The Holy Qur’an exhorts believers:

“Turn to Allah in sincere repentance… their light will run before them and on their right hands. They will pray: ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us.” (66:9).

This verse reveals the essence of human spiritual progress. The journey toward perfection is unending. Paradise and hell, as the Promised Messiah^(as) explained, are not separate physical realms but reflections of our inner states. A person’s spiritual condition manifests as visible reality: virtue becomes paradise, and vice becomes torment. 

Repentance and forgiveness are therefore not confined to the guilty but form the lifeblood of every seeker. “Istighfar” is not admission of fault alone, it is a sign of vitality and the aspiration for higher refinement. The righteous continuously seek protection (maghfirat) and divine support to guard their attained station and rise further still. Even in paradise, they will pray, “Our Lord, perfect our light” (Rabbana atmim lanā nūranā)— for each new degree of illumination reveals another yet to be attained.

Yet while the human spirit can rise infinitely, it cannot transcend its created nature. Perfection in creation does not make one divine. The Holy Prophet^(sa) reached the summit of all perfection, but his Mi‘raj culminated only when, as the Qur’an states, “He drew nearer, and Allah leaned down towards him.” (53:9). Thumma danā fa-tadallā. Divine nearness was completed not by man’s ascent alone but by the descent of Divine grace. 

This principle spans all human progress. From Adam’s awakening of consciousness to the unifying message of the Promised Messiah^(as), and even in the age of artificial intelligence, we witness a common direction — toward unity. Yet, despite endless computations and iterations, a machine remains soulless; no spark of consciousness can emerge except by the will of God. True life, true perfection, and true light belong to Him alone. Man’s dignity lies in never ceasing to strive for it.

The Promised Messiah^(as) captured this reality in a simple but profound declaration:

“Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God, for we have seen Him and found every beauty in Him.“

The believer’s honor, then, is not to abolish his limitations, but to live in ceaseless movement toward the Infinite—seeking forgiveness, guarding his light, and advancing degree by degree, forever.