DO NOT LOSE HOPE IN ALLAH's MERCY

Reflection of Surah Zumar Verse 53

In a very beautiful verse Allah (swt) says:

Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)

This ayyah has two main messages. The first message is directed to the Prophet (saas) – to say, to inform, to give advice (Qul). The second message is directed to the one who has sinned. In the first message Allah (swt) says to tell the sinner. Then the conversation changes to first person indicating that He wants to speak to this sinner directly. While the sinner maybe ashamed to face Allah (swt) or may fear His anger, Allah (swt) wants to speak to him directly, pacifying him by giving him a promise and hope.

Allah (swt) directly talks to the sinful person and calls him “Ya ibaadi” – Oh My servants, an honorable title which is also used for the best of humans, Prophet Muhammad (saas). Listen to this wonderful call to the one who has done so much evil and wronged himself so much, and in spite of all this, Allah (swt) calls him “My servant” – indicating closeness and greater love. Oh my servant who has sinned so much, do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy. Just imagine the hope that the sinner receives from hearing this message.

Allah (swt) does not use harsh language referring to this sinful person who has crossed the limits of Allah (swt), who has hurt himself by his sins. When we sin, we harm ourselves because we lose our shame and our heart becomes hard. So the sinner becomes a “sick” person. Allah (swt), being so lovingly to His servants covers the sinner with His endless Mercy, giving him hope, giving him chance to get back on track, taking care of his “sickness”.

What follows is even more touching to one who feels he is lost because of all his sins. Allah (swt) tells him, not to despair of Allah’s Mercy. Allah (swt) moves from first person and refers to Himself as Allah thus attaching that Mercy to Himself – to Allah (swt) using His own Personal Name, so as to say make no mistake, mercy is from Allah and Allah forgives. And again He says that He (Allah) forgives all sins, so do not lose hope. Again Allah uses His Name with forgiving, stressing the fact that it is He, He who forgives all your sins.

At the end of the ayyah, Allah (swt) summarizes that He is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. The word He uses is Ghafoor – grammatically meaning extremely/excessively forgiving but NOT ALWAYS forgiving. (So people cannot take advantage of Allah’s forgiving Nature).

The word used for mercy is Raheem – grammatically meaning ALWAYS merciful. So Allah (swt) is extremely forgiving and when he is not forgiving, he is ALWAYS merciful in His punishment for the believers. What a consolation for those sinners who are not forgiven. In this ayyah, Allah (swt) is helping the believers and giving them a chance to repent so that He will forgive them. In other words Allah is saying, here is your chance, repent before the punishment comes, before it is too late, before the doors of forgiveness closes. In the following ayyahs Allah (swt) says “…submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped… before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive…“

In an equally beautiful Hadith Qudsi Allah (swt) says:

“O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it.”

We all fall into error, we all have weaknesses. In this month of Ramadan, it is a good opportunity to take the offer of Allah (swt) while this avenue is still open, hasten to ask forgiveness. Our Messenger (swt) used to ask forgiveness about 70 times a day. Keeping this sunnah is not only rewardable but also good for our own forgiveness. Never lose hope.