After his death, I was approached by an extremely tall man; so tall in fact, that his height scared me. “Come with me!”, he said. He took me to the grave of my neighbour and began to open it.

Amazingly, inside the grave was a fresh green garden and a beautiful throne. My neighbour, who was known to be sinful, was sitting comfortably upon it.

When I asked how he attained such an astonishing rank, he smiled, “I recited this after every prayer: اَللّٰہُمَّ ارْضَ عَنْ اَبِیْ بَکْرٍ وَ عُمَرَ وَ عُثْمَانَ وَ عَلِیٍّ وَ ارْحَمْنِیْ بِحُبِّہِم – ‘O Allah! Be pleased with Abū Bakr, ꜤUmar, ꜤUthmān, and ꜤAlī رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم, and have mercy upon me for the sake of my love for them.’ Because of this, Allah Almighty forgave me and granted me this reward.’’^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                             صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! This Farsi saying is certainly true:

رَحْمَتِ حَقْ بَھَا نَمِی جَوْیَد،رَحْمَتِ حَقْ بَھَانَہ مِی جَوْیَد

Allah Almighty’s mercy does not look at the vast number of needs; Allah Almighty’s mercy only looks for an excuse.

Many times, even a small deed becomes a cause of forgiveness for the gravest of sinners. Look at this fortunate neighbour. Although he was sinful, he loved the four leading Companions of the Merciful Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم (Sayyidunā Abū Bakr, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān, and Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم). He would supplicate for them after every prayer. This act was accepted by Allah Almighty and became the means of his forgiveness.

Dear Islamic brothers! This is a short supplication we can memorise. If one cannot recite it in Arabic, they can do so in their mother tongue after every prayer - اَللّٰہُمَّ ارْضَ عَنْ اَبِیْ بَکْرٍ وَ عُمَرَ وَ عُثْمَانَ وَ عَلِیٍّ وَ ارْحَمْنِیْ بِحُبِّہِم.

We firmly hope that Allah Almighty will also have mercy on us and forgive us due to this.