Fajr Thoughts: Nearness to Him Part 2

Al-Ghafūr, Ar-Raḥīm

In the name of Allah, the entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

إِنَّما حَرَّمَ عَلَيكُمُ المَيتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحمَ الخِنزيرِ وَما أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيرِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ اضطُرَّ غَيرَ باغٍ وَلا عادٍ فَلا إِثمَ عَلَيهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ ‎ ‏

He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. [Qur’an 2:173]

Some prohibitions are clear. We hear them and think, that is easy, I would never. But life is not like that. There is hunger, desperation, and the unpredictability of the human struggle and it can place a person in circumstances they never imagined.

In this ayah, Allah lays down clear dietary prohibitions, and then!—He opens a door. Because Allah is Ghafūr and Raḥīm. I do not want to dwell at the door cause fiqhi 😫 issues but just zoom in on His attributes.

He covers and forgives. Not just the One who is merciful, but the One whose mercy wraps around His creation in ways we cannot understand.

It is easy to think of Allah’s mercy as something we need when we sin, but what about when we are weak? What about when we are overwhelmed, when we are drowning in the trials of life, when we are trying our best but fear that it is not enough?

Allah meets us with reassurance. He is not waiting to punish the one who falters out of need. He is waiting with mercy as if to say…

I see you. I know your struggle. My mercy is greater than your burden.

Who else shows such mercy?

Who else sees not just our actions/reactions but the weight of the circumstances that led us there?

Who else understands the why behind our choices, even when we ourselves are too lost in guilt to explain them?

How often do we hold ourselves to a harsher standard than Allah does? Even though sometimes we need to.

How often do we convince ourselves that we are not redeemable, that we have gone too far?

Allah’s mercy makes space.

Even in prohibition, there is compassion. Even in restriction, there is relief.

So if this is how Allah is with us, how should we be with ourselves? With others?

Why have I hesitated to seek His mercy? Why do I feel unworthy?

My Lord is Al-Ghafūr, Ar-Raḥīm and He has already made space for me, for you. You only need to step into it. He does not judge us by a single moment, a single slip, a single act taken under duress.

His mercy is in His laws that even in prohibition, He carves out space for our human-ness - Like the permissibility to shorten prayers while travelling or make up fasts later when one is ill.

Return to your Lord.

You were never meant to be perfect.

May Allah ﷻ make it easy to turn to Him seeking forgiveness. May we never be too shy to benefit from His mercy and forgiveness. Amin

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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.