In Surah Ali ‘Imran, Allah azza wa jall tells us:
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 an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah ? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.
أُولَٰئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ
Those – their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers.
We’re human. Well, I am anyway, and as such, I’m a sinner, fallen far short of the grace of God, as they say. So what do I do when I sin? Well, if I’m aware of it, I should first try to remember Allah and seek His forgiveness, then try to avoid committing the sin again if I can help it. But I forget, I lapse, I fail to attend.
This “while they know” clause in ayah 135 of Surah Ali ‘Imran shows the mercy of Allah: He truly is Al Ghafoor, Ar Raheem, the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillah.
Allahu Akbar.
