Regret and prevent after committing a sin
- Link to Repentance:
- About the past: Regret the sin you did and ask for forgiveness within 6 hours of sinning by saying dua outside or inside prayer (in nafl repentance prayer)
- About the future: Plan for future prevention, commit to never doing it again, do good deeds for every bad deed you did to balance the scale and ask forgiveness if it affected others
- Link to Praying: Perform Nafl repentance prayers (2 rakat) anytime, even after Asr, or integrate the intention into other Nafl prayers, like the 12 daily Sunnah prayers.
- Link to Remembering Death: Ask forgiveness and work on reconciliation to ensure smooth passage through the bridge of Qantara, avoiding delays or reduced rank in Paradise.
- Link to Fear and Hope: Maintain hope in Allah's forgiveness for your past sins to avoid despair and inaction after sinning.
Here are some occasions when you should say Astaghfirullah:
- After Salah: Recite the Master of Forgiveness Dua to address any deficiencies in prayer.
- Repentance: Seek forgiveness after committing a sin or entertaining sinful thoughts.
- At the End of Gatherings: Recite: Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Anta, Astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk. This helps remove sins from the gathering.
- After Praise: Reflect on your shortcomings and seek forgiveness to remain humble.
- To Relieve Stress: Reciting Astaghfirullah can help reduce stress and anxiety.
summary
Repent sins by expressing regret (dua), committing to prevention, and doing good deeds.