When you feel unworhty and feel like you're drowning in sins to the point of hopelessness.. remember, the Lord that you worship is:
- al-Ghaffar (the One who forgives despite the quantity of sins)
- al-Ghaffur (the One who forgives despite the quality of sins)
- al-Afuww (the One to completely erase our sins)
- at-Tawwab (He who constantly turns man to repentance)
We often equate Allah's quality of forgiveness with a regular human's quality of forgiveness but there is nothing like Him. [1]
☆ A human forgives but only a few times before they feel tired and used. Allah forgives again and again and again, without fail. He doesn't feel tired of it. He is al-Ghaffar, the One who forgives sins regardless of its quantity.
☆ A human forgives but it depends on how grave the mistake is. If it is a small mistake, perhaps we can overlook and bring ourselves to forgive a person. However, if it is a big mistake which we feel have trangressed beyond bounds and our limits, we may not forgive the person. Allah forgives, regardless of how big or small the sin is. He is al-Ghaffur.
☆ A human forgives but does not forget. We are weary and careful for the person to make the same mistake yet again - afraid to feel stupid to fall into the same hole twice. When Allah forgives, He forgives our sins completely. He is Al-Afuww.
If sins and mistakes are a tree, when a human forgives, it is as if they cut the tree from the bark, leaving the roots intact. We still remember. When Allah forgives, He forgives completely. He removes the roots, and covers the ground as if there the tree did not exist in the first place. He forgives as if we did not sin - although we have sinned time and time and time again. There is a du'a of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon Him) about Allah, al-Afuww. It says, "O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning, You love pardon, so pardon me." [2]
Allah loves to forgive - everytime I read this I am hit by awe. It is such a strange concept - to love to forgive. Who loves to forgive? When I am betrayed, I wish there wasn't a betrayal in the first place! I hate to forgive, I bring myself to forgive but Allah, the Most Merciful loves to forgive. It is a part of His attribute. Subhanak, ya Rabbi (Glory be to You, my Lord).
☆ Allah is the Owner of the heavens and the Earth. He is not affected by our worship or belief. Whether or not we worship Him or believe in Him, it doesn't decrease His majesty. We are the Ones in desperate need of Him. Whenever we commit a sin, we have committed an unfairness towards ourselves. We betray ourselves. We are causing ourselves hardship and destruction. Despite being unaffected by our good deeds or bad deeds, Allah still calls us back to Him as a sign of His mercy. He is at-Tawwab. He shows us His signs, He makes us feel guilt, He reveals to us that our sins would result in His anger and punishment so that we are deterred from them. He calls us back to Him - again and again and again. You are not a lost cause. You are still loved. Allah is calling you back to Him. Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Dhul Maghfirah, Wasi' al-Maghfirah.. (Oh the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Possessor of forgiveness, expansive in forgiveness).
"Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves,
and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us,
we will surely be among the losers." [3]
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Source:
[3] Surah al-A'raf 7:23 (Link)
