Quran Universe
11:52

وَيَٰقَوۡمِ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا وَيَزِدۡكُمۡ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ مُجۡرِمِينَ

Waya qawmi istaghfiroo rabbakum thumma tooboo ilayhi yursili alssamaa AAalaykum midraran wayazidkum quwwatan ila quwwatikum wala tatawallaw mujrimeena

And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals."

Word by word
  1. وَيَٰقَوۡمِAnd O my people
  2. ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْAsk forgiveness
  3. رَبَّكُمۡ(of) your Lord
  4. ثُمَّthen
  5. تُوبُوٓاْturn in repentance
  6. إِلَيۡهِto Him
  7. يُرۡسِلِHe will send
  8. ٱلسَّمَآءَ(from) the sky (rain)
  9. عَلَيۡكُمupon you
  10. مِّدۡرَارٗا(in) abundance
  11. وَيَزِدۡكُمۡand increase you
  12. قُوَّةً(in) strength
  13. إِلَىٰ(added) to
  14. قُوَّتِكُمۡyour strength
  15. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  16. تَتَوَلَّوۡاْturn away
  17. مُجۡرِمِينَ(as) criminals
Hud · 11:52Makkah

Seek forgiveness and the sky opens.

Repentance brings rain and added strength

Hud's offer
ask forgivenessfor what is past
repent to Himfor what is ahead
then
abundant rainfrom the sky
strength upon strengthmore than you have
Where strength comes from
our own mightwe are strong already
returning to Allahadds to strength

'Ad were a powerful people. Hud told them to seek forgiveness for the past and repent for the future. Ibn Kathir notes that whoever does this, Allah makes provision and affairs easy for him. He would send them rain and add strength to their strength. Do not turn away as criminals.

It is payday and the money is already gone. The project at work is stuck. You feel drained. Istighfar is not only for sins; it opens doors you cannot open yourself.

Seeking forgiveness is only for when I have done something terrible.

Turning back to Allah brings ease and strength into my everyday life.

Try this

Say astaghfirullah slowly 30 times on your commute or before sleep tonight.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:50)

And to the 'Ad (people We sent) their brother Hud. He said, "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him. Certainly, you do nothing but invent lies (50)"O my people I ask of you no reward for it (the Message). My reward is only from Him Who created me. Will you not then understand? (51)"And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as criminals. (52)

The Story of Prophet Hud and the People of 'Ad

Allah, the Exalted, says,

وَ

(And) This is an introductory to what is implied: "Verily, We sent."

إِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا

(to the 'Ad (people) their brother Hud.) Hud came to them commanding them to worship Allah alone, without any associates. He forbade them from worshipping the idols which they made up, inventing names as gods. He informed them that he did not want any reward from them for his sincere advising and conveying of Allah's Message. He only sought his reward from Allah, the One Who created him.

أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

(Will you not then understand?) Someone has come calling you to what will benefit your situation in this life and the Hereafter without asking for any wage (from them). Then he commanded them to seek the forgiveness of the One Who is capable of expiating previous sins. He also commanded them to repent for that which they may do in the future. Whoever has these characteristics, Allah will make his sustenance easy for him, grant him ease in his affairs and guard over his situation. For this reason Allah says,

يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا

(He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain,)