[15:24]
And we fully know those among you
who advance, and we fully know those
who regress.
After choosing God's
path over Satan's, believers are expected to
continuously work hard to redeem their souls
(90:4, 91:7-10). The more we progress on
this path, the closer our souls are to the
blessing of certainty and the state of
righteousness we pray to die in (16:32). God
has clarified for us in the Quran that His
road is not an easy one (90:10-18)and that
the amount of strife to stay on His path in
the face of all kinds of temptations and
adversity is what defines ultimate winners
and ultimate losers.
[47:31] We will
certainly put you to the test, in
order to distinguish those
among you who
strive,
and
steadfastly persevere.
We must
expose your true qualities.
[29:3] We have tested
those before them,
for GOD must distinguish those
who are truthful, and He must
expose the liars.
Many of us, sometimes,
fail certain tests and pass others.
Our journey of learning the essence of
submission to God alone at all times varies
from one person to another. It is easy for
some and difficult for others, short for
some but lengthy and complicated for others.
Each package has already been planned and
designed by the Supreme Planner, who knows
us more than we know ourselves and who
chooses the perfect course for
the corresponding soul. God has also
established for us the system of His
forgiveness. He only forgives all sins after
we repent, reform, and remain
guided (66:8,11:3, 20:82). We are only
counted as believers when we succeed in
reforming (4:146). As long as we are able to
recognize our failures, utilize the vital
gift of repentance, fix our actions,
and manage to reform, we are forgiven and
our souls will keep on progressing. The Most
Merciful transforms our sins into credit
only when we repent and reform by leading a
righteous life (25:70).
[20:82] I am surely
Forgiving for those who repent,
believe,
lead a righteous life, and
steadfastly remain guided.
The Believers Repent
[66:8] O you who
believe, you shall repent to GOD
a firm repentance.
Your Lord will then remit
your sins and admit you into gardens
with flowing streams. On that
day, GOD will not disappoint the prophet
and those who believed with him. Their
light will radiate in front of them and
to their right. They will say, "Our
Lord, perfect our light for us, and
forgive us; You are Omnipotent."
[11:3]
"You shall seek your Lord's forgiveness,
then repent to Him. He will then
bless you generously for a predetermined
period, and bestow His grace upon those
who deserve it. If you turn
away, then I fear for you the
retribution of an awesome day."
[4:146] Only those
who repent,
reform, hold
fast to GOD, and
devote their religion absolutely to GOD
alone, will be
counted with the believers. GOD
will bless the believers with a great
recompense.
[25:70] Exempted are
those who
repent,
believe, and lead a
righteous life.
GOD transforms their sins into
credits. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
[25:71]
Those who repent and lead a righteous life,
GOD redeems them; a complete redemption.
Hopping off and
back on the straight path of God through our
sincere repentance and reform is very
crucial to our destiny. However, we
understand from the Quran that a pattern of
failing to reform is very alarming, and
risky. God has warned us against a certain
loss of the soul that is irreversible. Once
we make a decision to start wronging our
souls, fail to repent and reform, we might
end up persisting on this condition of
sinning, knowingly. In this case, our souls
gradually regress or slide back. This is
when Satan rejoices that he has claimed us
and he gets right on board. He continues to
adorn evil in our eyes, hypnotize us and
make us sink into his illusion until we are
stuck with him. We lose God's support and
love while only gaining Satan's interest and
attention. Persisting in sins, knowingly,
is not a trait of the righteous or a life
style for a believer:
[3:135] If they fall
in sin or wrong their souls, they remember
GOD and ask forgiveness for their sins - and
who forgives the sins except GOD -
and they do not persist in sins,
knowingly.
[4:137] Surely, those
who believe, then
disbelieve, then
believe, then
disbelieve, then
plunge deeper into disbelief, GOD will not
forgive them, nor will He guide them in any
way.
[9:125]
As for those who harbored doubts in
their hearts, it actually added
unholiness to their unholiness, and they
died as disbelievers.
[9:126]
Do they not see that they suffer from
exacting trials every year once or
twice? Yet, they consistently fail to
repent, and fail to take heed?
[4:18] Not
acceptable is the repentance of those
who commit sins
until death comes to them, then
say, "Now I repent."
Nor is it
acceptable from those who die as
disbelievers. For these, we have
prepared a painful retribution.
[2:81]
Indeed, those who earn sins and become
surrounded by their evil work will be the
dwellers of Hell; they abide in it forever.
Ego is a leading cause
for the regression of our souls. It comes in
our way and blind us from admitting our
transgressions or reevaluating our stands.
We spend too much energy defending our egos,
not realizing that this is a trap from Satan
to continue to slide back and exceed the
limits set for us by God. Letting go of our
egos is an awesome blessing that enables us
to recognize our sins and repent for them.
On the other hand, submitting to our egos
(25:23, 45:23) is nothing but poor service
to our souls, a green light to regress, and
an obstacle for redemption which might turn
into a disastrous loss if maintained until
death (4:116).
A tragic application
of our egoistic loss which is
also emphasized clearly in the Quran, is
that many people slide back and deviate
from the clear word of God after
receiving their guidance through God's
messengers and His solid proofs. Their ego
blind them from seeing their deviation, thus
they fail to repent and reform. They persist
in sinning and regressing. The following are
just a few examples. Please reflect and note
the consequences of their choice:
[3:144] Muhammad was
no more than a messenger like the messengers
before him.
Should he die or get killed, would you turn
back on your heels?
Anyone who turns back on his heels, does not
hurt GOD in the least. GOD rewards those who
are appreciative.
Learning
From Israel's History
[2:92] Moses went
to you
with profound miracles,
yet you worshiped the calf in
his absence, and you turned wicked.
God Sends
Instructions
Through His Messenger
[24:47] They say, "We
believe in GOD and in the messenger, and we
obey," but then some of them slide back
afterwards. These are not believers.
Putting
Them to the Test
[35:42] They swore by
GOD solemnly that if a warner went to them,
they would be better guided than a certain
congregation! However, now that
the warner did come to them, this only
plunged them deeper into aversion.
One of the
Great Miracles
[74:35]
This is one
of the great miracles.*
[74:36] A warning to
the human race.
[74:37] For
those among you who wish to advance, or
regress.
[3:86] Why
should GOD guide people who disbelieved
after believing, and after witnessing that
the messenger is truth, and after solid
proofs* have been given to them? GOD does
not guide the wicked.
[9:74] They
swear by GOD that they never said it,
although they have uttered the
word of disbelief; they have disbelieved
after becoming submitters.
In fact, they gave up what they
never had. They have
rebelled even though GOD and His messenger
have showered them with His grace and
provisions. If they
repent, it would be best for them. But if
they turn away, GOD will commit them to
painful retribution in this life and in the
Hereafter. They will find no one on earth to
be their lord and master.
___________________________________________
[3:8] "Our Lord, let
not our hearts waver, now that You have
guided us. Shower us with Your mercy; You
are the Grantor.
[3:193] "Our Lord, we
have heard a caller calling to faith and
proclaiming: `You shall believe in your
Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord,
forgive us our transgressions, remit our
sins, and let us die as righteous believers.
[2:286] ... "Our Lord,
do not condemn us if we forget or make
mistakes. Our Lord, and protect us from
blaspheming against You, like those before
us have done. Our Lord, protect us from
sinning until it becomes too late for us to
repent. Pardon us, forgive us, and have
mercy on us. You are our Lord and Master.
Grant us victory over the disbelieving
people."
Peaceful Friday,
salaam and God bless you.
