just as they had asked Him for ease in His commands and prohibitions, saying:
“Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear.”
This concerns divine decree, destiny, and afflictions, whereas their words:
“Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us”
concern commands, prohibitions, and religious obligations. Thus, they asked Him for ease in both respects.
Then they asked Him for pardon, forgiveness, mercy, and victory over their enemies. Through these four, blessing becomes complete for them. Life in this world and the Hereafter cannot be untroubled without them, and happiness and success depend upon them.
Pardon entails His waiving His claim against them and releasing them from it. Forgiveness entails protecting them from the evil consequences of their sins, turning toward them with favor, and being pleased with them. This differs from pardon alone, for someone may pardon another without turning toward him favorably or being pleased with him. Pardon is simply foregoing a claim, whereas forgiveness involves kindness, grace, and generosity. Mercy encompasses both, together with further kindness, compassion, and goodness. These three thus encompass deliverance from evil and attainment of good.
Victory enables them to proclaim His worship openly, make His religion manifest, exalt His word, overcome His enemies, find relief in their hearts from those enemies, and dispel the anger in their hearts and the resentments in their souls.
In the course of this supplication, they appealed to Him by acknowledging that He is their true Protector, besides whom they have no protector. He is the One who grants them victory, guides them, suffices them, helps them, answers their supplications, and whom they worship.
When these truths became firmly established in their hearts, their hearts submitted and humbled themselves before the might of their Lord and Protector, and their limbs responded accordingly, they were granted everything they requested of these things. They did not ask