night, his face will look nice during the day.