How should a believer supplicate for forgiveness

Man is prone to be enticed by the Evil and commit acts that are prohibited and not desired at all. But the lust for sinful acts is so lucrative that sometimes even the most pious find themselves wavering as to which way they go: The way of truth or the way of Allah or the path lucratively laced for them by the Satan. And when one stumbles or is about to stumble, the inner-self pinches them to seek forgiveness for having even thought of being tempted to commit a sin.

The 16th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran gives out a format for the believers as how to supplicate to Allah no sooner an evil and wicked thought comes to their mind or a step further by falling into the trap of Evil, given herein under:

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّنَاۤ اٰمَنَّا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ​ۚ‏ 

(3:16) These are the ones who pray: 'Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire';

This verse describes the sincere believers who turn to Allah with a humble and repentant heart. In this three stepped verse, They:

• Affirm their belief: They declare their faith in Allah and acknowledge Him as their Lord.
• Seek forgiveness: They ask Allah to forgive their sins, showing their awareness of their shortcomings and need for divine mercy.
• Pray for protection from Hellfire: Their plea indicates their fear of Allah’s punishment and their hope in His protection.

The verse reflects the mindset of a true believer who combines faith with humility, repentance, and fear of Allah. Such a person recognizes their imperfections and constantly seeks Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.

It has been attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who once said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

This hadith highlights the power of sincere repentance and supplication in erasing sins, mirroring the believers' plea for forgiveness in the verse.

Lessons Derived from the aforementioned Supplication:

• Importance of Repentance: The verse, along with the hadiths, emphasizes the need for sincere repentance and seeking Allah’s forgiveness.
• Humility and Supplication: Approaching Allah with humility and making heartfelt supplications is a sign of a true believer.
• Belief and Action: The verse demonstrates that true faith is not just a declaration; it is coupled with actions, such as seeking forgiveness and fearing the consequences of sins.

The verse and these hadith collectively remind believers of the importance of maintaining a humble, repentant attitude and constantly seeking Allah’s mercy. It should thus be borne in mind that whenever making a supplication, one must use this divine three-stepped format to making a supplication. We should not straightaway seek forgiveness. Rather, first we should affirm our faith and belief in Allah, for whiteout firm faith we can never be sure of acceptance of our supplication. Having done so, we should then seek forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed and reiterate our firm resolve not to repeat the same. Sine sins lead to the hell fire, we must seek Allah's mercy to save us for the torturous life of hell and earnestly invoke mercy of Allah to be forgiven and granted an abode in Jannatul firdous.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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Hold Allah in awe - And listen and obey, and be charitable, for this is for your own good

We all undertake some sort of job to ensure the sustenance of ourselves and those dependent on us. And we are always on the guard not to annoy our boss for he may terminate us, hold or slash our salary or even humiliate us in front of others for not doing our duties as desired. So we are always on our toes not to annoy our boss and go into minutest details in performance of our duty to earn good name and expect a raise in the salary or promotion. 

If we are so fearful of our boss, shouldn't we be fearful of Allah, our Creator and our Sustainer? If we perform our worldly duties sincerely, shouldn't we be sincere to the Deity that created us and sustains us? In this regard, an Arabic word Taqwa is often used, which simply means Fear of Allah. 

In Arabic literature, a word-phrase Ittaqullah (Arabic: اتقوا الله) is often used to express fear of Allah. The word "Ittaqu" (the command or imperative form of the word taqwa), and "Allah". It is found in several verses in the Quran, It has been translated variously as "fear God", "keep your duty to Allah and fear Him", "guard your duty to Allah", "be careful of (your duty to) Allah", "be pious to Allah", "be aware of Allah", to "love and be faithful to", as well as fear Allah.

Today, we have selected a verse that tells the believers to hold Allah in awe - that is we should fear our Creator for we have been asked to undertake duties in respect of Him and if some duty is not been done or done improperly, we may annoy Him. 

فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ مَا اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ وَاسۡمَعُوۡا وَاَطِيۡعُوۡا وَاَنۡفِقُوۡا خَيۡرًا لِّاَنۡفُسِكُمۡ​ؕ وَمَنۡ يُّوۡقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهٖ فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ‏ 

(64:16) So hold Allah in awe as much as you can, and listen and obey, and be charitable. This is for your own good. And whoever remains safe from his own greediness, it is such that will prosper.

To understand this verse correctly, we may consider a few others verses of Qur'an which will make the meaning of Holding Allah in awe will be better understood.

