Fajr Thoughts: Nearness to Him Part 19
Turn back to Him!
In the name of Allah, the entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
إِلّا مَن تابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صٰلِحًا فَأُولٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّـٔاتِهِم حَسَنٰتٍ ۗ وَكانَ اللَّهُ غَفورًا رَحيمًا
Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. Surah al-Furqan (25:70)
Some of us have carried our guilt and shame so much that we have convinced ourselves that our sins have closed every door to His mercy. That we have strayed too far, stained our pages, and that there is no way back. We carry the weight of our past on our shoulders and backs, believing that no amount of seeking forgiveness can undo what has been written.
But then, Your Lord says…
"Except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds. For them, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Not only does He forgive—He will replace it with good.
Our Lord forgives our sins.
Our Lord wipes our sins
and He can replace the evil with good.
You have a Lord who does not merely wipe the slate clean but takes the evil of a person’s deeds and turns them into something good.
How can a person read these words and not feel hope seep into their soul?
We spend our lives afraid of the past catching up with us.
Afraid that what we have done will always define us.
But what if the very things we regret most are the doors through which Allah ﷻ brings us back to Him?
Still keeping with the mirage bit…
I just need to let go of the mirage I am chasing, my Lord has the power to bring a whole well in the desert. He has done it before. [Cue: zamzam]
And if He, the One who knows the full depth of our faults, is still willing to replace them with good, then who are we to believe that we are beyond saving?
I just need to repent.
Ya Ghafūr, Ya Raḥīm, I return to You with my heart heavy with regret, seeking this mercy You have promised. make me among those who repent quickly and easily. and Please take my sins, the ones that haunt me, the ones I cannot undo, and transform them into good. All power belongs to You.
If you would like to reflect on least one ayah daily this blessed month, then go ahead and get your copy of Fajr Thoughts. It contains a summary of each juz, an ayah or passage from each juz, some notes from tafasir and then some questions to get you started on your reflections.
Jazakillahu khair❤️