إذا تمكنت من استعادة يوم واحد من ماضيك، فما اليوم الذي سيكون، ولماذا؟

Ibn Ataa’s Words of Wisdom on Repentance and Hope

In his renowned book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), Sheikh Ahmad

IbnAtaa’illah As-Sakandari offers profound insight:

“If you find yourself having less hope in God when you make a mistake, then realize you are only relying on your work, not on God’s Mercy.”

 مِنْ عَلامَةِ الاعْتِمادِ عَلى العَمَلِ، نُقْصانُ الرَّجاءِ عِنْدَ وُجودِ الزَّللِ

When embarking on a spiritual journey toward God, one must ask: Where do I begin? What should I carry along on this path? Should I rely on the good deeds I’ve done as provisions for this journey?

Ibn `Ataa’illah’s wisdom answers emphatically: No, you should not rely on your good deeds. The journey to God begins with turning your heart fully to Him, trusting in Him alone, and placing your hope solely in His Mercy and Bounty.

Understanding God’s Mercy
Some might wonder if receiving Allah’s Mercy depends on their good deeds. But does Allah’s Mercy cease when we falter? The Qur’an provides clarity:

“Now if Allah were to take humans immediately to task for all the evil that they do, He would not leave a single living creature upon the face of the earth.” (An-Nahl 16:61)

Thus, it’s not about earning or deserving Allah’s Mercy, but about trusting in His infinite Mercy, despite our shortcomings. This is the foundation for a righteous path.

However, turning to Allah and hoping for His Mercy must be accompanied by sincere repentance. Just as a vessel must be emptied before it can be filled, our hearts must be cleared of sins and worldly desires to be filled with faith and divine light. The Sufi tradition sums this up: Purity, then beauty, then light (al-takhalli thum al-tahalli thum al-tajalli).

The Role of Repentance
To begin this journey, one must repent from their shortcomings:

“And always, O you believers – all of you – turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state!” (An-Nur 24:31)

Repentance must be coupled with hope in Allah. Ibn `Ataa’illah emphasizes the importance of hope in the process of repentance. Why is this hope so vital? He explains:

“If you find yourself having less hope in Allah when you make a mistake, then realize you are only relying on your work, not on Allah’s Mercy.”

This teaches us not to be self-righteous. Achieving virtue is not due to our efforts alone. A sign that one relies more on their deeds than on Allah’s Mercy is when hope diminishes after making a mistake. Hope should remain constant.

Conditions for True Repentance
Scholars identify four conditions for genuine repentance:

Remorse for the mistake.
Cessation of the wrongdoing, especially if it’s habitual.
Sincere Determination not to repeat the mistake.
Restitution of any wrongs done to others, such as returning what was taken unjustly or seeking forgiveness for slander.
True repentance requires meeting these conditions, with the understanding that Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful.

The Balance of Hope and Awe
Sometimes, one may feel unworthy of Allah’s grace due to their mistakes. This is a mistake in itself. Believing that one’s sins are too great for Allah to forgive contradicts faith in His Mercy and can lead to despair:

“And who—other than those who have utterly lost their way—could ever abandon the hope of their Sustainer’s grace?” (Al Hijr 15:56)

Losing hope in Allah’s Mercy indicates reliance on our limited selves rather than on His infinite Mercy. Yet, this does not mean abandoning righteous deeds. True reliance on Allah combines inner trust with outward action.

Ibn `Ataa’illah teaches that regardless of how severe one’s mistakes may be, they should not diminish hope in Allah’s Mercy. Sincere repentance will always be accepted by Allah, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“A person who has repented of a sin sincerely is exactly like the person who has never sinned at all.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)

Avoiding False Security
However, hope should not lead to complacency. Believing oneself immune to Allah’s punishment regardless of actions is a dangerous illusion:

“But none feels secure from God’s deep devising save people who are lost.” (Al-`Araf 7:99)

True balance lies in maintaining both hope in Allah’s Mercy and fear of His justice.

Conclusion: The Journey Begins with Hope
The first step on this spiritual journey is to reaffirm hope in Allah’s Mercy and turn your heart toward Him. This marks the beginning of the path to divine proximity.

By Jasser Auda

The Senate half of today's issue is the part I couldn't fit — twenty points of GOP advantage gone in four weeks, and not one damn thing about it inevitable. That gets said out loud tonight at the length it deserves.

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What do you want me to actually chew on?

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Belgique

#Forêts : Les fagnes sont en feu.
Pas de pluie ou très très peu depuis juin.
Terre, végétation tout est asséché.
Rien ne fut mis en place pour limiter l'accès aux zones vulnérables face aux risques d'incendie bien que des professionnels ont tirés la sonnette d'alarme.
Notre #gouvernement #belge ?
En vacances, en conseillant aux #citoyens de toucher du bois pour qu'il n'y ait plus de #canicule.

#democracy directe !

#photography #naturephotography #climatechange #politics #trees

The federal Medicaid rule takes effect October 13.

didn't wait for litigation. Within days she committed Massachusetts state money to cover trans kids' healthcare — not a statement, not a study, not a working group. Money. A template another governor could copy on Monday.

Endocrinology appointments don't pause for oral argument.

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Which state should be next, and who do we call?

