Mirza Usama Bashir Ahmad, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK graduate specialising in hadith
The concept of maghfirah occupies a central role in Islamic teachings and is key to the moral and spiritual reformation of all Muslims. However, this concept is often simply translated as “forgiveness,” yet the term carries a far deeper meaning.
Maghfirah does not merely signify the erasure of past sins – it also denotes the reformation of the human soul.
The term maghfirah derives from the Arabic root غ ف ر (gha-fa-ra). The word غفر means to cover or to shield. Islamic scholars of the Arabic language, such as Imam Raghib al-Asfahani, have noted that maghfirah is fundamentally linked to the idea of a protective covering akin to the nail worn under a helmet (mighfar) in ancient times – something that does not merely hide, but also guards from future harm.
Maghfirah in relation to the Holy Prophetsa
In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recorded that once the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa said the following to him:
إِنَّا لَسْنَا كَهَيْئَتِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ غَفَرَ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ
“We are not like you, O Messenger of Allah! Allah has certainly covered up your shortcomings both past and future.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, The Book of Faith, Hadith 20)
(Here, غفر has been used in the hadith and has been translated as “covered up”.)
In the commentary of this hadith, Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abidin Waliullah Shahra says this statement of the Companionsra took place when the Holy Prophetsa attempted to guide them in response to seeing them overexert themselves in worship. In response to this guidance by the Holy Prophetsa, the Companions “responded by suggesting that he did not need to perform good deeds since he was already forgiven.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Translation and Commentary, Vol. 1, English Edition, p. 140) And thus they had to exert themselves to perform good deeds.
The statement made by the Companionsra in the above hadith was in reference to the following verse of the Holy Quran:
اِنَّا فَتَحۡنَا لَکَ فَتۡحًا مُّبِیۡنًا
لِّيَغۡفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ
“Verily, We have granted thee a clear victory, That Allah may cover up thee thy shortcomings, past and future […]” (Surah al-Fath, Ch.48: V.2-3)
Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abidin Waliullah Shahra writes that this response from the Companions stemmed from a lack of understanding, as benefitting from Allah’s forgiveness necessitates expressing even greater gratitude to Him. (Ibid.) Meaning that the Holy Prophetsa worshipped and expressed gratitude to Allah just as the Companionsra had to, in fact, even more so.
The narration continues that on hearing the reply of the Companions, the Holy Prophetsa became angry, so much so that the anger became apparent on his face and said:
إِنَّ أَتْقَاكُمْ وَأَعْلَمَكُمْ بِاللَّهِ أَنَا
“Amongst all of you, I fear Allah the most and have the most knowledge of him”.
Here, a misunderstanding needs to be cleared up. When the word غفر is used for the Holy Prophetsa, it does not denote, God forbid, that he would sin and Allah the Exalted had forgiven him for his past and future sins.
Firstly, the word ذنب alludes to “shortcomings” rather than “sins”. Secondly, maghfirah denotes covering up weaknesses and placing a barrier between man and his sins.
Under the commentary of this hadith, Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abidin Waliullah Shahra has written that Imam al-Qastalani defines maghfirah as:
حَالَ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَ الذُّنُوْبِ فَلَا تَأتِيْها
“A barrier placed between you and your sins, preventing you from committing them further.” (Ibid., p. 141)
He further writes that the word maghfirah, when used regarding prophets, is only used in this sense. Essentially, the term maghfirah in its prophetic application does not indicate pardon after transgression, but protection before transgression and the preservation of purity.
Maghfirah and modern psychology
Now let’s look at maghfirah and how it relates to modern psychology.
Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abidin Waliullah Shahra describes maghfirah as the purification of the soul, as good deeds conceal bad deeds, and the effect of bad deeds is suppressed by good deeds.
This shows that the word “forgiveness” alone cannot encapsulate the deeper meaning of maghfirah.
Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abidin Waliullah Shahra says this concept is linked closely to a philosophy found in modern psychology.
He says modern psychology has shown that the human mind consists of two parts. One that relates to the external world, known as the “conscious mind”, and one which relates internally, known as the “subconscious mind”.
The conscious mind is where the effects of the external world leave an imprint on one’s psychology. The subconscious mind is the part of the mind that absorbs internal influences and, in Arabic, is known as nafs ghair wa’iyah.
In simpler terms, your mind has two levels. The top level (conscious mind) is related to what you notice and think about every day. It can be likened to the surface of a pond. Then you have the lower level, which concerns what lies beneath the surface. You do not see it, but it holds feelings, habits and memories that sink down over time.
So, how do the conscious and subconscious relate to maghfirah?
When an individual commits a sin, it first affects the conscious mind. The person will experience guilt, shame, remorse and related emotions. But after a while, all these feelings will sink into the subconscious mind, akin to a pebble falling into a pond and into darkness. It does not vanish; it just hides deeper down and quietly shapes who you are.
True maghfirah means Allah’s forgiveness goes deep enough to reach the hidden level of your mind and soul – essentially removing the concealed effects of sins committed via the conscious mind.
The Promised Messiahas writes that just as a good and noble tree cannot flourish without water, in the same way the good word of a righteous person cannot flourish till a pure spring refreshes its roots through the stream of istighfar. (The Light of the Holy Quran [Number 1], p. 29)
Therefore, just as a pure stream refreshes the deep roots of a tree and gives it new life, in the same way, true maghfirah goes deep into our subconscious mind and gets rid of the effects of our sins there as well.
However, this purification of the soul does not occur through asking for forgiveness alone. The true essence of maghfirah only occurs when one repents sincerely, undertaking good deeds and seeking Allah’s mercy. One who wakes up at night consistently, weeping profusely in prostration before Allah, will certainly be deserving of the mercy of Allah the Exalted and cleansed of the blemishes of sin from within.