Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 26

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 26 (12:18)

...فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ....
“...So a beautiful patience...”

Watch video here:https://youtu.be/LZNteEn1r1M

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 25

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 25 (5:25)

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي
“He said, “My Sustainer! I do not have anyone but myself and my brother...””

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/CznRU34TsJQ

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 24

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/HaT5EMfzo3g

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 24 (56: 75-77)

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ
“And so I swear by the placement of the stars”

وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ
“And that’s a mighty path if you only knew”

إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَرِيمٌ
“That this Quran is an honorable one”

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 23

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 23 (25:63-64)

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
“And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk with humility on earth, and whenever the ignorant address them, reply with [words of] peace.”

وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا
“and who spend their nights prostrating and standing before God.”

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/GtW8PbUwybs

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 22

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 22 (37:87)

فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“What, then, do you think of the Lord of all the worlds?”

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/5dFArnRtrI4

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 21

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 21 (6:1)

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ 

"All praises and thanks be to God Who created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light..." 

Whenever I read this chapter, this first verse gets me every time. We thank Allah for darkness as much as we thank Him for light. We need both to exist, and both are essential to our fundamental growth as worshippers of God. Without the dark gloomy sky, we wouldn't appreciate the bright lively light. 

As hard as we have it in times of darkness, we thank Him for that opportunity to get closer to Him, and to grow and realize our potential. No one would strive harder if they hadn't hit rock bottom at some point. And without experiencing such a tough point in our lives, we would not appreciate being in a place of peace and stability. Both shape us and give us the energy we need to realize everything we have is an opportunity to get closer to our Creator, the One who blessed us with both darkness and light. 

If you’re in a dark place in your life, let these last 10 nights of Ramadan be a witness to your call to the One can turn that darkness into light. Alhamdulillah, all praise and thanks to God. 

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 20

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/ntqpEAhJDz0

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 20 (21: 37)

خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ
“Human beings are made to be hasty from their very creation....”

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 19

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 19 (27: 18-19)

The circumstance that prompted Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) to make such a beautiful supplication in the Quran always intrigued me. An ant warned her fellow ants to take shelter in order to be safe from Sulaiman and his people. In return, he smiled, as noted in the verse, and prayed, “My Lord, grant me the capacity to be grateful for all your favors which you’ve bestowed upon me and my parents, so I can do what’s right and pleasing to You. Admit me through Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants.”

Was Sulaiman so aware of his surroundings that he realized that this tiny ant was not just a mere ant, but an actual manifestation of God, a piece of His creation, no matter how small, and a worshipper of our same Creator?

An ant warned its community to seek safety, reminding Sulaiman of God’s blessings upon him and his family. What then should we do when we see a bird carefully picking food for its hatchling or a bee collecting pollen from a flower?

If an ant fleeing for safety inspired Prophet Sulaiman to invoke such a beautiful heartfelt supplication, how many opportunities for spiritual connection are we missing out on in our daily ventures?

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَىٰ وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
“Until they came to a valley full of ants, one ant said, “All you ants, get in your homes so Solomon and his people don’t crush you without even knowing it.”” (27:18)

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“He smiled, amused at what she said and exclaimed, “My Lord, grant me the capacity to be grateful for all your favors which you’ve bestowed upon me and my parents, so I can do what’s right and pleasing to You. Admit me through Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants.”” (27:19)

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 18

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 18 (4:86)

I walked into my daughter’s school today and up on the neon green wall was a phrase that caught my attention. It read: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” This concept stuck with me, and while I was in the middle of listening to a presentation, my mind wandered off to how true this statement is. It reminded me of this verse in chapter 4 of the Quran:

‎وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا
“And if you are greeted with a greeting then return it with what is better than it or return it equally. Verily God is accounting all things.”

We often overlook one of the most simple yet honorable types of worship, perhaps because of its difficulty, which is speaking with kindness and acting upon it, even when aren’t given that same treatment. It’s easy to be harsh to those who are harsh to us. But what’s harder is to remain kind, knowing that God is compensating you for that kindness, more than any human ever could.

How amazing is our God that asks us to return a simple greeting with a better one? We are challenged to excel every day in our character and in our interactions with people. I pray we can truly take a step back and analyze our most basic interactions with those around us. How much are we really applying this verse?

Starting now, with less than 12 days before Ramadan 2019 escapes us, challenge yourself to live true to this verse and remember, even when no one realizes the courage it takes to reply kinder, God is very much aware, and that’s all that matters.

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 17

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 17 (6:17)

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“And if Allah afflicts you with harm, no one but Him can remove it, and if He afflicts you with goodness, then He is capable of all things.”

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/oq3_-PFnVr0

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 16

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 16 (4:29)

How many troubled individuals have thought about suicide at some point in their life? How many have been drowning in pain, hurt, and isolation to where they would rather not be alive? Too many to name quite frankly.

