14 - Al Ghaffaar الغَفَّار

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Meaning

The meaning of the name is: The Ever-Forgiving

About

Al-Ghaffar is one of Allah's Attributes derived from ghufr and ghufran, which convey the meaning of: veiling, hiding, concealing. Allah's maghifra, forgiveness, is His veiling of one's sins, and His forgiveness by granting him His favour and mercy. He is the One Who forgives sins, veils the shortcomings, wipes out the sins by accepting one's repentance. He accepts His servants' repentance and is pleased thereby, and the One Who forgives the sins and turns them into good deeds by His great favour. He is the One Who forgives the sins though they may be great, and He veils them though they may be numerous. Al-Ghaffar is the One Who very often veils [the sins and faults of His servants], so much so that He does not propagate one's sins in the life of this world nor in the life hereafter. One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah was asked once, "What did you hear the Messenger of Allah say with regard to one's silent supplication?" He answered by saying that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Allah, the most Honoured, the Most Great, will touch His servant who believes in Him with His mercy by veiling his sin from the public in the life of this world, and in the life hereafter He will ask him about each and every sin and fault he had committed. Once he admits all of them and realizes that he is going to perish on their account, the Almighty will say, `I have veiled your sins in the past short life, and in this one I am going to forgive them.' Then he will be handed the book of his good deeds." All this happens to those who believe in Him; as regarding those who do not, and the hypocrites, He will deal with them quite differently.

Al Ghaffaar In The Quran

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ Indeed I forgive those who repent, become faithful, act righteously, and follow guidance.’ Taa-Haa : 82 غَافِرِ الذَّنْبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ إِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ forgiver of sins and acceptor of repentance, severe in retribution, [yet] all-bountiful; there is no god except Him, [and] toward Him is the destination. Al-Ghaafir : 3 وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا Whoever commits evil or wrongs himself and then pleads to Allah for forgiveness, will find Allah all-forgiving, all-merciful. An-Nisaa : 110 فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا telling [them]: ‘‘Plead to your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is all-forgiving. Nooh : 10 خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ يُكَوِّرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى اللَّيْلِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۗ أَلَا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ He created the heavens and the earth with consummate wisdom. He winds the night over the day, and winds the day over the night, and He has disposed the sun and the moon, each moving for a specified term. Indeed, He is the All-mighty, the All-forgiver! Az-Zumar : 5 قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَغَفَرَ لَهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ He said, ‘My Lord! I have wronged myself. Forgive me!’ So He forgave him. Indeed, He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful. Al-Qasas : 16 فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ So We forgave him that, and indeed he has [a station of] nearness with Us and a good destination. Saad : 25 لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا that Allah may forgive you what is past of your sin and what is to come, and that He may perfect His blessing upon you and guide you on a straight path, Al-Fath : 2