ٱقْتُلُوا۟ يُوسُفَ أَوِ ٱطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًۭا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ قَوْمًۭا صَـٰلِحِينَ

Kill Joseph or cast him out to some ˹distant˺ land so that our father’s attention will be only ours, then after that you may ˹repent and˺ become righteous people! (12:9)

In this verse Yusuf’s brothers collude against him and determining to either kill or discard him far away for their father’s attention and then after return to their righteous state. The oddity of this statement is the ability to distance themselves from their sins by aligning with their future selves. The beauty of this verse is how well Allah knows His creation. This is human nature. How often do we act on our desires and leave the aftermath to our future selves forgetting we are one in the same.

The sad reality is we are relying on a future we have no control on. The present is where our existence is guaranteed and yet we let our weaknesses over power us with the hope of rectifying it.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍۢ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًۭا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا۟ شُيُوخًۭا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَجَلًۭا مُّسَمًّۭى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

He is the One Who created you¹ from dust, then from a sperm-drop,² then ˹developed you into˺ a clinging clot,³ then He brings you forth as infants, so that you may reach your prime, and become old—though some of you ˹may˺ die sooner—reaching an appointed time, so perhaps you may understand ˹Allah’s power˺. (40:67)

We assume we will reach at time we are wise enough to repent, but the time is in Allah’s power. I’d argue it’s our arrogance that allows us to suspend ourselves from reality, the belief that we are better than our current actions. Let me make it very clear, YOU ARE YOUR ACTIONS. Not your intentions. Yes, God-Centered intentions are crucial. But to intend to do something and not do it repeatedly only makes you think you are a good person.

Ultimately, we are our present selves and only that. We are not our past, if we have made efforts to change and repented. We are not our future, because how can we know something we’ve never lived? So take today to get rid of this flawed thinking that you can save being better for tomorrow. We are now, so be intentional with your present.