“Do not kill yourselves,” is what the Quran states, urging us not to take our own lives. Why is God asking us not to do such a thing? If you’re deeply hurt, you would rather not live, right? Yet what God says after this statement is key: “Verily, God is Merciful towards you.”

When you feel like your life will never get better, know that God is more merciful than letting you suffer forever. When you’re beating yourself up for a mistake you’d rather not live with, know that God is more merciful on you than your own self.

Your feelings, your pain, your hurt - they’re all real. But what’s also real is God’s unquestionable mercy. People say that after the darkness comes light, but what’s even more striking is that, more times than not, THROUGH that darkness comes light. That low that you’re in can help you get back up higher than you’ve ever been.

Out of all the ways God could have ended this verse, He affirms that He is indeed the bedrock of mercy. I imagine this verse enveloping the one suffering with a warm embrace, an everlasting touch of mercy.

If you’ve hit rock bottom, let His mercy be what pulls you up and allows that sunshine to break through your cloud.

‎وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا
“And do not kill yourselves, verily God is merciful towards you.”

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 15

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 15 (3:139)

وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
“So do not weaken and do not despair, and you will be superior if you are truly believers.”

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/Y5wZw5vQtGI

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 14

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/gt1KunaRXlE

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 14 (3:135)

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

“And those who when they commit a sin or wrong themselves, remember God, then seek forgiveness for their sins. And who forgives sins but God? And they do not knowingly persist in what they have done.”

Quran Ramadan Reflection Day 13

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/vQJUjFcu2uk

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 13 (5:94)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَيَبْلُوَنَّكُمُ اللَّهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الصَّيْدِ تَنَالُهُ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَرِمَاحُكُمْ لِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَن يَخَافُهُ بِالْغَيْبِ
“Oh you who believe, Allah will test you with some of the hunting prey that will come within reach of your hands and your spears, to distinguish who fears Him in the unseen....”

Quran Ramadan Reflection Day 12

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 12 (63: 9-10)

I was reading this verse and something struck me.

وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم
“And spend from what We have provided for you....”

Allah is telling us to spend from what He has provided us, not from what we have earned. Eager to understand more of what that meant, I went back one verse and was even more blown away:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
“Oh you who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of God.....”

So many times, we feel like our wealth and children are from our own doings, when in reality, they are provisions from God Himself. So what’s the take away? Make money, raise children, but don’t let them become the destination. Our destination never changed. It is and always will be God. Our wealth and children are merely gifts and another means to get closer to Him.

What’s also interesting is that God mentions to not let these worldly possessions distract us from His remembrance. Sometimes as parents and as breadwinners, it’s hard to do a lot of physical acts of worship, but one of the simplest acts of worship we often overlook is remembrance, thikr. No matter how busy you get with parenting and in work, keep your tongue moistened with His remembrance. After all, He is the provider of both those children and the wealth you’re accumulating.

I pray Allah helps us embody the reality that everything we own is merely a provision and gift from Him. 

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 11

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 11 (9:40)

“Have no fear, verily God is with us”
لا تَحْزَن إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَنَا...

This word of reassurance was said by the Prophet to his closest companion, AbuBakr. They had been hiding in the cave of thawr far away from home while a ransom was put for their capture. People who were looking for them had made it to the entrance of the same cave they were in when fear overcame AbuBakr. In this moment is when the Prophet told him these words of wisdom that helped ease his heart, and eventually they were safe and sound, able to travel to Medina and complete the Hijra (migration).

How many times have you needed this very reassuring statement? I think we all need it at varying moments in our life. When you’re overwhelmed with thoughts, when you’re feeling alone, when you’re not finding a way out, when you’re scared, remember what the Prophet told his friend. God is with you. He always is. In this statement is a cloak of security and safety. Let us memorize it, embody it, and live it.

“Have no fear, verily God is with us”
لا تَحْزَن إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَنَا...

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 10

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 10 (2:286)

I had been in Makkah for three days. My departure was scheduled for the next morning, but I had still not been able to perform umrah, the lesser pilgrimage for Muslims, because of my young baby at the time among other reasons. I was adamant about not leaving this holy city without performing it, but the logistics weren’t working out.

Finally, hours before our departure, I found a ride to take me to the mosque of Aisheh, the place where I could make the intention to perform umrah. I was ecstatic that Allah blessed me with the opportunity to make this pilgrimage against all odds.

I arrived back at my hotel after the visit to the mosque of Aisheh to kiss my baby goodnight and head to the Ka’ba (the Holy Mosque) which was across the street. My forgetful, over-excited self forgot that I was in the state of ihraam, a sacred state where certain actions are to be avoided, and put scented deodorant spray on. I was immediately overcome with fear. What if I just lost my state of ihraam? Maybe I wouldn’t perform umrah after all.

