court, O beloved, and then seek forgiveness from Allah, and the Messenger intercedes for them; they would therefore definitely find Allah the Greatest Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful.”^[1]

This verse explains a method of attaining forgiveness from Allah. When someone sins, they present themselves in the court of Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. There, they should repent to Allah and ask for forgiveness. Alongside this, they should also ask the Prophet               صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to pray for their forgiveness. If he does this, the sinful servant shall find Allah will accept their repentance and forgive their sins! We learn that going to Madinah and visiting the Prophet                  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, is an action which leads to forgiveness.

Allah says in another verse:

وَ سَارِعُوۡۤا اِلٰی مَغۡفِرَۃٍ  مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ وَ جَنَّۃٍ

 “And run towards the forgiveness of your Lord, and towards such a Paradise.”^[2]

The scholar Naqī ꜤAlī Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه gives us a beautiful pearl of wisdom in regard to this verse, the summary of which is as follows:

These two verses can be combined. In the first verse, Allah tells us if we present ourselves before the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in Madinah and repent, we will attain forgiveness through the blessings of the intercession of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

The second verse tells us to run towards forgiveness. If we combine the two verses, the message of the Quran is clear. It is saying, “O sinners! O nation of the beloved! Those who have