The Grace of God

Grace is one of God’s greatest attributes. Grace is mentioned hundreds of times in the Quran in various ways, from the names of God, God’s forgiveness, God’s Grace to all His creation and the believers specifically, stories of God’s Grace and prayers and supplications for God’s Grace. The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ said, “God divided His Grace into one hundred parts. One part He sent down to earth, and because of it all creatures show Grace, even the predator to its youngling. On the Day of Judgement, that one part will be merged with the other ninety-nine.” The one hundred parts of Grace on the Day of Judgement will be for the believers.

God loves to show Grace. God says in the Quran, “Do they not know that God accepts repentance from His slaves, and receives their gifts of charity, and that it is God who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.” (9:104) He also says, “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against their souls!  Despair not of the Grace of God: for God forgives all sins, for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.’” (39:53)

The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ told us of how God forgives even those who sin often, perhaps even the same sin each time, so long as they continue to sincerely repent to God. He said, “A man committed a sin, then said, ‘O my Lord, forgive my sin,’ so God said, ‘My slave has sinned, then he realized that he has a Lord who forgives sins and can punish him for it.’  Then the man repeated the sin, then said, ‘O my Lord, forgive my sin.’  God said, ‘My slave has sinned, and then he realized that he has a Lord who forgives sins and can punish him for it.’  The man repeated the sin (a third time), then he said, ‘O my Lord, forgive my sin,’ and God said, ‘My slave has sinned, then he realized that he has a Lord who forgives sins and can punish him for it.  Do what you wish (as long as you admit your sin and repent for it), for I have forgiven you.’”

God has made it easy to seek forgiveness and to repent. Good deeds wipe away evil ones.  For example, ritual washing wipes away sins. The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ said, “When a servant of God washes his face, every sin he contemplated with his eyes will be washed away with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they committed will be washed off from his hands with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the last drop of water.  So that he comes out pure from all sins.”

God tells us however, not to delay repenting, “But repentance is not accepted of those who continue to do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘Indeed, I have repented now,’ or of those who die while they are disbelievers.  For them, We have prepared a painful punishment.” (4:18)

One of the greatest prayers for seeking forgiveness is, “O God, You are my Lord.  There is no true god besides You.  You created me and I am your slave, following Your covenant and Your promise as much as I can.  I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done.  I acknowledge before You the blessings You have bestowed on me and I confess to You my sins.  So forgive me, for surely, no one can forgive sins except You.”

God’s Grace extends especially to the believers, so long as they continue to worship Him alone and do their utmost to obey Him and follow the example of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ.