A man once came to al-Hasan al-Basri and complained to him: โThe sky does not shower us with rain.โ He replied: โSeek Allahโs forgiveness (i.e. say ุฃุณุชุบูุฑ ุฃููู).โ
Then another person came to him and said, โI complain of poverty.โ He replied: โSeek Allahโs forgiveness.โ
Then another person came to him and complained, โMy wife is barren; she cannot bear children.โ He replied: โSeek Allahโs forgiveness.โ
The people who were present, said to al-Hasan: โEverytime a person came to you complaining, you instructed them to seek Allahโs forgiveness?โ
Al-Hasan al-Basri said, โHave you not read the statement of Allah? โI said โAsk forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; increase you in wealth and children; grant you gardens and bestow on you rivers.โโโ [Nuh (71):10-12]
There are two things in the earth that give a person safety and security from the punishment of Allah.
The first has been removed, whilst the second still remains. As for the first, it was the Messenger of Allah (ุตูู ุฃููู ุนููู ู ุณูู ).โAllah would not punish them while you were among them.โ [al-Anfal (8):33]
As for the second, it is istighfar. โAllah would not punish them as long as they sought forgiveness.โ [al-Anfal (8):33] ุฃุณุชุบูุฑ ุฃูููโฆ ุฃุณุชุบูุฑ ุฃูููโฆ ุฃุณุชุบูุฑ ุฃููู
The Prophet (ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู ) said, โIf anyone continually asks forgiveness, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, relief from anxiety, and will provide for him from where he never realized.โ [Abu Dawood, Hadith 599]