{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 344: Where Excuses Do Not Work [75:14]","description":"Allah says: \u201cRather, the human being is a witness against himself, even if he puts forward his excuses.\u201d (75:14\u201315) After swearing by the self-reproaching soul, Allah takes us one step deeper. We do not only feel guilt \u2014 we possess ba\u1e63\u012brah \u2014 inner sight. The word ba\u1e63\u012brah implies insight and clarity. Beneath our stories and justifications, there is a part of us that knows. We may rationalize: \u201cEveryone does it.\u201d \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that bad.\u201d \u201cThey made me do it.\u201d \u201cI had no choice.\u201d But internally, we remain witnesses against ourselves. Psychology calls this self-justification \u2014 changing the narrative instead of changing the behavior. The discomfort of misalignment is real. We can numb it, recruit others to validate us, or hide behind curated identities. But the inner witness remains. The Qur\u2019an reminds us: one day excuses will not work. Yet this verse is not harsh \u2014 it is merciful. We are still in the zone of action. We can repair. Apologize. Course-correct. Soften before hardening. Reflection: Where am I offering excuses? What discomfort am I trying to silence? What would honest ownership look like? What repair can I make today? If this reflection benefits you, subscribe, share it, and please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.   ","author_name":"Loving and Living the Quran","author_url":"http:\/\/marziahassan.libsyn.com\/webpage","html":"