Surah Al-A'raf — Verse 156

Key Words and Phrases:

• "Waktub lana" (وَاكْتُبْ لَنَا): "Ordain for us" or "write for us" — meaning decree, grant, and record for us.
• "Hasanah" (حَسَنَةً): Goodness, blessing, well-being, and righteous deeds — in this world and the Hereafter.
• "Hudna ilayk" (هُدْنَا إِلَيْكَ): "We have turned back to You" — meaning we have repented sincerely and returned to You in submission.
• "Wasi'at kulla shay'" (وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ): "Has encompassed everything" — meaning My mercy covers all of creation without exception.
• "Yattaqoon" (يَتَّقُونَ): Those who are mindful of Allah, guarding themselves against disobedience out of reverence and fear of His punishment.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse captures a beautiful moment of humility and hope — the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), speaking on behalf of his people, raises his hands to Allah and pleads: *"Our Lord, ordain for us goodness in this world and in the Hereafter, for indeed we have turned back to You in repentance."* It is a profound supplication that combines the desire for well-being in the temporary life of this world with the ultimate success of Paradise in the eternal life to come. Musa acknowledges their human weakness and their need for Allah's grace, declaring their sincere return to Him.

Allah's response is both awe-inspiring and comforting. He says: *"My punishment — I afflict with it whom I will"* — a reminder that His justice is absolute, and no one can escape it when it is decreed. Yet, immediately after, He reveals the overwhelming reality of His mercy: *"And My mercy encompasses all things."* This is a declaration that Allah's mercy is not limited, not stingy, and not exclusive — it reaches every corner of existence, every creature, every soul. Even the one who has sinned greatly is not beyond the reach of this mercy, as long as they turn back to Him.

But then Allah specifies who will receive the full, complete manifestation of this mercy in the Hereafter — the eternal reward. He says: *"So I will ordain it for those who are mindful of Me, who give the Zakat, and who believe in My signs."* This is not a restriction of His mercy, but rather a clarification of the path that leads to its fullest expression. The conditions are three: taqwa — a conscious, continuous awareness of Allah that drives one to obey Him and avoid what He forbade; giving Zakat — purifying one's wealth by giving what is due to those in need, which purifies the soul from greed and attaches the heart to generosity; and faith in His signs — believing in the verses of the Qur'an, the proofs of His oneness, and the lessons in creation, with a heart that is certain and a mind that reflects.

This verse teaches us a profound lesson: Allah's mercy is vast beyond imagination, but it is not a license to neglect our duties. Rather, it is an invitation — a call to every soul to step onto the path of righteousness so that they may receive the fullness of that mercy. The door of repentance is always open, just as it was for the people of Musa. No matter how far we have strayed, we can always say, *"We have turned back to You."* And when we do, we find that Allah's mercy is waiting for us — not as a distant hope, but as a promised reality for those who strive to live in obedience and faith.

So let this verse inspire you: never despair of Allah's mercy, but never be complacent in your deeds. Combine hope with action, and love with obedience. Call upon Allah as Musa did — asking for goodness in both worlds — and strive to be among those described here: the mindful, the givers, the believers. For such are the ones who will find that Allah's mercy has indeed encompassed them, in this life and the next.