Opening the ayah…
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ
Qālā rabbanā ẓalam'nā 'anfussanā wa'in llam' tagh'fir' lanā watar'ḥam'nā lanakūnanna mina l-khāssirīna
They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."
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
They said, 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers.'
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What do you say when you've made a mistake?"
Play the short Al-A'raf clip of ayah 23 from Ummah Muslim.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What did Adam and Hawwa ask for?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How is their response different from Iblis's?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-A'raf is surah 7. Find ayah 23. Adam and Hawwa didn't blame anyone; they admitted their mistake and asked for forgiveness. Iblis blamed Allah and stayed proud. This dua is one of the most beautiful in the Qur'an.
Fact: The Arabic of this dua: 'Rabbana zalamna anfusana...'.
Ages 5–8: Learn the dua. Practise 'Rabbana zalamna anfusana' with its meaning.
Ages 9–12: Two responses. Write how Adam's response was different from Iblis's.
Finish with: "Rabbana zalamna ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will learn this dua and use it."
Action: Learn this dua and use it.
