# Episode 4: Enormity of My Sins vs His Mercy | Prayers of the Pious **Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman **Series:** Prayers of the Pious **Published:** 2018-05-19 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/o6bTkljwyJc **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-4-enormity-of-my-sins-vs-his-mercy-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description In this episode, we observe the du’a of a complicated character, Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, and how we can improve the quality of our du’as when asking for forgiveness from Allah. [ Day 4 Du’a ] يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ ذُنُوْبِي عَظِيْمَةٌ ، وَإِنَّ قَلِيْلَ عَفْوِكَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْهَا ، اللَّهُمَّ فَامْحِ... ## Transcript **[0:00]** Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Welcome back to the Prayers of the Pious. So the figure that we're going to talk about today, unlike many of the figures that we're covering in this series, is an incredibly complex character. And you know, this is an **[0:15]** era where the hero is not always a hero and the villain is not always a villain. Especially if you watch Black Panther, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But this is an interesting character. His name is Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, radiyaAllahu ta'ala anhu, rahimahullah. And Abdul Malik ibn Marwan was a khalifa who undoubtedly **[0:36]** accomplished many great things in Islamic history. But he also has a lot of blotches on his record, right? And so a lot of times you're looking at these complex characters and you don't want to completely deny their achievements, but at the same time, you cannot shut your eyes to some of the flaws of these characters. And he was someone that was very self-aware of his flaws and who **[0:58]** recognized the complexity of a situation. So he has this dua, this supplication that he makes at the end of his life that Imam al-Asma'i, rahimahullah, said, I actually envied him for him being able to make that supplication for the beauty of those words that he makes at the end of **[1:13]** his life. He says, Ya Rabb, O my Lord, inna dhunubi azeema, my sins are enormous, wa inna qaleela afwika a'adhamu minha, but a little of your forgiveness is greater than all of those sins. **[1:29]** Allahumma famhi bi qaleeli afwika azeema dhunubi, O Allah, so erase with a little bit of your forgiveness the enormity of my sins. It's really interesting because the dua is so beautiful, the supplication is so beautiful because there is no boasting on his part. This is **[1:47]** the acknowledgement of vulnerability, this is the acknowledgement of weakness on his part, this is the laying it bare, as you should in dua, you should be very personal and very emotional with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and acknowledgement. If you look through all of the supplications of the Prophet, peace be upon him, particularly in the context of istighfar, in the context of seeking **[2:06]** forgiveness, there is always acknowledgement. Abu'u laka bina'matika alayya wa abu'u bidhanbi, in sayyid al-istighfar, the chief of seeking forgiveness, I admit your blessings upon me and I admit my sins. But here, Abdul Malik ibn Marwan is acknowledging a very important point in that dua, that **[2:24]** you will not enter Jannah because of the greatness of your good deeds or because of the the lack of your sins. You will enter Jannah by your efforts and qualifying for the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, but we are all ultimately in need of the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. **[2:40]** And if you think about this life, when the Prophet, peace be upon him, says that of the hundred parts of Allah's mercy, all of them have been reserved for the hereafter, except for one. So all the mercy and compassion that you see in this world, all comes out of that one part of Allah's mercy and **[2:55]** the rest of it is all reserved, the 99 are reserved for the hereafter. Imagine what type of a Lord that you have, how merciful ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, the most beneficent, the most compassionate, the most merciful actually is. And if you can acknowledge, and this is how we should be at the **[3:12]** end of our lives, have hope in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and that hope should not excuse us or should not cause us to run away from our obligations and responsibilities, but that hope should be that it was never about me in the first place, oh Allah, it is about your mercy. And I **[3:29]** recognize and acknowledge that a little bit of your mercy is enough to handle the entirety of my sins. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us for our sins, the big ones and the small ones, the public ones and the private ones, the ones that we recognize and the ones that we fail to recognize. See you all next time. ## Other Episodes in "Prayers of the Pious" - [Episode 30: Show Us Guidance and Error | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-30-show-us-guidance-and-error-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 29: Beautify Me Internally | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-29-beautify-me-internally-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 28: If You Have Written Me From The Sinful... | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-28-if-you-have-written-me-from-the-sinful-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 27: You Took My Kids | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-27-you-took-my-kids-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 26: You Are You, and I Am Me | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-26-you-are-you-and-i-am-me-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 25: Oh Teacher of Abraham | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-25-oh-teacher-of-abraham-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 24: Your Beautiful Veil | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-24-your-beautiful-veil-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 23: My Sincerity to Your Creation | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-23-my-sincerity-to-your-creation-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 22: Your Perfect Light | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-22-your-perfect-light-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 21: Death After Fajr | Prayers of the Pious Ramadan Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-21-death-after-fajr-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 20: Don't Ask Allah for Patience | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-20-dont-ask-allah-for-forgiveness-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 19: Make Me Better Than What They Think | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-19-make-me-better-than-what-they-think-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 18: A Reminder of My Illness | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-18-a-reminder-of-my-illness-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 17: His Prayer Amazed the Prophet ﷺ | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-17-his-prayer-amazed-the-prophet-ﷺ-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 16: A House on Fire | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-16-a-house-on-fire-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 15: The Prayer of a Tree | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-15-the-prayer-of-a-tree-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 14: My Evil vs. His Good | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-14-my-evil-vs-his-good-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 13: A Station of Patience Without Trial | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-13-a-station-of-patience-without-trial-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 12: Don’t Make an Example Out of Me | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-12-dont-make-an-example-out-of-me-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 11: Don’t Punish a Tongue of Praise | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-11-dont-punish-a-tongue-of-praise-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 10: A Prayer More Powerful Than the Wind | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-10-a-prayer-more-powerful-than-the-wind-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 9: The Greed of the Soul | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/the-greed-of-the-soul-prayers-of-the-pious.md) - [Episode 8: The Precious Prayer of A Mother | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-8-the-precious-prayer-of-a-mother-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 7: O Allah, You Know That I Love You | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-7-o-allah-you-know-that-i-love-you-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 6: The Highest Companionship in the Highest Garden | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-6-the-highest-companionship-in-the-highest-garden-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 5: The Hand That Kills Me | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-5-the-hand-that-kills-me-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 3: A Covenant with Allah | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-3-a-covenant-with-allah-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 2: His Door is Always Open | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-2-his-door-is-always-open-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Episode 1: The Best of My Days | Prayers of the Pious](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/episode-1-the-best-of-my-days-prayers-of-the-pious-ramadan-series.md) - [Prayers of the Pious Ramadan Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/prayers-of-the-pious/prayers-of-the-pious-coming-this-ramadan.md)