At another place in the Qur'an, it has been said: "Fear Allah as He should actually be feared." (Al-'Imran: 102). At still another place: “Allah does not burden anyone with a responsibility heavier than he can bear." (Al-Baqarah: 286) And here: "Fear Allah as far as you can." When these three verses are read together it appears that the first verse sets an ideal which every believer should try to attain. The second verse lays down the principle that no one has been required to exert himself. beyond his power and ability, for in Allah's Religion one has been made responsible only for what is within one's power and ability. This verse enjoins every believer to try to attain piety and consciousness of God as far as he can. He should carry out His Commands and avoid His disobedience as best as he possibly can. For if he shows laxity in this regard, he will not be able to escape punishment. However, one will not be held accountable for what was beyond one's power (and Allah alone can decide best what was really beyond a person's power and ability).

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ So have Taqwa of Allah as much as you can;) meaning, as much as you are able and can bear or endure. The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, (When I command you to do something, do as much as you can of it, and whatever I forbid for you, then avoid it.) 

Allah's statement, (وَاسْمَعُواْ وَأَطِيعُواْ listen and obey,) means, obey what Allah and His Messenger command you to do and do not stray from it to the right or left. Do not utter a statement or make a decision before Allah and His Messenger issue a statement or decision. Do not ignore what you were ordered to do, nor commit what you were forbidden from doing.

Encouraging Charity, Allah the Exalted said, (وَأَنْفِقُواْ خَيْراً لاًّنفُسِكُمْ and spend in charity; that is better for yourselves.) meaning, give from what Allah has granted you to your relatives, the poor, the needy and the weak. Be kind to Allah's creatures, just as Allah was and still is kind with you. This will be better for you in this life and the Hereafter. Otherwise, if you do not do it, it will be worse for you in this life and the Hereafter. 

Allah said; (وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ And whosoever is saved from his own greed, then they are the successful ones.) A similar verse appears at the end of 9th verse of Surah 59. Al Hashr, where we also mentioned the relevant Hadiths (reproduced herein under:

(وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ and whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be the successful.) indicating that those who are saved from being stingy, then they have earned success and a good achievement. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Be on your guard against being stingy, for being stingy is what destroyed those who were before you. It made them shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them.) Muslim collected this Hadith. 

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Aswad bin Hilal said that a man said to `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud),"O Abu `Abdur-Rahman! I fear that I have earned destruction for myself.' `Abdullah asked him what the matter was and he said, "I hear Allah's saying:

(And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be successful.) and I am somewhat a miser who barely gives away anything.' `Abdullah said, "That is not the greed Allah mentioned in the Qur'an, which pertains to illegally consuming your brother's wealth. What you have is miserliness, and it is an evil thing indeed to be miser.'

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

"Fear Allah" combined with "as much as you can" obviously means: "lead lives of self-restraint and righteousness": the usual meaning of Taqwa: see note to to ii. 2 (reproduced herein under for better understanding):

(2:2 This is the Book; in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who fear Allah) Taqwa and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify: (1) the fear of God which according to the writer of Proverbs (i.7) in the Old Testament is the beginning of Wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one's tongue, hand, and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety good conduct. All these ideas are implied; in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated according to the context. See also xivii 17; and ixxiv 56

Charity is meant to help and do good to other people who need it. But it has the highest subjective value for the person who gives it. Like mercy "it blesseth him that gives and him that takes". It purifies the giver's soul: the affection that he pours out is for his own spiritual benefit and progress. Cf. Coleridge: "He prayeth best who loveth best all things both great and small, for the Great God Who loveth us, Who made and loveth all".

Cf. lix. 9. Our worst enemy is within ourselves, -the grasping selfishness which would deprive others of their just rights or seize things which do not properly belong to it. If we can get over this covetous selfishness, we achieve real Prosperity in justice and truth.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki: 

The believers are admonished to do their best to remain God-fearing and to obey God's orders. Here we see an aspect of God's care as He restricts what is expected of the believers to that which remains within their power and ability. He knows the limit of what they can do in obedience of Him. The Prophet says: "When I give you an order, do it as best you can, and when I prohibit something, refrain from it completely." [Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.]

Limits cannot be set on obeying an order to do something. Therefore, what is within one's ability and power is sufficient. On the other hand, prohibition cannot be divided. It is required in full.

They are also called upon to be generous in what they donate: "And be charitable. That will be best for you."  Normally, they spend their money on their own needs. God instructs them to spend in charity what is good for themselves. Thus, when they are charitable, they are actually spending their money on what is good for themselves. The surah also depicts meanness as a plague, one they must try to get rid of.

