Surah Aal-i-Imraan Verse 17

الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ - الصَّـبِرِينَ وَالصَّـدِقِينَ وَالْقَـنِتِينَ وَالْمُنفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ

(16. Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire.'')

(17. (They are) the patient, the true believers, and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend in good and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night.)

The Supplication and Description of Al-Muttaqin

Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards,

الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا

(Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed'') in You, Your Book and Your Messenger.

فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا

(so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy,

وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

(and save us from the punishment of the Fire.) Allah then said,

((They are) those who are patient) while performing acts of obedience and abandoning the prohibitions.

(those who are true) concerning their proclamation of faith, by performing the difficult deeds.

(and obedient) meaning, they submit and obey Allah,

(those who spend) from their wealth on all the acts of obedience they were commanded, being kind to kith and kin, helping the needy, and comforting the destitute.

وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ

(and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night) and this testifies to the virtue of seeking Allah's forgiveness in the latter part of the night. It was reported that when Ya`qub said to his children,

سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّى

(I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you) 12:98 he waited until the latter part of the night to say his supplication. Furthermore, the Two Sahihs, the Musnad and Sunan collections recorded through several Companions that the Messenger of Allah said,

«يَنْزِلُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ: هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟»

(Every night, when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends to the lowest heaven saying, "Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him'') The Two Sahihs recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah performed Witr during the first part, the middle and latter parts of the night. Then, later (in his life), he would perform it (only) during the latter part.'' `Abdullah bin `Umar used to pray during the night and would ask, "O Nafi`! Is it the latter part of the night yet'' and if Nafi` said, "Yes,'' Ibn `Umar would start supplicating to Allah and seeking His forgiveness until dawn. This Hadith was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim.