34) al-Ghafûr
The Forgiving, The Forgiver of Sins and Faults, The Perfectly Forgiving, The Pardoner
The One who completely forgives our sins and faults. The One who accepts repentance and pardons sins and faults.
The One who veils or forgives our faults and sins such that they are not seen by anyone else, not even the angels.
The One who is the perfection of forgiveness. The One whose forgiving demonstrates excellence, completeness and perfection of forgiveness.
From the root gh-f-r which has the following classical Arabic connotations:
to cover, veil, conceal, hide
to pardon, to forgive, to set aright
to cover a thing to protect it from dirt
This name is used in the Qur'ân. For example, see 40:3
Note that the root gh-f-r has given rise to three Beautiful Names that are all used in the Qur'ân: Ghaffâr, Ghafûr and Ghâfir. However, only Ghaffâr and Ghafûr were included in the list of 99 Names narrated by Tirmidhi.
In Qastalânî's commentary on Bukhârî, it is said that the root gh-f-r means a covering or protection which is either between man and the commission of sin [protecting, or watching over], or between sin and the effects of that sin [forgiving, veiling or concealing].
In al-Nihâyah (a dictionary of hadîth), it is said that Ghâfir refers to the One who protects us from the commission of sins, and that Ghafûr refers to the One who forgives our sins and faults.
Sheikh Tosun Bayrak portrays the differences as:
... al-Ghâfir, the veiler of our faults from the eyes of other men; al-Ghafûr, who keeps the knowledge of our faults even from the angels; and al-Ghaffâr who relieves us from the suffering of continual remembrance of our faults.
The Arabic word astaghfirullâh (sometimes written as astghfrallâh, estagfurullâh or estaferallâh) is from this same gh-f-r root, and is an invocation of Divine Protection having a range of possible connotations that include Allâh please forgive me, Allâh please hide away my faults, Allâh please watch over me and protect me from faults.
In the lexicon and commentary Tâj al-'Arûs it is mentioned that truly asking for forgiveness must be by both word and deed, not by the tongue alone.
The names Ghafûr, Ghaffâr and Ghâfir denote forgiving or protecting, while 'Afûw indicates complete removal or obliteration of the condition.
If Allah had willed to choose a son, He could have chosen what He would of that which He had created. Be He Glorified! He is Allah, the One, the Absolute. He has created the heavens and the earth with the truth; He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night, and He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one runs on to an assigned term; now surely He is the Mighty, the GREAT FORGIVER.
(39:4,5)
35) ash-Shakûr
The Most Grateful, The Most Appreciative, The Rewarder of Good Works
The One who is most thankful for righteousness and bestows great rewards for good deeds.
The One who gratefully gives large rewards, even for a small amount of good work.
The One who acknowledges and bountifully rewards all acts of goodness, thankfulness and praise.
The One who frequently and greatly approves, rewards and forgives.
From the root sh-k-r which has the following classical Arabic connotations:
to praise or commend for a benefit or benefits
to acknowledge beneficence
to offer thanks, acknowledgement
to be thankful, grateful
to produce, supply, give forth bountifully
This name is used in the Qur'ân. For example, see 35:30
Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a Commerce that will never fail: For He will pay them their meed, nay, He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty; for He is Oft-Forgiving, MOST READY TO APPRECIATE (service).
(35:29-30)