Now you may listen to the following short clipped video to explanation of the aforesaid Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 2a | 3 | 3a | 5 | 6 | 7 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Has Not that Time Come as yet - A stern warning for Believers

Today we share a very important verse, the 16th verse from Surah 57 Al Hadid (The Iron) which was actually revealed for those believers who though had came under the fold of Islam, yet their hearts had yet to develop that attachment to Islam and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which in fact were the direct commandments of Allah for their guidance to live a life in total obedience. 

However, the purpose of re-sharing it specifically today should be well understood. Although there are more than a billion and a half population of the world is followers of Islam, yet we see a  sizeable section of Muslims devoid of true obedience to the commandments of Allah and have found an "enlightened" version of Islam which compromises many commandments of Allah which they find to hard or difficult to follow, the same way the Jews and Christians have parted their ways with the scriptures given to them, rather have made amendments and added things that allow them an allowance to still follow the practices of dark days when there were no prophets to show the right path to the mankind.

Thus the question is being asked that has not the time come when arrogance should have been replaced with humility and humbleness and true obedience to Allah, rather than following the false ways of the people of the older scriptures and imitating their misleading way of life ?

اَلَمۡ يَاۡنِ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَنۡ تَخۡشَعَ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ لِذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الۡحَـقِّۙ وَلَا يَكُوۡنُوۡا كَالَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡكِتٰبَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيۡهِمُ الۡاَمَدُ فَقَسَتۡ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ​ؕ وَكَثِيۡرٌ مِّنۡهُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ‏ 

( 16 )   Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.

Here again, the word "believers" is general, but it does not apply to all the Muslims; it refers to those particular Muslims who had professed the faith verbally and joined the followers of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) though their hearts were devoid of any concern for Islam. They were watching that the pagan forces were bent upon wiping out Islam; they had encircled the handful of Muslims from all sides, who were being made the target of persecution everywhere in Arabia, and thus oppressed the Muslims were fleeing to Madinah empty-handed for refuge; the sincere Muslims were extending to them whatever economic help they could; yet they were, at the same time, engaged in a life and-death struggle with the enemy. But, in spite of this, these people who professed the faith were not being moved at all. So, here, they are being put to shame. as if to say: "What kind of believers are you? At this critical juncture for Islam, is it not yet time that your hearts should melt at the mention of Allah and be filled with the spirit of sacrifice for the sake of His Religion? Can the believers be such that they may 'have no feeling for Islam when it is confronted with hard times, that they may sit un-concerned when they are summoned in the name of Allah, that the hearts may neither tremble out of fear of Allah nor bow to His Command when He Himself should make an appeal for contributions in the Book sent down by Him, declaring it as a loan on Himself and plainly telling that the one who would regard his wealth as dearer than the cause of the true Faith would be a hypocrite and not a believer?”

"  and that they should not be like those who were vouchsafed the Book and then a long time elapsed so that their hearts were hardened? A great many of them are now evil-doers. " That is, "The Jews and Christians seem to have lost fervor and degenerated spiritually and morally hundreds of years after the passing away of their Prophets; but have you already become so depraved that while the Prophet is still present among you, and the Book of God is still being revealed, and not much time has passed over you since you affirmed the Faith, and you have started behaving like the Jews and Christians who have reached this state through centuries of playing and tempering with the Book of Allah and its verses?" 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: Encouraging Khushu` and the Prohibition of imitating the People of the Scriptures

Allah asks, `Has not the time come for the believers to feel humility in their hearts by the remembrance of Allah and hearing subtle advice and the recitation of the Qur'an, so that they may comprehend the Qur'an, abide by it, and hear and obey Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Only four years separated our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this Ayah, in which Allah subtly admonished us,

(Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah)'' This is the narration Muslim collected, just before the end of his book. An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith in the Tafsir of this Ayah. Allah's statement,

(Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened) Allah is prohibiting the believers from imitating those who were given the Scriptures before them, the Jews and Christians. As time passed, they changed the Book of Allah that they had, and sold it for a small, miserable price. They also abandoned Allah's Book behind their back and were impressed and consumed by various opinions and false creeds. They imitated the way others behaved with the religion of Allah, making their rabbis and priests into gods beside Allah. Consequently, their hearts became hard and they would not accept advice; their hearts did not feel humbled by Allah's promises or threats,

(And many of them were rebellious.) meaning, in action; therefore, their hearts are corrupt and their actions are invalid, just as Allah the Exalted said,

(So, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They changed the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them.)(5:13) meaning, their hearts became corrupt and they hardened, and they acquired the behavior of changing Allah's Speech from their appropriate places and meanings. They abandoned acts of worship that they were commanded to perform and committed what they were prohibited to do. This is why Allah forbade the believers from imitating them in any way, be it basic or detailed matters. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Humility and the remembrance of Allah and His Message are never more necessary than in the hour of victory and prosperity.

