Why do we ask Allah to pardon us after all the extra worship in the last ten nights…

Translated
By
Umm Yahya

Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab said:

( وَإِنَّمَا أَمْرٌ بِسُؤَالِ الْعَفْوِ فِي لَيْلَةِ
الْقَدْرِ بَعْدَ الْاِجْتِهَادِ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ فِيهَا وَفِي ليالي الْعشرَ، لِأَنَّ الْعَارِفَيْنِ
يَجْتَهِدُونَ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ ثُمَّ لَا يَرَوُنّ
لِأَنْفَسَهُمْ عَمَلَا صَالِحَا وَلَا حَالَا وَلَا
مَقَالَا فَيَرْجِعُونَ إِلَى سُؤَالِ الْعَفْو كَحَالِ الْمُذْنِبِ الْمُقَصِّرِ )

‘This matter of asking Allaah to pardon us in the last ten nights is because, although we acknowledge our increase in righteous actions, at the same time we do not consider our state, our sayings and righteous actions with such confidence that they have been accepted, so we return to requesting Allaah to pardon us, due to our deficiencies, humility and acknowledgement of the fact that we are still sinful.’
[Lataif al-Ma’arif p.242]

*لِمَاذَاخُصِّ الْعَفْوِ بِالسُّؤَالِ فِي لَيْلَةِ
الْقَدْرِ*
قَالَ اِبْنُ رَجَبٍ:
( وَإِنَّمَا أَمْرٌ بِسُؤَالِ الْعَفْوِ فِي لَيْلَةِ
الْقَدْرِ بَعْدَ الْاِجْتِهَادِ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ فِيهَا وَفِي ليالي الْعشرَ، لِأَنَّ الْعَارِفَيْنِ
يَجْتَهِدُونَ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ ثُمَّ لَا يَرَوُنَّ
لِأَنْفَسَهُمْ عَمَلَا صَالِحَا وَلَا حَالَا وَلَا
مَقَالَا فَيَرْجِعُونَ إِلَى سُؤَالِ الْعَفْوِ
كَحَالِ الْمُذْنِبِ الْمُقَصِّرِ )
لِطَائِفِ الْمَعَارِفِ ص ٢٤٢