Opening the ayah…
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى فَٱغْفِرْ لِى فَغَفَرَ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Qāla rabbi 'innī ẓalam'tu naf'sī fa-gh'fir' lī faghafara lahu . 'innahu huwa l-ghafūru rraḥīmu
He prayed: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul! Do Thou then forgive me!" So (Allah) forgave him: for He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Looking for reflections…
Shared reflections are reviewed before they appear. We feature ones that follow the spirit of the 4-I journey and suit families of all backgrounds.
Guided by the 4-I journey: Inspire, Investigate, Integrate, Impart. Use it as a starting point and make it your own.
Opening the guide…
No reflections for this ayah yet. Be the first, by reflecting with the 4-I journey below!
4-I guide
Musa admitted he had wronged himself and begged forgiveness, and Allah forgave him, for He is Forgiving and Merciful.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "Why is saying sorry sometimes hard?"
Learn Musa's dua word by word with Islam The Infinite Light.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What did Musa ask for?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How quickly does Allah forgive?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Qasas is surah 28. Find ayah 16. The key words zalamtu nafsi mean I wronged myself. Musa did not make excuses. He admitted his mistake and asked Allah to forgive him, and Allah did. Al-Ghafur and Ar-Rahim are the names that close the ayah.
Fact: Which prophet and his wife said a dua with the words 'we have wronged ourselves' in Surah Al-A'raf?
Ages 5–8: Sorry card. Make a card saying sorry to someone you upset.
Ages 9–12: Real sorry. Write the steps of a sincere apology.
Finish with: "I found that it was ___ and his wife."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will say Musa's dua when I make a mistake."
Action: Say Musa's dua when you make a mistake.
