You are not perfect

and you don’t need to be [notes on some characteristics of Al-Muttaqoon]

One of the most empowering messaging in the Qur’aan for me, are those verses that acknowledge our fallibility as human beings and reiterate Allah’s all encompassing mercy in-spite of our shortcomings.

These verses basically say “just give it your best shot” — and Allah will maximize your efforts.

We don’t need to be perfect. We couldn’t, even if we tried. But at every point in time, we put our best foot forward.

We have lofty (not mediocre) aspirations, we are sincere in our striving, and we give it (whatever ‘it’ may be in the moment) our best shot — and our best can look different given the circumstances and the season we find ourselves.

In a series of verses in Surah ‘Ali Imraan*, Allah ﷻ urges us to hasten towards Jannah. The Jannah He ﷻ says which He has “prepared for Al-Muttaqoon”.

Then Allah ﷻ proceeds to give us a description of these people, these fortunate ones for whom He has prepared a Jannah, the expanse of which is as vast as the heavens and the earth combined.

These verses always leave me awe-struck.

This is how Allah describes these people:

• “those who spend in prosperity and in adversity”

• those who control/repress their anger

• those who pardon others

• those who remember Allah when they commit faahisha, or wrong themselves with evil — and ask His forgiveness

• those who do not deliberately persist in sin

Allah then reiterates His all encompassing mercy, saying, “and who forgives sins but Allah?”

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ جَزَاۤؤُهُم مَّغۡفِرَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَجَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَاۚ وَنِعۡمَ أَجۡرُ ٱلۡعَـٰمِلِینَ

Their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens under which rivers flow, staying there forever. How excellent is the reward for those who work ˹righteousness˺!

Aal-E-Imran, Ayah 136

Notice something with these verses? Allah does not describe the Muttaqoon with qualities of infallibility or idealistic perfection.

Quite the contrary.

These aren’t people who have an abundance of resources to spend from or for whom spending is always easy. They, too have days when it’s difficult to spend, they struggle — and yet, they spend.

These aren’t people who are always chirpy or never get enraged, and in the moments the do, they struggle — and yet, they repress anger.

They get hurt, they get offended, they get upset — and yet, they pardon men.

They slip up, they commit faahisha, the kind of sins that make any person with a living heart want to bury their head in shame, they struggle — and yet, they remember their Lord, they seek His forgiveness, they pick up their slack.

So here’s a reminder..

For you,

O faltering, stumbling soul,

For you there is forgiveness from your Lord, and Gardens beneath which rivers flow.

So strive,

In spite of your struggle.

Keep at it,

In spite of your falling short.

Unshackle your soul from shame,

For your Lord forgives all sins.

Return, again and again O flawed servant,

For your Lord’s mercy is boundless.

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Surah ‘Ali Imraan, Ayaat 133 - 136

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Ramadaan Mubārak, May Allah accept from us and you,

Fatimah,

On the road to Ihsan.