You Say Astaghfirullah 70 Times But Rizq Is Still Blocked? Here's Why! | Ustadh Tim Humble

Summary

What Istighfar Means

• The speaker opens with a report about Al-Hasan: three people approached him with different difficulties—drought, poverty, and not having children. He advised each one to seek Allah’s forgiveness.
• Istighfar is more than repeating “Astaghfirullah.” It is asking Allah for maghfirah: to conceal and erase the sin, protect a person from its harmful consequences in this life and the next, and—by Allah’s mercy—replace it with good.
• The speaker notes that sins can have consequences. He cites the well-known saying that calamities come because of sins and are lifted through repentance, while clarifying that this saying is not a hadith.

Istighfar and Tawbah

The lecture explains that istighfar and tawbah can carry each other’s meaning when mentioned separately. When they appear together, each has a distinct emphasis:

• Istighfar: Asking Allah to forgive and protect one from the consequences of sin.
• Tawbah: Turning back—leaving the path of sin and trying to take a different one.

Sincere repentance involves both asking Allah’s forgiveness and making an effort to change.

Hope in Allah’s Forgiveness

• Allah is described as Al-Ghaffar—continually and perfectly forgiving—and as able to erase sins, pardon them, and protect people from their effects.
• The speaker refers to a hadith qudsi about a servant who sins, recognizes that Allah can both forgive and punish, and repeatedly asks for forgiveness. The point is not to treat sin casually, but to keep returning to Allah with awareness of His power and mercy.
• The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is cited as regularly seeking forgiveness—reported in some narrations as one hundred times a day, and in others as many as seventy times in a sitting—despite being unlike ordinary people in his obedience. This is presented as a model for making repentance a consistent practice.

Blessings Associated With Seeking Forgiveness

• The lecture connects istighfar with blessings mentioned in the Qur’an, including rain, provision and wealth, children, gardens, and rivers.
• Rain is one example of Allah’s blessings, but the speaker stresses that the promised barakah is broader than rainfall. He encourages listeners to seek forgiveness rather than assume that blessings will come simply by repeating words mechanically.

Sincerity, Private Sin, and Publicizing Sin

The speaker warns against publicly disclosing sins that Allah had kept concealed, including doing so on social media. He presents this as contrary to seeking Allah’s concealment and protection.

He distinguishes between:

• Someone who sins privately but regrets it, dislikes the wrongdoing, and seeks forgiveness.
• Someone who sins privately while caring only that other people do not find out, with no concern for having sinned before Allah.

The central issue, he says, is not merely whether a sin happened in private, but whether the person has regard for Allah and sincerely wants to turn away from the wrongdoing.

Practical Takeaway

• Make asking Allah’s forgiveness a regular habit, while remembering what the request means: seeking forgiveness, protection from sin’s consequences, and help to change direction.
• Keep returning to Allah after mistakes; repentance is accessible and does not require an elaborate ritual.
• Struggle to leave wrongdoing, recognizing that change may involve ups and downs, and ask Allah for help and forgiveness.
• The speaker closes by asking Allah to forgive shortcomings, guide people to the straight path, and grant them the highest level of Paradise.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Ustadh Tim Humble — Lecturer and main speaker, as identified by the video title.
• Sheikh Muhammad — Thanked at the end for reciting.
• Al-Hasan — Cited in the report about advising three people to seek forgiveness.
• Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Quoted through hadith reports, including a hadith qudsi conveyed from Allah.
• Allah — Quoted in the hadith qudsi and referenced through Qur’anic passages.
• Ibn Taymiyyah — Cited regarding the meaning of concealing a sin and its consequences.
• Ibn al-Qayyim — Cited on the relationship between istighfar and tawbah.
• Ibn Kathir and Al-Baghawi — Cited in connection with the interpretation of blessings, particularly rain.
• Nuh (Noah) — Referred to as encouraging his people to seek forgiveness.
• Unidentified students — Mentioned in the report who questioned Al-Hasan’s repeated advice.