The men immediately referred to are the contemporary Jews and Christians. To each of these Ummats was given Allah's Revelation, but as time passed, they corrupted it, became arrogant and hard-hearted, and subverted justice, truth, and the purity of Life. But the general lesson is far wider. No one is favoured of Allah except on the score of righteousness. Except on that score, there is no chosen individual or race. There is no blind good fortune or ill fortune. All happens according to the just laws and will of Allah. But at no time is humility or righteousness more necessary than in the hour of victory or triumph.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

I.e., "Should not the remembrance of God and His revelation make them humble rather than proud?" This is an emphatic warning against all smugness, self-righteousness and false pride at having "attained to faith" - a failing which only too often attains to such as consider themselves "pious".

"  lest they become like those who were granted revelation aforetime, " This is apparently an allusion to the spiritually arrogant among the Jews, who regard themselves as "God's chosen people" and, therefore, as predestined for His acceptance.

" and whose hearts have hardened with the passing of time so that many of them are [now] depraved? " I.e., so that now they act contrary to the ethical precepts of their religion: implying that the purpose of all true faith is to make man humble and God-conscious rather than self-satisfied, and that a loss of that spiritual humility invariably results in moral degeneration.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:  for those who lay claim to faith that their hearts submit to God’s reminder and to the truth which has been revealed  [by Him], and these people should not be like those who were given the Book before this; then a long period passed on them until their hearts hardened, and [today] most of them are disobedient."

"Is it not time "  In other words, this time has not come even after the manifestation of various signs and indications which point to the truth of the message of the Prophet (sws)?

" for those who lay claim to faith that their hearts submit to God’s reminder and to the truth which has been revealed " Two words are used in this verse: ذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ  and الۡحَقّ. Both refer to the Qur’ān. The first refers to its warning and the second to the established facts which it made clear by making them distinct from evil.

" by Him], and these people should not be like those who were given the Book before this; then a long period passed on them until their hearts hardened, and [today] most of them are disobedient." The implication is that even if now these people remain afflicted with doubts and do not pay heed, then it is quite possible that they will encounter the same fate as the one encountered by the Jews before. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

It is evident from this discussion that there is nothing wrong about doubts arising on some matter relating to the truth; neither is their existence for some time any matter of rebuke. A sincere person can also face this situation; however, if a person by seeking refuge in these doubts keeps lulling the calls of the truth, which arise in him, to sleep and makes them an excuse to adhere to falsehood, then as per the established practice of the Almighty, he is deprived of the very ability to accept the truth. The Almighty does not bear for long a person not giving due importance to the truth. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 8, 216)

Qur'an Wiki: This profoundly touching remonstration by God, the Ever Merciful, urges a complete response from hearts that have been slow to bask in His grace after He has sent them His Messenger calling on them to believe. He granted him revelations that are sure to take them out of darkness into light. He has also shown them enlightening signs in the universe around them and in all His creation. This note of remonstration overflows with tenderness as it arouses in them feelings of His majesty so that they humble themselves when He is mentioned. In this way can they receive the truth bestowed from on high with what it deserves of obedience, submission and obedience to God. This is coupled with a touch of criticism for their slow response: "Is it not time for believers that their hearts should feel humble at the remembrance of God and the truth that has been bestowed from on high."

To this note of urging and encouragement is added a warning against slackening and negligence. It tells them how hearts harden when time passes without refreshment provided by remembrance of God and His truth: "And not to be like those who were granted revelations before them and whose hearts have hardened with the passing of time? Many of these are now transgressors." 

When hearts harden, all they produce is sin and disobedience. The human heart is subject to quick changes, it easily forgets. When it brightens up it is like a ray of light spreading life. Should it stay long without reminders, it becomes blunted, hardened and loses its light. Therefore, it requires constant reminders so that it remains soft and enlightened. It must always be alert so as not to harden. 

Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference:  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me

There are many prayers and supplications in the Qur'an, generally attributed to the prophets and the pious, to show to the believers that whenever someone makes a mistake, even a prophet, they have instantly asked for forgiveness of Allah and repented their action. And as promised Allah forgave them for Allah has always advised His servants to repent if they make a mistake and ask forgiveness of their Lord.

