Quran Garden

Session 342

Chapter 3

Verse 16

Those who say, "Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire" (Chapter 3: Verse 16)

The statement of the believers: ‘Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins,’ is the first step towards getting closer to God.   When you declare your faith in Allah, you entrust Him with your affairs, and you take on the responsibilities of following His teachings.  Faith has a right that must be fulfilled.  Thus, the believer says: ‘Dear Lord, I am human, and I cannot perfectly fulfillthe right of faith. My Lord, forgive me that which I have done out of negligence or arrogance.’  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us: "Worship God as if you see Him, for if you cannot see Him, then rest assured that God sees you."

If your boss at work were standing behind you looking over your shoulder, would you dare do anything wrong? If your Mom were sitting next to you watching your every move, would you do anything that angers her? Similarly, the believer must keep in mind that he or she is always in God’s company.  Allah says to us in a sacred narration: “O my servants, if you think that I do not see you, then the fault is in your faith. And if you think that I see you, yet you still disobey Me, then why do you treat Me as the least important observer?”  As if the Almighty is asking you: Am I less than my servants? You do not dare to disobey your boss in his or her presence; how dare you offend your Creator?!

The believers acknowledge that the requirements of faith are difficult.  Thus, they turn to God and ask for forgiveness over and over.  But what do the believers rely on when they ask for forgiveness?  We answer that they count on faith and say ‘Our Lord, indeed we have believed’ because Allah has legislated repentance as part of faith.  Allah knows that you may weaken and deviate away from His teachings; thus, He legislated repentance, so you do not despair.  Allah is the Most-forgiving, Most-Merciful.  Asaying goes: “Perhaps a sin that causes humility and regret is better than obedience that provokes pride and arrogance.”

Allah legislated repentance to protect the entire community from great evil because if a single sin meant that the sinner would never be forgiven, he or she would lose hope and go wild in evil doings.  Without repentance and forgiveness, the whole community would suffer.  Prophet Muhammad says: “All of the children of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent.”

So, if you sin, then rush to seek forgiveness from your Lord.  God says:

I said: ‘Ask your Lord for forgiveness, for surely He has always been All-Forgiving. (71:10)

Allah does not want you to live in fear or despair.  Once you repent, you can reapproach His commands with love.  This is the true beauty of Islam.  Islam is not mere words; it is a practical religion that recognizes the nature of humanity.  Allah knows that we will sin, so He opens the door to forgiveness.  In fact, when you ask God for forgiveness, He willnot only forgive you, but He will also reward you each time you remember your sin in regret.  God says:

Except those who repent, believe, and do good deeds: God will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. He is most forgiving, most merciful. (25:70)

The verse concludes the supplication of the believers with: ‘and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’ Here, we note that forgiveness from sin is one thing, and protection from Hellfire is something different.  How, you may ask? Doesn’t forgiveness mean being spared from punishment?  We answer that Allah made repentance a part of faith.  It is an obligation.  He knows that we often forget and commit sin.  But what happens when a believer forgets to repent?  Allah teaches you to ask not only for forgiveness from the sins you remember but also to ask for His protection from hellfire from all the sins you did not repent for.