An-Nisa 28: Allah wants to lighten your burden, because mankind was created weak.

Allah wants to lighten your burden. For man was created weak, says Allah Almighty. As we said just now, since man was created deficient in reason, in reason, man makes mistakes.

He commits sins. And sin is a big thing for man. So Allah Almighty wants to lighten your burden, it says. With repentance He wants to remove your sins, it says. With repentance. Yes. Because man was created weak. Weak. Although strong compared with the worlds, he was created weak in reason. Allah Almighty gave man a nafs. Nafs. We described the traits of this nafs in our earlier lessons.

Accordingly, it is worth describing it briefly. The nafs is an entity able to change movements and (?), being selfish in desire and wish, toward wealth or property, toward material things, feeling desire, eating and drinking to live, having intercourse and reproducing. Nafs. Those outside this live a vegetative life. The lives of those plants we call nature. It is contentment with their state. Contentment with their state. Yes.

That is why all animals struggle for their life and want to cling to life.

Wish as you may, there is such a nafs. There is such a nafs in man. The way for you to reform it: holding fast to the verses of Allah Almighty who created you, to reform this nafs given to you.

The nafs's states we have gone into here. To man, whereas since man was created strong, against it he must bring it under his own rule. If against the nafs he had been created powerless, for the sins man commits he would not be responsible in Allah Almighty's religion. Because he would be in the state of one created powerless against the nafs. But the person who does not use his reason, the person living far from the religion of Islam, the person who lets his nafs prevail over faith or reason, is truly powerless. Because in him Satan, and the friends of the two-legged Satan, the taghuts, over this, over such people, have taken control.

Outside their own will, these, to the taghuts who follow Satan's footsteps, subject they have become. So here, because a person compromised his faith, because he could not bring his nafs to perfection, of such evil people he has become a satellite. These are truly in helplessness.

Against Allah Almighty's commands, this nafs's desires and wishes are to man like a great burden. To a person who never prays, to that Muslim person, like this say: if you tell him, what would happen if you started praying, pray one prayer, to that person prayer, like the weight of the mountains his eyes see across, comes upon his back. That heavy it seems. Plus, that life seems so long to him, so long, these are the feelings Satan gives him, it seems so long that, in this long life, how will he perform the five daily prayers every day?

It brings him discouragement, discouragement. Allah Almighty, seeing this too, says: even though when you rise for prayer fatigue comes, it says, if you feel lazy, still, it says, keep at it, it says. How beautifully He says it. Still keep at it. Yes. So, for the person who goes with his nafs, these feelings of the nafs against Allah Almighty's commands keep that person from Allah's path. What does he say? Satan steps in at once. Come on, you are still young. Come on, there is time. Come on, (?). One day you will repent. You will start praying. Come on, is now the time? Marry off a child of yours first.

Come on, is now the time? Buy yourself a house first. (?), then take a breather. Come on, then you would never leave the mosque. (?) He strikes him through piety. Through piety. And man, man he distances from Allah Almighty. Now, against such feelings man will have a weapon in his hand. That weapon is faith and reason. What will he say? No, that I will perhaps live that long, is there a deed in hand? Do I have a proof from Allah? That is one. Well, Allah gives me my sustenance every day. I eat my morning, evening and midday meals. Does He say to me, do not eat today, do not eat tomorrow, just wait until this business is done, then eat? Does He say that to me? He does not.

Well, since He does not say that to me, since He gives me this (?) sustenance, you, even if I do not work, do not work, if someone who loves me asked how I am, saw that I am in hardship, put some pocket money in my pocket every day, would I not thank him, as a human being? And if he had any job for me, I would hover around him eager to do it. Well, while you would feel this way toward that person, Allah who created the worlds has given you your sustenance. Given you a life. So why do you not feel such a feeling toward Him, but instead, no, let me do this first, let me retire first, no, let me marry off my child first, then I will worship: such feelings you get caught up in.

Yes.

Truly interesting things. The interesting part: of people who consider themselves clever but cannot use their reason, the interesting doings.

Yes, against Allah Almighty's commands, this nafs's desires and wishes are to man a great burden, as it were. Unless man reforms his nafs, breaks his selfish desires, it is impossible that man fulfils Allah Almighty's commands and prohibitions.

Allah Almighty, to people, how they should behave, with what conduct, breaking the (?) of this nafs that is a burden on him, strengthening his will against his nafs and Satan's temptation, his own will mastering, the man created by nature helpless against his nafs, let him become strong. The man created helpless against his nafs, let him become strong. With what will he gain strength? With his Lord's commands. With your faith he will gain strength. Allah Almighty, by explaining His verses to people this way, strengthens man against his nafs, so that before the creating power and might of His essence he can do what his Lord says: this is how He shows people the way. Allah Almighty's.

So the Quran is a proof to the worlds, a light, a radiance. To the worlds. Whoever wishes takes the Quran before him as a guide. On dark roads, so as not to bump into thorns or pits, left and right, he holds the Quran's verses before him as a light. This way he continues on his path.

That is also the straight path we call sirat al-mustaqim. Abiding by the verses, accepting them as proof and holding them before you as a light.