regret and prevent

• Fear and Hope:
  • For the sinner — before sin: Do not rely on hope for forgiveness. Instead, develop a fear of punishment to deter yourself from sinning. Reflect on relevant verses and ahadith about the unseen consequences of sins—think of the horrors of Hellfire; if someone from it appeared here, their terrifying sight alone could cause panic. Remember the link between good and bad deeds and how each one will work against the other on the scales.
  • For the sinner — after sin: Hope becomes essential, encouraging the sinner to seek Allah's mercy sincerely. Maintain hope in Allah's forgiveness for your past sins to avoid despair and inaction after sinning.
  • For the obedient: Strive to find a balance between fear and hope. Achieve this by considering the verses from the Quran about both the obedient and the disobedient as applying to you.
• Repentance:
  • About the past: Ask for forgiveness from Allah within 6 hours of sinning by making repentance (inside or outside prayer), asking forgiveness if it affected other people, and doing good to balance the scale. Remember past sins and regret them by fearing their consequences. Examples of the deeds that expiate sins are:
    • walking to the congregation prayer
    • waiting after prayer for the next one
    • making wudu in difficult situation
    • hajj
    • hijra for his sake
    • gratitude in trials
  • About the future: Plan for future prevention, commit to never doing it again.
• 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.
• Remembering Death:
  • Be like the person who remembers God in private, leading their eyes to flow with tears, to be among those under God's shade on the Day of Qiyama.
  • Ask forgiveness and work on reconciliation to ensure smooth passage through the bridge of Qantara, avoiding delays or reduced rank in Paradise.
• Gluttony and lust: Train your nafs to resist bodily urges.

Here are some occasions when you should say Astaghfirullah:

1. After Salah: Recite the Master of Forgiveness Dua to address any deficiencies in prayer.
2. Repentance: Seek forgiveness after committing a sin or entertaining sinful thoughts.
3. 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.
4. After Praise: Reflect on your shortcomings and seek forgiveness to remain humble.
5. To Relieve Stress: Reciting Astaghfirullah can help reduce stress and anxiety.
6. Before Supplication: Say Sami'na wa ata'na ghufranaka — submit to Allah's decree first, then ask for forgiveness.

summary

Repent sins by expressing regret (dua), committing to prevention, and doing good deeds. Maintain fear before sin to deter, and hope after sin to avoid despair.