Hadith
Anas reported the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah Almighty has said: O son of Adam, if you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I will forgive you despite what is within you and I will not hesitate. O son of Adam, if you have sins piling up to the clouds and then ask for My forgiveness, I will forgive you without hesitation. O son of Adam, if you come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth and then you meet Me without associating anything with Me, I will come to you with enough forgiveness to fill the earth.”
قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتَنِي لَا تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَأَتَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً
Sunan Al-Tirmidhi 3540
Ponder This Hadith
If Allah Himself commands the servant to call upon Him directly, to place hope in Him, and to seek forgiveness from Him alone, why is forgiveness sought from the Imam in Ismaili prayers?
Why do Ismailis recite supplications such as the following when Allah declares that He forgives any sin – no matter how vast – so long as the servant turns to Him without associating partners with Him?
Dua Karavi
Chanta Dua
مولانا حاضر امام بخشے، مولانا حاضر امام تمہارے کل گناہ معاف کرے
Maulana Hazar Imam Bakshe, Maulana Hazar Imam Tumhare Kull Gunaa Maaf Kare…
May Mawlana Hazir Imam bestow forgiveness upon you; may Mawlana Hazar Imam forgive all your sins.
And,
Dua Karavi
Tobo Tobo
તોબો તોબો તકસીદાર,
બંદો સાર્તો પા ગુનેગાર,
યા શાહ તું ગુના બક્ષે બક્ષનહાર
Tobo tobo taksidar,
bando sarto pa gunehgar,
ya Shah tu guna bakhshe bakhshan-har
I repent, I repent – I am at fault. This servant is sinful from head to toe. O Shah (Imam), forgive my sins – You are the One who forgives.
If forgiveness is promised by Allah directly, what need remains for an intermediary to absolve sins?