✅ Answer: The meaning of this phrase is found in the same hadith in al-Kafi and in other narrations:

عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ یُونُسَ عَنْ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ قَالَ أَکْثِرْ مِنْ أَنْ تَقُولَ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْنِی مِنَ الْمُعَارِینَ وَ لَا تُخْرِجْنِی مِنَ التَّقْصِیرِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَمَّا الْمُعَارُونَ فَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ یُعَارُ الدِّینَ ثُمَّ یَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ فَمَا مَعْنَی لَا تُخْرِجْنِی مِنَ التَّقْصِیرِ فَقَالَ کُلُّ عَمَلٍ تُرِیدُ بِهِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَکُنْ فِیهِ مُقَصِّراً عِنْدَ نَفْسِکَ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ کُلَّهُمْ فِی أَعْمَالِهِمْ فِیمَا بَیْنَهُمْ وَ بَیْنَ اللَّهِ مُقَصِّرُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ عَصَمَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 73

Translation: Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) said: 'Say a lot:

اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْنِی مِنَ الْمُعَارِینَ وَ لَا تُخْرِجْنِی مِنَ التَّقْصِیرِ

meaning: 'O Allah, do not make me one of those whose faith is temporary and borrowed, and do not take me out of 'deficiency'.'

Fadl said: 'I said to the Imam: 'I know who 'those whose faith is borrowed' are, for indeed faith is given to a person on loan but is then taken away. But what is the meaning of 'do not take me out of deficiency'?' The Imam said: 'Every action for which you intend the 'satisfaction' of Allah (and you perform), you should consider yourself deficient and falling short in that action, for all people are deficient and falling short in their actions between themselves and their Lord, except for a person whom Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, places in infallibility.'

✅ This means that every good deed we do, we should not consider ourselves complete and perfect in it, and we should always and truly consider ourselves deficient in our being in relation to that action. Many hadiths have been narrated in support and explanation of this matter, of which a few are mentioned:

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 287

سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ یَقُولُ لَا تَسْتَکْثِرُوا کَثِیرَ الْخَیْرِ وَ لَا تَسْتَقِلُّوا قَلِیلَ الذُّنُوبِ

Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) said: 'Do not consider much good (deeds) to be much, and do not consider little sins to be little...'

✅ This means that even if you have done a lot of good deeds, you should not consider them to be a lot.

📚 Al-Khisal, Vol. 1, p. 112

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ إِبْلِیسُ إِذَا اسْتَمْکَنْتُ مِنِ ابْنِ آدَمَ فِی ثَلَاثٍ لَمْ أُبَالِ مَا عَمِلَ فَإِنَّهُ غَیْرُ مَقْبُولٍ مِنْهُ إِذَا اسْتَکْثَرَ عَمَلَهُ وَ نَسِیَ ذَنْبَهُ وَ دَخَلَهُ الْعُجْبُ

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Iblis, may Allah curse him, says to his legions: 'If I can overpower the son of Adam in three matters, then I do not care what action he performs, for it will not be accepted from him: When he considers his action to be a lot, and he forgets his sin, and conceit enters upon him.'

✅ It is seen what a great danger it is to consider one's actions to be a lot and to leave considering oneself to be deficient. It is necessary to strictly observe this command of the Imam who said to recite this supplication a lot, so that this thought does not form in our being that we have completely performed our duty in regards to various actions. And we should always and in every situation consider ourselves deficient in all actions.

But what is the reason for this duty and what is the correct action? Pay attention to the following narration:

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 71

عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَا یَتَّکِلِ الْعَامِلُونَ لِی عَلَی أَعْمَالِهِمُ الَّتِی یَعْمَلُونَهَا لِثَوَابِی فَإِنَّهُمْ لَوِ اجْتَهَدُوا وَ أَتْعَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ أَعْمَارَهُمْ فِی عِبَادَتِی کَانُوا مُقَصِّرِینَ غَیْرَ بَالِغِینَ فِی عِبَادَتِهِمْ کُنْهَ عِبَادَتِی فِیمَا یَطْلُبُونَ عِنْدِی مِنْ کَرَامَتِی وَ النَّعِیمِ فِی جِنَانِی وَ رَفِیعِ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَی فِی جِوَارِی وَ لَکِنْ بِرَحْمَتِی فَلْیَثِقُوا وَ فَضْلِی فَلْیَرْجُوا وَ إِلَی حُسْنِ الظَّنِّ بِی فَلْیَطْمَئِنُّوا

Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says: 'Those who perform actions for My sake should not rely on the actions they perform for My reward, for even if they strive hard and put themselves in hardship in My worship for their entire life, they are still deficient and falling short, and they have not reached the essence and the end of My worship in what they seek of My honor and blessings in Paradise and the high ranks in My neighborhood. Rather, their reliance and dependence should be My mercy, and they should hope for My grace and generosity, and trust in their good opinion of Me.'

✅ So it became clear that we should not rely on our actions, but rather, along with performing actions and duties, we should rely and depend on Allah's mercy and His grace.

✅ There are many hadiths and supplications about this, but Insha'Allah, let us not be heedless of reciting the supplication in the first hadith.