Fajr Thoughts: Nearness to Him Part 6

To err is human and to forgive is Divine

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

إِن تُبدوا خَيرًا أَو تُخفوهُ أَو تَعفوا عَن سوءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَفُوًّا قَديرًا ‎‏

If [instead] you show [some] good or conceal it or pardon an offense - indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent. [Qur’an 4:149]

Some words cut so deep, they replay in our minds long after they have been spoken. Some betrayals shake us to our core, making us wonder if we will ever trust again. Some wounds sit beneath the surface, unspoken, sometimes not even physical, but still sore.

And yet, Allah places pardon—‘afw—next to power—qadr.

Maybe true power isn’t in holding on to every wrong done to us.

It is in knowing we could hold on, we could do to them to, we could demand justice—but we choose to let go instead. That already feels liberating. SubhanAllah!

So “Afw” isn’t just forgiving. It is erasing, wiping the slate clean as if the wrong was never committed in the first place. It is not a favour done reluctantly, but a mercy given generously. And Allah, Al-‘Afuw, does this for us constantly.

We stumble. We sin. We turn away. And yet, He erases.
Not because we deserve it, but because..

He is.

“O Allah, You are Al-‘Afuw, You love to pardon, so pardon me.”

Because what is life without the pardon of Al-‘Afuw?

We hold on to wrongs because we think justice will heal us. But is this world just?

This “afw” is what we need, it frees us.

What if we forgave, not because they deserve it, but because Allah loves those who pardon?

We all struggle. And even as I type this, I remember it, the one othet thing that hurt.

O Allah!

Whether it is harshword, a broken promise, a betrayal, these experiences leave imprints on our hearts, challenging our ability to move forward.

Yet, within this verse, Allah gently guides us towards a profound truth, the act of pardoning is intertwined with mercy and power.

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"Ya ‘Afuw, Ya Qadeer, erase my sins. Grant me the ability to let go of the past, to pardon as You pardon, and to find strength in YOUR mercy. Make me of those whose hearts are light, and whose slates are clean. And please admit me into YOUR Jannah without account. Ameen."

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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.