I still went to the Ka’ba, and it was now a short couple hours before Fajr prayer. I went to the office of religious scholars, a place where people can come to ask questions, and found an Imam walking out and closing his office door. I quickly approached him and explained my dilemma. He looked at me as if I didn’t know who our God was. I still remember his face until now when he told me, “You forgot. It was an honest mistake, and God is forgiving.”

When I repeated my question again to make sure I didn’t hear wrong, he recited a part of a verse to me, a verse that holds within it a beautiful supplication, one that I read two times a day, every morning and evening. This statement penetrated the very inner part of my heart, as if I was hearing it for the first time:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا
“Our Lord, do not account us if we forget or make mistakes.”

I carried this verse with me my entire tawaf, crying mountains of tears. I was so thankful that God gave us this dua (supplication). He knew we needed it so bad, and that I myself one day would be in dire need to hear those words.

How amazing is it that Allah has given us duas such as this one to comfort us when we slip up? We don’t worship a God who expects perfection from us. We worship a God who KNOWS we will forget and make mistakes. These supplications so strategically placed in the Quran are God’s gifts to us reassuring us that we can fall but then we can rise back up again. Why? Because that’s how we were made to be. And because above all, He forgives. 

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 9

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #9 (28:16)

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَغَفَرَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
He said, “My Lord, I have wronged myself so forgive me, so He forgave him, verily He is the Most Forgiving and Most Merciful.”

Watch video here:

https://youtu.be/jZE6NheKB2E

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 8

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #8 (3:83)

Our heart beats without us asking it to. Our blood constantly flows in our veins beyond our control. Billons of cells are working in harmony, without our awareness, to make us who we are. Our scabs and wounds know how to heal on their own without our permission. But if we are not in control, then Who is?

God asks this rhetorical question in the Quran:

أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
“Do they seek a faith other than the way of God, while everything in the heavens and on earth submit to Him, willingly or unwillingly, and all will return to Him?”

Everything in creation submits to God’s will and design - every planet in orbit, every star giving off its light, every spider building its web, every rain drop falling from the sky, every human heart beat. If our own bodies submit to God every single millisecond, in more ways than we will ever know, then how can we so arrogantly deny that we belong to His will too?

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 7

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #7 (2:238)

*SPECIAL tribute to my MOTHER*

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى
“Preserve your prayers and your middle prayer....”

https://www.facebook.com/1110720014/posts/10218662525930235?s=1110720014&sfns=mo

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 6

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #6 (19:58-59)

...إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَن خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا ﴿58﴾ فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ....﴿59﴾
“...when the Most Merciful’s verses are recited they bow down in prostration and in tears (58) Then a generation came after them that neglected their prayers and followed their desires....(59)”

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/JkrGexAA1bU

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 5

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #5 (2:112)

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Verily indeed, the one who submits his/her whole self to God and is a doer of good will get their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.”

This verse is so simple yet so grand. The road to success is to submit our affairs to our Creator wholeheartedly, turn to Him for our needs, and follow His ways rather than our own desires. But there’s one more condition. What is it? To be a doer of good. Look at where that emphasis is after coming to God. To be good to the people is a sign of how good you are with your Lord. The more you submit your affairs to God, the better in return you should be with the people around you. That’s the measure. Faith comes with goodness, simply put.

When you’re struggling to be better to those who have wronged you, read this verse and know that your reward is with God, and not in vain. Everything is accounted for.

And the promise at the end of the verse: Security, no fear, and lack of grief; two things we chase in this life so bad but so easily promised by God. Just spread goodness. 

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #4

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #4 (39:53)

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ
الرَّحِيمُ

“Say: "Oh my Servants who have transgressed against their own souls, do not despair of God’s mercy! Verily, God forgives all sins. Indeed He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.””

Watch video here:
https://youtu.be/VO8e5Lmy2B4

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 3

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #3 (3:159)

Ever wake up to a kid emptying their entire piggy bank on the pillow right next to your ear? Well, that happened to me this morning, and let me tell you: it’s not so fun. Now, my reaction to that occurrence, well let’s just say there was room for improvement. I’ll give myself a B-.

It reminded me though of the story I heard last night at our local mosque. Prophet Muhammad was in the mosque with many of his companions when a Bedouin walked in and began urinating in the corner. The mosque being a place of worship and purity angered the companions where they wanted to immediately lash out at the man for such an atrocity. The prophet, however, being the wise considerate man he was, stopped them in their tracks. He would handle the situation for them. After the man was finished and about to leave, the prophet kindly advised him that urinating shouldn’t happen in this place of purity and prayer. The man understood and never repeated that mistake.

