In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُم وَيَهدِيَكُم سُنَنَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم وَيَتوبَ عَلَيكُم ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌ ٢٦ وَاللَّهُ يُريدُ أَن يَتوبَ عَلَيكُم وَيُريدُ الَّذينَ يَتَّبِعونَ الشَّهَوٰتِ أَن تَميلوا مَيلًا عَظيمًا ٢٧ يُريدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُم ۚ وَخُلِقَ الإِنسٰنُ ضَعيفًا ٢٨
Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. And Allah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak. [Qur’an 4:26-28]
This Surah has a lot of laws. And Allah ﷻ says He wants to make it clear so there is no misunderstanding. He wants us to succeed and He wants to forgive us. Do we want that for ourselves? To understand, to be forgiven, our own success…what do any of these look like.
He cautions us about following desires. It has become a comfortable place. these days. There are so many things to distract us - including ourselves. Lately, when I think of following desires, I find myselves really looking at “my guilty pleasures” I feel like we just make things sound cool so it doesn't look too bad.
one teacher from the fiqh of Ramadān class mentioned something that has stayed with me and these are might not be in words but it is how it has stayed with me “Don't keep count of the good you do, the angels already keep count. Worry about the bad things you do, that way when you seek forgiveness, even you…” May Allah save us.
These verses show the mercy of Allah ﷻ. The rules are for our benefit, to guide us. Then He wants us to succeed and He wants to forgive us when we fall. And then He tells us that we were created weak. We might get distracted, we might mess up but despite our weakness we are not deprived of His Mercy.
Just keep turning back to Him. He is my true success.
If you would like to follow through with reflecting on one ayah daily, then go ahead and get your copy of Fajr Thoughts here, it reverts to full price in a bit In Sha'a Allah. It contains a summary of each juz, an ayah from each juz, some notes from tafasir and then some questions to get you started on your reflections.