We just commemorated Layl tul-Qadr where many Muslim recite various tasbhis, including, astagfirullah, coming from the root word Ghafir, which is the name of a Surah included in today's Juz.
Surah Ghafir or The Forgiver begins with a beautiful description of Allah's mercy, which I would like to refer to as a du'a on the heels of the tragedy in Orlando.
(40:1-3)
Ha. Mim. The revelation of the Book from God, the Mighty, the Knower, Forgivers of sins, Accepter of Repentance, severe in retribution, Possessed of Bounty. There is no god but He; unto Him is the journey's end.
I invoke this description of Allah as a du'a in hopes that it will provide comfort. Here are my intentions behind offering this du'a in the wake of this senseless tragedy:
1. I call upon Allah who is Mighty and Bountiful to create more opportunities for peace and save us from these tragedies.
2. I call upon Allah's justice and judgement for the evils committed. Although I believe we are given the mantle of correcting injustice, in times like these, seeking higher justice is the only path which brings solace because nothing we do can ever be enough.
3. I ask for forgiveness, because I am not doing enough---we are not doing enough. We cannot let ourselves off the hook for being part of creating an environment which, at best, silences LGBTQ Muslims, and all too often, fosters hostility. We need to take a good hard look at ourselves. I need to look at myself and think about what I can do better. I seek forgiveness for being too conservative, for not using my voice and privilege and allowing the status quo fester its rot.
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