Quran Universe
11:90

وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٞ وَدُودٞ

Waistaghfiroo rabbakum thumma tooboo ilayhi inna rabbee raheemun wadoodun

And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Affectionate."

Word by word
  1. وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْAnd ask forgiveness
  2. رَبَّكُمۡ(of) your Lord
  3. ثُمَّthen
  4. تُوبُوٓاْturn in repentance
  5. إِلَيۡهِۚto Him
  6. إِنَّIndeed
  7. رَبِّيmy Lord
  8. رَحِيمٞ(is) Most Merciful
  9. وَدُودٞMost Loving
Hud · 11:90Makkah

My Lord is Merciful and Loving.

After the warning, the door to return

The way back
ask forgivenessfor the past
then
repent to Himfor what comes next
because
Merciful, Lovingto those who return
What waits for the returner
a cold judgewho keeps a list
Al-Wadudwho loves the one who returns

Right after warning of past nations, Shu'ayb opened the door. Ask your Lord's forgiveness for past sins and repent for what is ahead. Then he described Allah: Merciful and Loving toward those who repent.

You slipped back into the same habit again last night and feel too ashamed to pray. You think He must be tired of you. He is Loving to the one who returns. The warning was never meant to shut the door.

After so many relapses, Allah must be done with me.

Allah is Merciful and Loving, and returning to Him is always welcome.

Try this

Make wudu and pray two rakat tonight, asking forgiveness for one specific thing.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:89)

"And O my people! Let not my Shiqaq cause you to suffer the fate similar to that of the people of Nuh or of Hud or of Salih, and the people of Lut are not far off from you! (89)"And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn unto Him in repentance. Verily, my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving. (90)

He (Shu'ayb) said to them,

وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي

(And O my people! Let not my Shiqaq cause you) This means, "Do not let your hatred and enmity of me cause you to persist in your corruption and disbelief. If you continue this way, you will suffer the same vengeance and torment that overcame Nuh's people, Hud's people, Salih's people and Lut's people." Qatadah said,

وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي

(And O my people! Let not my Shiqaq cause you) "He is saying, 'Do not be influenced by your differing with me." As-Suddi said, "This means your enmity of me should not lead you to continue in misguidance and disbelief, or else you will be afflicted by what afflicted them." Concerning His statement,

وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ

(and the people of Lut are not far off from you!) It has been said that this refers to the period of time. Qatadah said, "This means that they were only destroyed before you yesterday." It has also been said that it refers to place. Actually, the verse carries both meanings.

وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ

(And ask forgiveness of your Lord) from the previous sins.

ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ

(and turn unto Him in repentance.) In whatever evil actions you may encounter in the future. Concerning his statement,

إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ

(Verily, my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving.) to those who repent.