Don't let the Satan win

The life of believers is a severe test of test of tug of war between the good and the evil. No matter how pious a believer may be be, the Satanic enticements are so tempting and luring, that one sometimes slips and falls into the trap of evil by sinning. But remember, the Satan does not win by luring you to commit a sin, he wins when you think that Allah will not show His mercy to you and forgive you, even if you repent and seek Divine forgiveness.

In the Qur'an, and in many a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, believers are time and again reminded not to despair if they have sinned and always seek mercy of Allah and be rest assured that Allah will forgive their sins if His mercy is invoked, for Allah is Al-Ghafur (الغفور) - The Forgiving, The Pardoner and Ar Rahim (الرحيم) - The Most Merciful.

We share today the 53rd verse from Surah 39 Az Zumar, in which Allah directs His messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, to tell the believers never to despair of Allah's mercy for He would forgive their sins no matter whatever the size or enormity, for He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. This verse is meant to one should not seek the support of others while losing hope in God. If they repent after confessing their sin, He will forgive even the greatest of sins.

قُلۡ يٰعِبَادِىَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰٓى اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةِ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِيۡعًا​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 

(39:53) Tell them, (O Prophet): “My servants who have committed excesses against themselves, do not despair of Allah's Mercy. Surely Allah forgives all sins. He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The address here is to all mankind. There is no weighty argument to regard only the believers as the addressees. As has been observed by 'Allama Ibn Kathir, to address such a thing to the common men does not mean that Allah forgives all sins without repentance, but Allah Himself has explained in the following verses that sins are forgiven only when the sinner turns to Allah's worship and service and adopts obedience to the message sent down by Him. As a matter of fact, this verse brought a message of hope for those people who had committed mortal sins like murder, adultery, theft, robbery, etc. in the days of ignorance, and had despaired whether they would ever be forgiven. To them it has been said: "Do not despair of Allah's mercy: whatever you might have done in the past, if you sincerely turn to your Lord's obedience, you will be forgiven every sin." The same interpretation of this verse has been given by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid and Ibn Zaid. (Ibn Jarir, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi). For further explanation, see AI-Furqan: 70-71 and the E.N.'s thereof. 

Note: 

Some commentators have given a strange interpretation to these words. They say that Allah Himself has commanded the Holy Prophet to address the people as "My servants" therefore, all men are the servants of the Holy Prophet. This interpretation is no interpretation at all but a worst distortion of the meaning of the Qur'an and indeed tampering with the Word of Allah. If this interpretation were correct, it would falsify and negate the whole Qur'an.

For the Qur'an, from the beginning to the end, establishes the concept that men are the servants of Allah alone, and its whole message revolves around the point that they should serve none but One Allah alone. The Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) himself was Allah's servant. Allah had sent him not as rabb (sustainer, providence) but as a Messenger so that he should himself serve Him and teach the other people also to serve Him alone. After all, how can a sensible person believe that the Holy Prophet might have one day stood up before the disbelieving Quraish of Makkah and made the sudden proclamation: "You are in fact the slaves of Muhammad and not of al- `Uzzah and ash-Shams." (We seek Allah's refuge from this) 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

Verse 53 opens with the words: قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَ‌فُوا (0 servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah's mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins.). Taba` i, Said Ibn Jubayr reports from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that there were some people who had killed a lot of people unjustly and had committed a lot of shameful acts. They came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and submitted before him, 'The religion you invite us to is, no doubt, very good, but we have a problem. We think about all those major sins we have already committed. Now if we were to become Muslims, do you hope that our repentance will be accepted?' Thereupon, Allah Ta’ ala revealed this verse to the Holy Prophet ﷺ - reported by al-Bukhari in that sense (al-Qurtubi).

Therefore, the outcome of the subject taken up in the verse comes to be that, well before death arrives, the repentance made from sins, no matter how serious, even from kufr (disbelief) and shirk (ascribing of partners to Allah), gets to be accepted. And by virtue of a genuine taubah (repentance), all sins will be forgiven, therefore, no one should lose hope in the mercy of Allah.

Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ said that, out of all verses of the Qur'an, this verse brings the strongest message of hope for sinners. But, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said that the strongest such verse is: إِنَّ رَ‌بَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَ‌ةٍ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ ظُلْمِهِمْ (And surely, your Lord is the lord of forgiveness for the people against their wrongdoings - Ar-Ra'd, 13:6)

Qur'an Wiki explanation:

It is divine mercy that will erase every transgression, whatever it happens to be. It is an invitation to all those who have gone far into error and led a life that has taken them far astray, telling them hope still remains available and God’s mercy and forgiveness are not far from them. God is most merciful to His servants. He knows their weaknesses and the factors that work on them, whether these are within themselves or in society. He is aware that Satan sets traps for them at every corner, using a great variety of forces, never tiring of his attempt to seduce them. Moreover, God knows that man can easily fall when he lets his bond to the truth weaken, and that his desires and aspirations can easily disturb his equilibrium, pulling him this way or that, leading him into error.

