Saying 87 - The Astonishment of the Wise
﷽
(I begin) In the Name of Allah, the All-Kind (or All-Beneficent), the All-Merciful (or All-Compassionate)
Imam Ali (as) once shared a profound observation about the human condition that challenges our tendency to give up on ourselves:
«عَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ يَقْنَطُ وَمَعَهُ الاِسْتِغْفَارُ»
“I wonder about the man who loses hope despite the possibility of seeking forgiveness.”
In this single sentence, the Imam opens a massive door of hope for every one of us. We sometimes feel our mistakes are permanent ink on the pages of our lives. We carry the weight of past actions, convinced that we have drifted too far or that our “stains” are too deep to be cleaned. But what if the most dangerous mistake we could ever make isn’t the sin itself, but the belief that we can’t come back from it?
Today, let’s explore why hope is the most powerful tool in a believer’s kit and how the act of returning to the Divine is not just a “fix,” but a transformation of the soul.
The Trap of Despair
The greatest weapon Satan uses against us is «قُنوط» (Qunūt) or despair. When we lose hope in God’s mercy, we may lose our restraint. We tell ourselves, “I am already drowned” and we may plunge deeper into mistakes, with that mindset.
But the Quran is very clear that giving up is not an option for a believer:
«إِنَّهُ لا یَیْأَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْکافِرُونَ»
“Indeed, none despairs of Allah’s mercy except the disbelieving people.” (Q 12:87)
Instead, God calls out to us with incredible tenderness:
« قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ»
“Say: O My servants who have acted extravagantly against their own souls! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.” (Q 39:53)
A Radical Balance: Fear and Hope
How should we view our standing with God? Luqmān the Wise gave his son a piece of advice that sets the perfect internal compass:
«خَفِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خِیفَةً لَوْ جِئْتَهُ بِبِرِّ الثَّقَلَیْنِ لَعَذَّبَکَ، وَارْجُ اللَّهَ رَجَاءً لَوْ جِئْتَهُ بِذُنُوبِ الثَّقَلَیْنِ لَرَحِمَکَ»
“Fear Allah... with such a fear that even if you were to come to Him with the good deeds of all jinn and mankind, He might still punish you; and hope in Allah with such hope that even if you were to come to Him with the sins of all jinn and mankind, He might still have mercy on you.”
Mercy by the Numbers
If we ever doubt how much God wants to forgive us, we just need to look at the “statistics” of His names in the Quran. The name Al-Ghafūr (The All-Forgiving) appears around 91 times, while Al-Ghaffār (The Oft-Forgiving) appears around 5 times. The command to repent, Tūbū, is mentioned dozens of times.
Seeking forgiveness isn’t just about the afterlife; it brings worldly success as well. And it is important to not make the mistake of looking at the “big sinners” and thinking they are the only ones who need a change, while we quietly let our own hearts gather dust. Every believer, at any stage in the journey of life, needs to ask for forgiveness from Allah. It is daily hygiene for the spirit. While Tawba is for the sinners, it is also for the scholar who sometimes may fall short, the speaker who may neglect his responsibility, and the worshiper who wastes even a small blessing, (like using too much water during ritual washing).
Every believer, at every level, is in a constant state of needing to return.
In Surah Nuh, we are told that Istighfār unlocks the blessings of nature and life:
«فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا ... يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا ... وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ ...»
“Plead to your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is all-forgiving. He will send for you abundant rains from the sky, and aid you with wealth and sons...” (Q 71:10-12)
The Anatomy of a True Return
What is the difference between a believer and a hypocrite? A hypocrite sins and forgets, but a believer remembers God and seeks a way back even after a fall. In fact, even a “delayed regret” is a beautiful sign that your soul is still alive.
In Saying 417 of the Nahjul Balagha, Imam Ali (as) outlines the six essential elements of true Tawba:
Regret in the heart: Feeling the genuine weight of the action.
Verbal Istighfār: Actually asking for that forgiveness with your tongue.
Firm resolve never to return: Making a real plan to change your habits.
Restitution for others’ rights: If you took something or hurt someone, you must make it right.
Fulfillment of neglected duties: Catching up on the responsibilities you let slide.
Letting the body taste the hardship of obedience: Training yourself to find joy in doing what is right, even when it’s hard.
This leads to what the Quran calls «تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا» (Tawbatun Nasūḥa)—sincere repentance. The Prophet (ﷺ) defined this as:
«أَنْ يَتُوبَ الْعَبْدُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ وَهُوَ لا يَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ أَبَدًا» “That the servant repents from a sin and never returns to it again.”
Seven Words of Mercy
In one of the most beautiful verses of the Quran (2:186), Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī points out seven words of mercy that show just how close God is to us:
«وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ...»
“When My servants ask you about Me, [tell them that] I am indeed nearmost. I answer the supplicant’s call when he calls Me...”
The use of these 7 words illustrate a relationship of profound intimacy and immediate response:
عِبَادِي (ʿIbādī) – My servants
عَنِّي (ʿAnnī) – About Me
فَإِنِّي (Fa-innī) – Then indeed I
قَرِيبٌ (Qarīb) – Am near
أُجِيبُ (Ujīb) – I answer
دَعْوَةَ (Daʿwat) – The call
دَعَانِ (Daʿān) – He calls Me
The Cry of the Soul
To truly return, we can:
Replace the fading sweetness of a mistake with a love that deepens and endures, a love that rises beyond the material and finds its home in Allah and all that is Divine. (Like the story of Prophet Yusuf and Zuleikha, what began as a desire rooted in the worldly was transformed, over time, into a love purified and directed toward the Divine.)
Pray each prayer as if it were our farewell prayer
Make the Quran as our personal guide.
As the moving words of Dua Abu Hamza Thumali remind us:
«إلهي، ارحمني إذا انقطعت حجتي...»
“My God, have mercy on me when my excuses fail...”
«ما لي لا أبكي؟ أبكي لخروج نفسي...»
“Why should I not weep? I weep for the departure of my soul...”
Conclusion: The Beloved Return
Repentance is not just a legal acquittal; it is an act of love. The Quran tells us:
«إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ»
“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Q 2:222)
God doesn’t just “accept” you when you come back; He loves you for the effort of returning. Repentance polishes the mirror of your heart until it can reflect the Divine light once again.
Let us return before it is too late. The gates are open, the invitation is personal, and the One waiting for you is the most Merciful of all who show mercy.