A reflection on Surah Az-Zumar 39:53 - why Allah's (SWT) mercy remains open no matter how many times a person returns to Him.
At Darus Saulieghien Quraan Academy, we try to teach our students that mistakes are part of growth, not the end of it. What matters most is not that a person never slips, but that they know the way back.
An Invitation, Never a Rejection
Allah (SWT) says:
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا
"Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.'" (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)
This ayah is addressed to "My servants", not strangers. Allah (SWT) calls those who have slipped back to Him with tenderness, not distance.
Two Kinds of Shame
There is a shame that pulls a person away from Allah (SWT) in despair, and a shame that pulls them back toward Him in humility. The Prophet (SAW) said: "All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often." (Sunan Ibn Majah 4251) Repentance, repeated as often as it is needed, is not weakness. It is the ordinary practice of every believer.
Turning Repentance Into Action
We encourage our students that repentance is not only regret spoken quietly. It is action, replacing a weak habit with a beneficial one, whether that is a few minutes of Qur'an, dhikr, or simply stepping away from what pulled the heart down.
May Allah (SWT) accept the repentance of our students every time they return to Him, and never let them despair of His mercy. Ameen.