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On National Interest, Power, and Ethics with Susan Rice

Watch Tim's conversation with Amb. Susan Rice

TIMOTHY #SNYDER AND AMBASSADOR SUSAN E. RICE AUG 11, 2026

#TimothySnyder #ThinkingAbout

Hard as it is to believe, today marks 164 days since President #Trump dragged the United States into #war with #Iran ...

#USA #America #peace #IranWar #democracy #Diplomacy #Deterrence
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#Constitution

Trump Signs Executive Orders Ending Birth Tourism And Protecting The Value Of American Citizenship

Following the unfortunate decision made the by Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) regarding birthright citizenship, US President Donald J. Trump signed two new Executive Orders to formally end birth tourism while also protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the News24 (formerly Sky News Australia) video covering the Oval Office. Watch it and pay close attention to the details.

https://youtu.be/YC3PrTABmic?si=qLGS_xhbDUE99gcD&t=239

In America, birth tourism is already a huge problem that has yet to be full resolved. If it is left unchecked, it will negatively impact and even deform democracy in the US. That said, President Trump signed the Executive Order ending birth tourism. To understand it fully, posted below is the entire content of the said Executive Order sourced from the White House website. Some parts in boldface…

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  United States citizenship is among the greatest inheritances the Nation can bestow.  It embodies a sacred bond between the American people and the Nation in which they live, and carries profound rights, privileges, and responsibilities reflective of the enduring allegiance of citizens to the United States and our Constitution.  Citizenship is not a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration laws, such as by entering the United States on a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth within the Nation’s borders.

Birth tourism operators use deceptive advertisements and inducements to entice foreign nationals to travel to the United States for the purpose of giving birth on American soil.  They promise citizenship; access to public benefits; and short-term stays in specialized facilities, hotels, or rentals, but often fail to deliver on these promises.  These operators coach their clients to misrepresent the purpose and duration of their travel to consular and border officials to obtain visas authorizing entry into the United States.  Failure to appropriately combat these schemes has resulted in thriving industries around the world that profit by enabling the evasion of American immigration laws to obtain citizenship and other immigration benefits for foreign visitors, and the exploitation of the women who travel here for purposes of giving birth.

The immigration laws of the United States establish discrete categories of temporary nonimmigrant visas to allow foreign visitors into the United States for study, exchange, temporary employment, tourism, and other transitory activities that are now exploited by birth tourism operators.  Participants in birth tourism schemes abuse these categories to establish a permanent foothold in the United States by securing the advantage of citizenship for their children and then potentially for themselves.

Birth tourism, defined in section 3 of this order, undermines the integrity of the Nation’s immigration system by enabling foreign nationals to exploit their temporary admission to obtain permanent immigration-related benefits.  Birth tourism also diverts limited consular inspection and enforcement resources away from legitimate visa applicants, erodes public confidence in the faithful enforcement of the immigration laws, and impairs the executive branch’s ability to protect the national security.

The United States has a compelling interest in ensuring that each visa category is used only for the purpose for which it was established.  Foreign nationals seeking temporary admission into the United States must adhere to the purposes for which the Congress has authorized their temporary admission, and cannot be permitted to circumvent the immigration laws in an attempt to vest themselves and their children with lasting benefits that are irreconcilable with their nonimmigrant status.

It is therefore the policy of the United States to promote the integrity of its immigration system, to ensure that nonimmigrant visa classifications are used only for their lawful and intended purposes, and to prevent the exploitation of those classifications by persons engaging in birth tourism.

Sec. 2.  Authorities.  Pursuant to section 301 of title 3, United States Code, the authority granted to the President under section 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1185(a), is hereby delegated to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to the extent necessary to implement this order, including the authority to issue or adopt rules, policies, operational guidance, or other guidance to carry out this order.

Sec. 3.  Definition.  For purposes of this order, “birth tourism” is defined as:

(a)  the entry of any foreign national into the United States via a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil; or

(b)  any effort by any foreign national to facilitate the entry of any foreign national into the United States via a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil.

Sec. 4.  Scope and Implementation.  (a)  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take such actions and update any rules, policies, operational guidance, or other guidance as necessary to effectuate the policy set forth in this order.  Such actions may include, within the Secretaries’ respective discretion and authority, appropriate action to prevent the entry into the United States of, or the granting of any visa or other travel authorization to, any alien entering or attempting to enter the United States for the purpose of engaging in birth tourism; revoking the visa or travel authorization and permanently barring entry of any alien who enters or attempts to enter the United States for the purpose of engaging in birth tourism; denial of entry to, or removal of, any alien who previously engaged or plans to engage in birth tourism; or other appropriate action against entities, organizations, or individuals, within or outside of the United States, responsible for facilitating or enabling birth tourism in any manner.

(b)  All other relevant executive departments and agencies shall provide such records and information as are necessary for the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement the terms of this order and the rules, policies, operational guidance, or other guidance issued pursuant to it, subject to applicable law.

Sec. 5.  Exemptions.  Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this order, the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security may exempt a foreign national from actions taken pursuant to this order on humanitarian grounds or when the foreign national’s entry is in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstances, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of any of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

(e)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Homeland Security.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the two new Executive Orders signed by Trump will effectively end birth tourism while protecting the value of American citizenship? What kind of responses do you think the Democrats will come up with to oppose the Executive Orders. Do you think Islamist states like Iran, Pakistan, Qatar and Bangladesh are deliberately sending their citizens to America with birth tourism in mind? Did you spot any Chinese nationals engaging in birth tourism in America lately?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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