RasulAllah ﷺ had started repenting and doing istighfar prior to his demise.
‘A’isha (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited often these words prior to his death:
سُبحانَ اللهِ وبحَمدِهِ، أستَغفِرُ اللهَ، وأتوبُ إليه
Hallowed be Allah and with His praise, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and return to Him.
(Muslim 484)
This was usually his words during the course of his life. He ﷺ constantly did tawbah and istighfar throughout his life. Although we know that RasulAllah ﷺ was in essence forgiven by Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), yet he continued to seek Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)’s forgiveness.
This blessed month of Ramadan and its mercy-filled nights can be and should be utilized by the weak slave of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) to reach out for the immense Mercy of his Rabb and to ask for His bounty. If one should raise his hands in the air, Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) will open doors to His Rahmah (Mercy) and His forgiveness. In turn Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) will draw nearer to this man. For the one who is drowned in oceans of deep sin and sorrow and even the one who is not, this is a month that is not to be wasted.
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أَتَاكُمْ رَمَضَانُ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَتُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ مَرَدَةُ الشَّيَاطِينِ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ ” .
“There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, which Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has enjoined you to fast. In it the gates of heavens are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and every devil is chained up. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”‘
(Sunan an-Nasa’i 2106)
