In this video, Mufti Menk is explaining in simple words the meaning and use of Astaghfirullah (equivalent of “Oh Allah Forgive me”) and the need for the believer to say it or think it genuinely rather than using this very deep meaning word in a shallow way which he calls a “fake ASTAGHFIRULLAH”. He has a rather funny story to give as an example.
To start, Mufti Menk illustrate his point with a serious societal issue: pornography and the major sins revolving around it.
Transcript:
[…] sometimes I come across people who are forwarding such dirty messages to their friends because morality has been degrading and suddenly there are these wrong images, dirty video clips and they begin to forward them
Number 1: you are getting a major sin to have forwarded it!
Number 2: you are getting a major sin to have downloaded it, or seen it or perhaps seen the whole of it.
For example, you don’t know what it is, you downloaded it, as soon as you see it is nonsense, “ASTAGHFIRULLAH” turn it off. You know what… the ASTAGHFIRULLAH must be genuine; it must not be a fake ASTAGHFIRULLAH
Because it means Oh Allah forgive me…….
He also gives us a clear advice on how to tackle the first approach when we are confronted to our spouse being involved from close or far with pornographic content.
Transcript:
[…] If you see such a message in the phone of your spouse, investigate don’t just jump into conclusion
I am not saying it is wrong, it is bad, very bad BUT in the same time are you there to help or are you there to pick on someone. That is the question you need to ask
You can pick on them now and on anything, even without that, pick on anything, I don’t like your nose, your tongue etc […]
BUT if you are really there to help, you will be able to assist:
Look this is terrible, we don’t want these things to happen again inshaAllah, you know don’t have friends like those, tell your friends: Look I don’t want messages of this nature!
May Allah Subhanah Wa’taala grant us help, guide us and assist us, ameen