Mercy & Punishment
“When they think about their Lord, they not only think of His mercy and compassion but they also remember He is the one who can seize them and call them to account.”
Az-Zumar 39:53
قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
And then it transitions into:
Az-Zumar 39:54
وَأَنِيبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ وَأَسۡلِمُواْ لَهُۥ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.
Az-Zumar 39:55
وَٱتَّبِعُوٓاْ أَحۡسَنَ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ بَغۡتَةً وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُونَ
And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive,
And then it gets to the excuses:
Az-Zumar 39:56
أَن تَقُولَ نَفۡسٌ يَٰحَسۡرَتَىٰ عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطتُ فِى جَنۢبِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِن كُنتُ لَمِنَ ٱلسَّٰخِرِينَ
Lest a soul should say, "Oh [how great is] my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allah and that I was among the mockers."
Az-Zumar 39:57
أَوۡ تَقُولَ لَوۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هَدَىٰنِى لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ
Or [lest] it say, "If only Allah had guided me, I would have been among the righteous."
Az-Zumar 39:58
أَوۡ تَقُولَ حِينَ تَرَى ٱلۡعَذَابَ لَوۡ أَنَّ لِى كَرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
Or [lest] it say when it sees the punishment, "If only I had another turn so I could be among the doers of good."
“Moderation (between hope and fear) is the epitome of steadfastness. It is often said that the servant should possess both fear and hope like the two wings of a bird, if one of the wings were missing, the bird would be unable to fly.“
And finally, something that has stuck with me ever since I read it- “we hear. when will we obey?”