When we react with anger, not only do we cause emotional backlash and disconnect, but it will also hardly ever cause changed behavior. If you want changed behavior, you respond according to our prophetic model, with kindness and empathy. One of the hardest things to do is control ourself in that moment, but when you take a step back and try to empathize with that person, and when you know that anger won’t help them change their behavior, then you’ll realize that the best way to foster healthy communication and growth is to respond with kindness.

The prophet was extremely talented in this. Empathy and kindness are what he was known for. And the Quran affirms that in this verse:

وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ
“Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have turned away from you.”

If you want to help the person you’re about to react to, then know that the only way to do so without hurting them and causing friction or resentment is to RESPOND with kindness and empathy, as our beloved prophet taught us through his words and action.

So, for you coins in the piggy bank, I’m ready for you tomorrow. Watch me.

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day 2

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #2 (65:2-3)

Divorce. A word not many in our time like to hear. It comes with so many negative repercussions in our society. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

One of my favorite statements in the Quran happens to be in the middle of two verses in the chapter of divorce.

‏‏وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
“And whoever is mindful of God will be shown a way out. And He will provide for him in ways beyond imagination. Whoever puts his trust in God then He will be enough for him.”

This chapter is filled with hopeful statements of ease, compassion, hope and acceptance. Allah is repeatedly saying that He will help facilitate a way to heal and get back up again. He is simply asking to be mindful of Him. Stay true to what He asks of you, and He will suffice you. Situations like divorce can get so messy and it’s easy for people to forget that there is a God who will judge. It’s easy to forgo what’s right and go with what is easy. And this is why this chapter is so important. Don’t neglect your duties to God. Fulfill your religious obligation, and you will see how He will get you out of this hardship.

Reading these statements today made me realize how perfectly placed they are in this chapter. Divorce shouldn’t be hard and impossible. It should be a means to find hope in Allah again, so long as we stay true to our deen and its commandments. 

Ramadan Reflection Day 1

Ramadan Quran Reflection Day #1: (42:25)

Who is God? What are His main characteristics pertaining to His servants? When we know who He is, we are comforted to begin this journey of Ramadan vulnerably and wholeheartedly trusting that He will accept us for who we are. God describes Himself in this short verse in Chapter Al-Shura:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
“And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants, and forgives sins, and knows what you do.”

This is who God is. He is the One who will take you in after you have slipped, who will accept you with your flaws, and will not judge you because of your past. Unlike most relationships of our time, our relationship with God is very unconditional. In this verse, as He attributes us to Him saying we are His servants, He then affirms that He will accept our repentance. What does that allude to? That we WILL sin. We WILL make mistakes. But the key is that He will still love us and accept us regardless.

Imagine yourself running in a race but then find yourself veering off the path, then suddenly someone takes the torch from you and tells you “I got it from here.” That is God in our life. All we have to do is seek Him, connect with Him, beg Him, and run to Him in repentance.

Next, Allah says He will completely erase our sins as if they never existed; a spiritual cleansing. A scholar was once asked what particular sins were included in this verse, and as the questioner kept listing sin after sin, the scholar kept repeating this part of the verse, “And He forgives all sins.” When we come to Him with sincerity, God meets us with unmatched acceptance.

The final words in this verse are what strike me the most. Allah is saying “And He knows what you do.” Wow. Allah knows how messed up we are and He is STILL wanting to forgive us. He knows every single time we’ve slipped up and is still time after time, meeting us with the same care and mercy. His knowledge of our actions isn’t changing His immense characteristic of love and forgiveness for us. It is always unequivocally there.

Our Prophet

I imagine weights of immense responsibility being put on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with this one verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ
“Oh Messenger, deliver all that has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not do so then you would have failed to deliver His message...” - Quran (5: 67)

What does a person do with such weights? A person of honor like our prophet would carry them, lift them with all his might, and carefully put them in their place. He fulfilled his duty. He did however have another option though. The verse clearly says that the other option was to not fulfill God’s message. But the existence of that option didn’t debilitate the Prophet from his mission. It made him work harder to get it done right. Talk about working under pressure.

Can you imagine him hearing this verse being recited out loud by his fellow companions? Or by his wife even? Or his children? Imagine that pressure. But that pressure kept him going to spread the message of God.

His wife Aisha is reported to have said that if there was one verse that the prophet would have wanted to hide from the Quran it would have been this one statement. Can you imagine how overwhelming this verse was on him?!

While failure was a possible outcome, Prophet Muhammad knew the only thing he could do to prevent failure was continue to work. And I believe that’s a lesson for us all: Do not allow the possibility of failure to stop you from persisting on what you’re working toward. As you keep pushing, the possibility of failure surely diminishes, and success becomes unquestionable.

Look at the legacy of Prophet Muhammad today and the mercy he has embedded into this world. Certainly, he has fulfilled the message, and we are witnesses to that fact.