Ash-Shu'ara · Makki · ayah 82 of 227

Ash-Shu'ara 26:82

وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِى خَطِيٓـَٔتِى يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ

“And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense."”

Saheeh International

Essence

Ibrahim ends his portrait of his Lord with a hope, leaning like the first raindrops towards a forgiveness that is never owed.

A reflection

Forgiveness that adds nothing to Him

Notice two small words in the middle of this ayah: yaghfira lī, that He forgive for me. One classical theologian stops at that 'for me' and asks why it is there.

His answer begins with us. When a father pardons his son, or a master his servant, something usually returns to the one who pardons. He hopes for reward. He wants to be thought generous. Or he simply wants relief from the ache of pity. Human forgiveness, even good forgiveness, rarely leaves the forgiver untouched.

Picture a manager whose junior has made a costly error. She forgives him in an all-staff email, warmly and at length. The forgiveness is real. Yet part of her enjoys the replies praising her grace. Part of the pardon was for her.

Allah is complete in Himself, the theologian continues. No perfection can be added to Him, and no lack can be removed from Him. So when He forgives, nothing comes back to Him at all. The whole benefit lands on the one forgiven. That is the weight of lī: His forgiveness is for me, entirely for me.

An early commentator adds the other half. In His hand alone are benefit and harm, this world and the next. A second says simply that none forgives sins except Him.

Now feel what this does to the ego. The man speaking has just argued down a nation of idol-worshippers. He is about to be thrown into a fire for it. He has every claim to stand on his record. Instead the portrait of his Lord ends with Ibrahim asking for cover, and asking for it as a gift.

Pride wants to come before Allah holding something He needs. The ayah removes that hope. He needs neither our praise nor our apology. What remains is humility that is simply accurate. We come empty-handed, and He forgives for our sake.

Someone may object that a God who wants to be asked must want something. The ayah answers in its grammar. The asking changes the one who asks. The forgiving profits only the forgiven.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.