Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or fall into error

رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

Rabbanaa laa tu’aakhithnaa in naseenaa aw akhta’naa

It can be recited

• To save oneself from the punishment of Allah (due to one’s negligence or errors)

Word-by-word Meanings:-

Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا

Rabbanaa walaa tahmil ‘alaynaa isran kamaa hamaltahu ‘alal-latheena min qablinaa

It can be recited for

• Protection from afflictions and calamities

Word-by-word Meanings:-

Our Lord, and lay not on us a burden greater than we have the strength to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people.”

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

Rabbanaa walaa tuhammilnaa maa laa taaqata lanaa bihi, wa’fu annaa, waghfir lanaa warhamnaa, Anta Mawlaanaa fansurnaa ‘alal- qawmil-kaafireen

Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 286

It can be recited for

• Protection from unbearable burden i.e grief, sorrows, tests and calamities
• Forgiveness of your sins
• To seek Allah’s Mercy
• To seek Allah’s Protection
• Victory and success over the disbelievers and the enemies

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Word-by-word Meanings:-

Allah said, (mentioning what the believers said) while directing His servants to supplicate to Him, all the while promising them that He will answer their supplication:

“Our Lord! Push us not if we forget or fall into error,” meaning, “If we forgot an obligation or fell into a prohibition, or made an error while ignorant of its ruling.”

Muslim collected, wherein Allah said, “I shall (accept your supplication).” There is also the Hadith by Ibn `Abbas that Allah said, “I did (accept your supplication).”

“Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians)” means, “Even if we were able to perform them, do not require us to perform the difficult deeds as You required the previous nations before us, such as the burdens that were placed on them. You sent Your Prophet Muhammad Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam , the Prophet of mercy, to abrogate these burdens through the Law that You revealed to him, the Hanifi (Islamic Monotheism), easy religion.”

There is the Hadith recorded through various chains of narration that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said,

“Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear” of obligations, hardships and afflictions, do not make us bear what we cannot bear of this.

“Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.”

Allah said, `I shall.”’

“Pardon us” meaning, between us and You regarding what You know of our shortcomings and errors.

“And grant us forgiveness” concerning what is between us and Your servants. So do not expose our errors and evil deeds to them.

“Have mercy on us” in what will come thereafter. Therefore, do not allow us to fall into another error.

They say that those who commit error need three things: Allah’s forgiveness for what is between Him and them, that He conceals these errors from His other servants, and thus does not expose them before the servants, and that He grants them immunity from further error.” We mentioned before that Allah answered these pleas, “I shall,” in one narration and, “I did,” in another narration.

“You are our Mawla” meaning, You are our supporter and helper, our trust is in You, You are sought for each and every type of help and our total reliance is on You. There is no power or strength except from You.

“And give us victory over the disbelieving people” those who rejected Your religion, denied Your Oneness, refused the Message of Your Prophet , worshiped other than You and associated others in Your worship. Give us victory and make us prevail above them in this and the Hereafter. Allah said, “I shall,” in one narration, and, “I did,” in the Hadith that Muslim collected from Ibn `Abbas.

Further, Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Ishaq said that whenever Mu`adh would finish reciting this Surah (Al-Baqarah),

(And give us victory over the disbelieving people), he would say “Amin.”

The Hadiths on the virtue of these last two ayats of surah Al-Baqarah:

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said,

“Whoever recites the last two Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice for him.”

The rest of the six also recorded similar wording for this Hadith. The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith using various chains of narration, and Imam Ahmad also recorded it.

Muslim recorded that `Abdullah said, “When the Messenger of Allah went on the Isra journey, he ascended to the Sidrat Al-Muntaha in the sixth heaven, where whatever ascends from the earth ends at, and whatever descends from above it ends at.

The Messenger of Allah was then given three things: the five prayers, the last Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah and forgiveness for whoever did not associate anything or anyone with Allah from his Ummah.”

Ibn `Abbas stated ‘’While the Messenger of Allah was with Jibil Alaihissalaam, he heard a noise from above. Jibil Alaihissalaam lifted his sight to the sky and said, `This is a door that was opened just now in heaven, and it was never opened before.’ An angel came down through the door to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said, `Receive the good news of two lights that you have been given and which no Prophet before you was given: the Opener of the Book (Al-Fatihah) and the last Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah. You will not read a letter of them, but you will be granted its benefit.”

This Hadith was collected by Muslim and An-Nasa’i, and this is the wording collected by An-Nasa’i.