اَللّـهُمَّ اغْسِلْني فيهِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ،

O Allah, on this day, wash away my sins,

وَطَهِّرْني فيهِ مِنَ الْعُيُوبِ،

purify me from all flaws,

وَامْتَحِنْ قَلْبي فيهِ بِتَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ،

examine my heart with (for) the piety of the hearts,

يا مُقيلَ عَثَراتِ الْمُذْنِبينَ.

O One who overlooks the shortcomings of the sinners.

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Repentance, the Key to Self-purification

Indeed, so long as the heart has not been purified of the impurities of sins and the soul has not been cleansed of the stains of transgressions through repentance, it will be impossible for one to engage in moral training and walk the path toward attaining nearness to Allah. It will also be impossible to benefit from the light of guidance and experience the ineffable rapture of true spirituality.

How does Ṣalāt eliminate Sins?

When a person prepares to perform one’s Ṣalāt they have to cleanse themselves in every way; they need to cleanse not only their body and clothes of impurities, they need to perform the Ṣalāt in a place which is not usurped, nor bought or prepared through unlawfully-earned money.

A quick glance at the conditions that one must meet before performing one’s Ṣalāt indicates that all of them are deterrents against wrongdoing, sins, and injustice.

Ṣalāt cultivates the sublime human virtues deep in the hearts of mankind; it strengthens man’s willpower and purifies their heart and soul from the impurities of sins and transgressions.

The damage done to one’s soul by sins will heal and the stains of transgressions on the heart will be cleansed by means of Ṣalāt. Inasmuch as Ṣalāt is a way of expediting spiritual development and growth, it is a deterrent against evils and indecencies, sometimes doing it in a general fashion and sometimes giving certain misdeeds particular attention.