Muslim

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Li-yaghān:
This is derived from "ghayn,"
which means "ghaym" (cloud),
that is, for a veil to be cast.

Benefits and Issues:
The noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was constantly enveloped in the divine lights and manifestations of Allah,
and thus he was always engaged in the remembrance of Allah.
However, he was human and a mortal, and was also occupied with human needs.
At times, he would be engaged in resolving the affairs and matters of the ummah,
settling their disputes and quarrels.
Sometimes, he would consult with his companions to confront the enemy and to settle matters with them.
During these times, there would be a difference in the initial state of divine remembrance.
Due to his lofty station,
he expressed this as "ghayn" (veil).
Some have called this "the good deeds of the righteous are the misdeeds of those brought near."
Another reason is that the degree to which a person is conscious and aware of Allah’s greatness, majesty, and His glory and might,
to that degree he will consider himself deficient in fulfilling the rights of servitude, and will always feel,
"The truth is that the right has not been fulfilled." And since the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had attained perfect knowledge (ma‘rifah) of Allah,
this feeling would always prevail upon him that the right of servitude had not been fulfilled.
He expressed this as "ghayn" (veil), and for this reason, he would repeatedly,
in various gatherings and occasions, seek repentance (tawbah) and forgiveness (istighfar), and by expressing this, he would also exhort others to do so, and would present his own example as a practical model for them.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The meaning of istighfar is to seek forgiveness and to ask for pardon, and the meaning of tawbah is to turn towards Allah, to return to Him, and to adopt the correct path to which Allah has guided. If a person does not refrain from crime and sin and does not adopt the correct conduct, then even if he says "repentance, my repentance" a thousand times with his tongue, this is not repentance but a mockery. Therefore, istighfar and tawbah are inseparably linked, and the legal (shar‘i) reality of tawbah is that whatever sin, disobedience, or undesirable act has been committed by a person, he should immediately desist from it, express heartfelt grief, regret, and remorse over it out of fear of its evil consequences, and resolve to avoid and stay away from it in the future, and to obey Allah and seek His pleasure. He should also make amends and compensate for the sin that has occurred, and if it relates to the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad), and if it is related to wealth, then he should return it or have it forgiven by the person. However, it should be kept in mind that tawbah and istighfar are a means of forgiveness and mercy only for sinners and wrongdoers, but for the close Prophets (muqarrab anbiya’), they are a means of advancement in the ranks of closeness and belovedness. That is why the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), after completing the prayer and saying salam, would say "Astaghfirullah" three times, even though prayer is the highest form of worship.

Therefore, Allah the Exalted says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا (Surah al-Tahrim: 8)
"O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance—return with complete submission of the heart and true resolve, after which no desire to return to sin remains."

1515. English Commentary: The days and nights of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)—may my mother and father be sacrificed for him—were spent in obedience to Allah, and there was not a single moment of heedlessness in them. Moreover, his blessed heart was pure and elevated above those occurrences that befall ordinary humans. Despite this, his statement that “a covering comes over my heart” is difficult for us to fully explain. For this reason, the master of linguistics, Al-Asma‘i, said: “If this matter concerned the heart of anyone other than a Prophet, I would have spoken about it.” Allamah Sindhi also prefers consigning the knowledge (tafwid) of this matter (to Allah), and says that, by way of explanation and understanding, it is only to the extent that your (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) state would become such that you would seek forgiveness for it. [‘Awn al-Ma‘bud] When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), even while being a Messenger, would seek forgiveness, then what should be the state of ordinary people?