The following invocation taken from 16th verse of Surah 28. Al Qasas is one such invocation attributed to Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him):

قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِىۡ فَاغۡفِرۡ لِىۡ فَغَفَرَ لَهٗ​ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 

(28:16) Then he prayed: "My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me," wherefore Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The background to this verses is when Prophet Musa entered into the city at a time when the people thereof were heedless, and he found therein two men fighting; the one of his own sect and the other of his enemies. And he who was of his sect asked his aid against him who was of his enemies. So Moses smote him with his fist and made an end of him. Said he, "This is of the work of Satan, for verily, he is an enemy that manifestly misleads."

What the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) meant by this prayer was: “O my Lord, forgive this sin of mine, which you know I have not committed willfully, and also cover and conceal it from the people.”

" Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful " This has two meanings and both are implied here: Allah pardoned Moses’ error as well as concealed his sin from the people so that neither any Egyptian, nor any official of the Egyptian government, passed that way at that time that he might witness the incident. So, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) got an opportunity to escape undetected from the place of the occurrence of murder.

Wiki Qur'an:

Prophet Musa goes on to show genuine regret for what his anger caused, acknowledging that by so doing, he had wronged himself, had burdened himself with such results. He appealed to God for forgiveness. God responded to his prayer, knowing that his repentance was genuine: “So He forgave him. He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

Read more about the two attributes of Allah mentioned in the above said verse:

• Al-Ghafur (الغفور) - The Forgiving, The Pardoner
• Ar Rahim (الرحيم) -  The Most Merciful

Please listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining this verse:

We should, therefore, never lose hope of mercy of Allah if we sin and  instantly repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. Rest assured we shall be forgiven provided we have make the invocation from a sincere heart with a pledge not to sin again. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Hell Fire

The difference between disbelievers and believers is the choice of world: The former prefers the earthly world and remains engrossed in its attractions and pleasures for he foes not believe in the life of the Hereafter. The believer on the other hand considers the earthly life as a test, tries to avoid its attractions as much as possible and concentrates on the life of the Hereafter. And for this very reason, he is always praying for his forgiveness and safety form the chastisement of the Hell Fire which will be final abode of the disbelievers and the sinners. 

The following verse from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran is manifest of a believer's life:

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّنَاۤ اٰمَنَّا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ​ۚ‏ 

These are the ones who pray: 'Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire' (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran: 16)

In the verse above, Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards, (Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed'') in You, Your Book and Your Messenger. 

Those who more often than not invoke the blessings of Allah and pray: (so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy, and cry: (and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)

This invocation is meant to urge the addressees to change their outlook: instead of considering this transient life to be real life, they should look towards the Hereafter where an eternal and everlasting life awaits them.

And who are these people, Allah Himself answers in the very next verse:

اَلصّٰـبِرِيۡنَ وَالصّٰدِقِـيۡنَ وَالۡقٰنِتِـيۡنَ وَالۡمُنۡفِقِيۡنَ وَالۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِيۡنَ بِالۡاَسۡحَارِ‏ 

(3:17) men who are steadfast, truthful, obedient, spend (in the way of Allah) and implore the forgiveness of Allah before daybreak.

That is, they are those who remain steadfast in the cause of Truth; who do not lose heart when they either suffer losses or are subjected to afflictions; who do not despair when they encounter reverses; who are not seduced by temptations. They are the ones who remain faithful to the Truth, even when it apparently stands no chance of prevailing.

If they feel difficulty in keeping to righteousness, the remedy lies in resorting to Prayer and patience. From these two attributes they will derive the strength needed to follow their chosen course. The literal meaning of 'sabr' is to exercise restraint, to keep oneself tied down. It denotes the will-power, the firm resolve and the control over animal desires which enables man to advance along the path of his choice - the path that satisfies his heart and conscience - in utter disregard of the temptations within, and of all obstacles and opposition without. The purpose of this directive is to urge man to develop this quality and to reinforce it from the outside by means of Prayer.

If a person combats with determination and resoluteness the hardships of poverty, sickness, war and other similar things and whatever point of view he holds as correct, adheres to it without any semblance of hopelessness, worry and complain, then this is patience. Here the Qur’an has highlighted this trait in its recipients the foremost. The reason for this is that the greatest hindrance in the way of people who are being invited to accept the truth is that they have not been able to cultivate the quality of patience in them.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More