Assalam o alaikum
Hope you are in good health and are using every minute of this blessed month wisely.
I have been listening to Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan's Quranic Tafsir. What I am about to share with you is from his tafsir of Surah Baqarah , 36 - 38. ( Listen for yourself: http://podcast.bayyinah.com/2011/12/22/study-of-the-quran-surah-al-baqarah-ayahs-36-38/) . Subhan Allah this touched me very deeply. Allah's mercy is never ending and we need to be continually reminded of this so that we can realize that no one is ever too messed up to be fixed. Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan explains this through the story of Hazrat Adam (A.S).
Then Adam received from his Lord
[some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is
the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
You are all familiar with the story of the creation of Hazrat Adam and Hazrat Hawwa (A.S) and how shaytan tricked them into eating from the forbidden tree for which Allah sent them down to the earth from Jannah. Anyway after all this Hazrat Adam (A.S) specially received special words from His Master. Now what was the benefit of these words? "..and He accepted his repentance..." So Allah is sending him down to the earth which may seem like a punishment and immediately gives Adam (A.S) a few words which would guarantee his repentance if recited sincerely. Allah is basically telling him that if he recites these words sincerely his slate is clean and his Tauba has been done. Just like that. The concept of tauba in the Quran is very powerful. You see Allah doesnt just forgive a sin He actually replaces that sin with a good deed. Subhan Allah. This is the principle of Allah
So Allah gives Adam (A.S) words, that he can recite sincerely and immediately Allah turns back towards him. Look at the beauty in this entire scene.According to the ayat Adam (A.S) didnt even come up with these words that earned him his forgiveness. Allah specially gives him these words and reciting them sincerely guarantees Adam (A.S) forgiveness. Can you imagine the mercy here? Subhan Allah. "Here are the words. If you recite them I''ll give you even more" This is what is happening here. This is the mercy of Allah.
We must realize the power of this dua. Unlike us, Adam (A.S) received his instructions directly from Allah. No messengers or books but direct instruction from Allah. Direct communication: 'Don't do this'... So obviously if he disobeys that is a more serious thing, right? But even for him the words of this dua were enough to get his Tauba accepted. So can you imagine the power of these words if they are recited sincerely?
"Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful."
Allah turns towards us with love over and over and over again. He is constantly Merciful. The door to His mercy is always open. If there is anyone out there among humanity who would have done something and said : I am way too messed up, there is no way Allah is going to forgive me now, it should have been Adam (A.S), no? Both our parents (Hazrat Adam and Hazrat Hawwa (A.S)) had everything and they lost it. They fell into waswasa of shaytan. They would be in a position to say there is no way Allah is going to forgive me now and Allah is giving them words and saying 'No, I will continually accept your tauba and my mercy is constant' . This is important because most of us have this thought at the back of our minds that we may be beyond forgiveness. We cant have that attitude. His mercy is always going to be there. Its not like the mercy of any human being. As much as someone may love you at some point even they may not be able to forgive you for something wrong that you may have done.
The dua:
They said, "Our Lord, we
have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have
mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
Subhan Allah. I was amazed by how little we give regard to Allah's never ending mercy. This should be enough to get our hopes up to keep trying to be a better muslim. Believing that the doors to Allah's mercy are always always open.
I have tried to write this in my own words after listening to the tafsir but the way Ustadh Nouman said it was so much more better so yes most of this is copied from his lecture. May Allah bless him and his family in this world and the hereafter. Ameen
May Allah make us of the people of Imaan. and may He ease troubles of all our Muslims brothers and sisters in need all around the world. May you and your family be protected from evil of all kinds. May Allah accept our Ibadah and our fasts. Ameen
Jazak Allah
Translation from: http://quran.com/2
