Dr M A Fazal
The Holy Koran, Verse 25 of Chapter 42 states: “And He [God] it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves [i.e., men and women], and forgives sins, and He knows what you do.”
With reference to the above verse, Islam’s Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said: “O Allah, You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise (to You) as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.”
The Prophet said: “If somebody recites [the above prayer] during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, Hadith No. 318)
Anyone seeking to go to heaven needs to recite this prayer twice on a daily basis -- at both the beginning of the day and when the night arrives.
