Al-Ghafoor – Al-Ghaffār

The All-Forgiving – The Superb Forgiver

The All-Forgiving is the One Who covers the sin of His servant and does not expose or punish him for it.

This name occurs 91 times in the Qur’an, most often in association with Allah’s name the Most Merciful.

For example: {Inform My servants that I am indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Sūrat Al-Hijr: 49] And {Say, “O My servants who have been extravagant against themselves, do not feel despondent of the mercy of Allah! Indeed, Allah forgives sins all together; He is the indeed All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Sūrat Al-Zumar: 53]

The Superb Forgiver is a name that denotes the frequent forgiveness by Allah Almighty of the sins of His servants who ask for it.

This name occurs 5 times in the Qur’an. For example: {So I said, “Ask forgiveness of your Lord; surely He has been a Superb Forgiver.”} [Sūrat Nūh: 10] And {And I am indeed Superb Forgiver to him who repents and believes and does good and thereafter is [rightly] guided.} [Sūrat Tāha: 82]In light of these great names, I would say:

1. Your love for Allah Almighty and your hope for His bounty will increase if you know and ponder the vastness of His forgiveness towards His servants despite their plenty of sins. All praise is due to our Lord.
2. Know and teach others about the immense forgiveness and pardon of Allah Almighty, lest Satan may penetrate into a sinner’s heart at a moment of heedlessness and ignorance and make him despair of the mercy of his Lord Who says,{Inform My servants that I am the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Sūrat Al-Hijr: 49]
3. Do you remember what the polytheists did to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as they harmed him and his Companions? Nonetheless, Allah Almighty revealed the following to him,{Say to those who disbelieve, if they refrain, whatever has already passed will be forgiven for them; and in case they go back, then the enactment [for] the former people has already gone by.} [Sūrat Al-Anfāl: 38]

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