حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ كَهْمَسِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ وَافَقْتُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ مَا أَدْعُو قَالَ
“ تَقُولِينَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي ”
It was narrated from ‘Aishah رضي الله عنها that she said:
“O Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication, if I come upon Laylatul-Qadr?”
He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “Say:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me
Sunan Ibn Majah 3850
Book 34, Hadith 24
Graded Sahih
Commentary :
العفو : is one of the Names of Allah. The One who blots out and leaves no trace of any sin or fault.
From Imam al-Ghazali’s : The best means in explaining Allah’s Beautiful Names) :
“Al-Afu is the One Who erases sins and disregards acts of disobedience. This concept approximates the sense of Al-Ghafur, (the One Who forgives much), though the former is more far-reaching than the latter. For Al-Ghufran indicates a veiling (of the sin) whereas Al-Afu indicates an erasing, and the erasing (of sin) is more far-reaching (than the simple veiling of it).”
This dua should be supplicated plentifully, during Ramadan, but also as a part of our daily supplications and azkaar (remembrance of Allah)