of Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved), Session 801
Verse 286 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as the conclusion of this blessed chapter, portrays a profound prayer from the believers, wherein the supplication for pardon, forgiveness, mercy, and divine assistance is articulated with a language abundant in nearness and sincerity. This verse holds special significance not only from theological and ethical perspectives but also from psychological and sociological viewpoints. In this treatise, employing a scientific and systematic approach, the meanings of this verse are elucidated and presented in an academic format for specialised audiences. The structure of this analysis comprises main sections with distinct subtitles, each addressing an aspect of the versefrom levels of prayer to critiques of interpretative and social systems. Refined Persian metaphors and allegories are utilised to enrich the literary texture, while the scientific and academic nature of the text is preserved.
رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۚ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Our Lord! Lay not upon us a burden beyond our capacity, and pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people.
Verse 286 of Surah Al-Baqarah delineates an intimate dialogue between the servants and the Lord, wherein the believers, with language replete with humility and closeness, beseech divine mercy and assistance. This prayer not only manifests the servants need for boundless divine grace but also displays the hierarchical relationship between humans and God through three key requests (pardon, forgiveness, mercy) and the direct address You are our Protector.
The requests in this verse are arranged from the highest to the lowest. And pardon us means to seek the non-recognition of sins, which transcends the concept of concealing faults because pardon indicates the complete obliteration of the sin in Gods perspective, as if the sin had never existed. And forgive us implies a firm and lasting covering (akin to a helmet) that hides the sin from view while acknowledging its existence. Finally, and have mercy upon us is a request for general divine mercy, which, according to the verse My mercy encompasses all things (Al-Arf: 156), envelops everything and even precedes divine wrath (His mercy precedes His anger).
This sequence is like a ladder descending from the lofty summits of knowledge to the vast plains of divine mercy. Pardon is a level at which the servant is obliterated from the divine gaze; forgiveness is a veil that firmly covers the sin; and mercy is an infinite ocean that submerges all deficiencies.
The difference between definition and request is evident in the epistemological logic of the Holy Quran. Definition is like constructing a building from foundation to pinnacle, whereas request sometimes resembles descending from the peak to the base. Here, the believers first ask for the highest degree (pardon), then forgiveness, and finally mercy. This descending course reflects the profound understanding of the believers, moving from a particular, exalted request towards a general and all-encompassing one.
The believers referred to in this verse constitute a special group whose faith God confirms in verse 285 of Surah Al-Baqarah: And the believers, all of them believe in God and His angels and His books and His messengers. They abstain from sin, control their limbs, speech, and actions, but are powerless against the complexities of the self and mind. The self is like a river that sometimes flows calmly and sometimes turbulently, moving countless determinations within it, many of which remain unknown to the individual.
This limitation does not stem from weakness of faith but from the intricate nature of the human self. Even prophets and divine saints, as they say themselves, experience varying states of the self (Indeed, I have states with God)sometimes at their zenith, sometimes at their nadir. Therefore, these special believers ask for pardon, forgiveness, and mercy from God to conceal the shortcomings of their selves beneath His grace.
The human self is akin to a goldsmiths workshop where particles of gold (valuable determinations) are mixed with dust and impurities (unconscious thoughts). In this world, due to limited awareness, a person cannot fully account for these determinations, but in the intermediate realm and on the Day of Judgment, these are recorded and revealed: Read your book. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant (Al-Isra: 14). This verse warns that ones self is like a book inscribed continuously, which will be opened on the Day of Resurrection.
The notion of Sattar Al-Uyub, meaning concealing faults from the sight of others besides God (such as people or angels), appears insufficient when confronted with the infinite knowledge of God, who is aware even of the smallest particle (Not a thing escapes Him, be it ever so small (Saba: 3)). Pardon, which implies the non-recognition of sin, and forgiveness, which means a firm covering thereof, are higher degrees than concealment. Concealment is like a cloth that may be removed over time, while forgiveness is like an iron shield, and pardon is like the complete erasure of sin from the divine record.
In the linguistic system of the Holy Quran, due to the material limitation of words versus the multiplicity of abstract meanings, one word is often employed for various meaningsfor example, Ayn can mean eye, spring, or essence. This polysemy is clarified through semantic context. Conversely, synonymy, where several words are used for one meaning, is a mark of literary weakness because the Quranic language is like a polished jewel, employing each word with unparalleled precision.
The expression You are our Protector is like a key that opens the doors to divine closeness. The use of the pronoun You instead of other divine names (such as Allah or the Merciful) reflects an intimacy achievable only at the zenith of sincerity and faith. This phrase not only repels polytheism and hypocrisy but also manifests the unity of the believers in the collective pronoun our. This unity resembles a bond that connects the hearts of the believers to each other and to God.