As God knows all this about man, He provides him with ample help, opening the gates of His mercy. He does not take him to task for his sin until He has facilitated for him all the ways and means to rectify his error and mend his ways. Nevertheless, when man goes deep into sin, thinking that he is totally rejected by God and that all is lost, he hears at this point of utter despair a fine address expressing the unlimited mercy available to him: “Say: [Thus speaks God]: You servants of Mine who have transgressed against their own souls! Do not despair of God’s mercy: God forgives all sins; He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful.” (Verse 53)

This means that despite his repeated sins, going far into disobedience of God, all he needs to receive God’s grace that revives all that is good in him is to repent. All he needs to do is turn back to God through the gate that is left wide open, without a guard, and with no need for any special permission.

Alhamdulillah, we have such a forgiving and merciful Lord. His Mercy extends to all who seek it. Even the most hardened sinner is told to never lose hope in Allah’s Infinite Mercy.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may  read the explanation of the same verse by other scholars in one of our earlier posts 39:53. You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Compiled verses on specific subjects from Qur'an: Repentance and Seeking Divine Forgiveness

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Reward beyond all reckoning for those who Fear Allah and Persevere

Faith (Tawakal) and fear of Allah is central to the belief of all Muslims. Rather it should be central to the belief of all who follow any of the four Divine Scriptures. But this faith should only be in One True God without any associates. When unshakable, unwavering and unshrinking faith in One True God develops in the heart of a believer, then whatever befalls on him is accepted as will of Allah and one willingly perseveres. 

Such a level of perseverence gives solace in the face of dangers and induces an unflinching will and determination to endure what may come one's way. Perseverance instills a higher degree of patience in the heart of a true beleiver and induces the staying power and determination that opens means of ultimate success and prosperity.

This is the central idea of the 10th verse of Surah 39 Al Zumar, The Troops, as is being shared herein under:

قُلۡ يٰعِبَادِ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوۡا رَبَّكُمۡ​ ؕ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا فِىۡ هٰذِهِ الدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٌ ​ ؕ وَاَرۡضُ اللّٰهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ​ ؕ اِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصّٰبِرُوۡنَ اَجۡرَهُمۡ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ‏ 

(39:10) Tell them (O Prophet): “O you servants of Mine who believe, have fear of your Lord. A good end awaits those who did good in this world. Allah's earth is spacious. Verily those who persevere shall be granted their reward beyond all reckoning.”

(Tell them (O Prophet): “O you servants of Mine who believe, have fear of your Lord) That is, do not rest content with belief but follow it up with piety and fear of God. Act according to what Allah has enjoined and avoid what He has forbidden and live in the world fearing His accountability.

(A good end awaits those who did good in this world) Good and well-being both of this world and of the Hereafter. 

(Allah's earth is spacious) That is, "If one city, territory or land has become difficult for the worshipers of Allah, they may emigrate to another place where they may not have to face any such hardship. " 

(Verily those who persevere shall be granted their reward beyond all reckoning.) "Those. . . measure": Those who brave all kinds of hardships and persecutions in following the way of God-worship and piety but do not abandon the way of the Truth. This also includes those people who emigrate to other countries and experience hardships in the foreign land for the sake of religion and faith, and those also who continue to face every kind of temptation and calamity firmly and patiently in the land where they are being persecuted." 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  

The fear of Allah has also been mentioned right in the opening of the Surah 2 Al Baqarah (The Cow):

(This is the Book; in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who fear Allah.) Taqwa and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify: (1) the fear of God which according to the writer of Proverbs (i.7) in the Old Testament is the beginning of Wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one's tongue, hand, and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety good conduct. All these ideas are implied; in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated according to the context. See also xivii 17; and ixxiv 56.

Fear of Allah is also mentioned in the 60th verse of Surah 23. Al-Muminun:

(And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear because they will return to their Lord) Their hearts are full of reverence for Allah and fear lest their charity or their hearts be not good enough for acceptance before their Lord; for they have the certainty of a future life, in which they will stand before the Judgment Seat. They fear for their own worthiness, but they hope in Faith.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

To fear God means to have a sensitive heart and to look up to Him cautiously and with apprehension, hope, wary lest one should incur His displeasure and keen to earn His pleasure. It is seen in the bright picture drawn in the previous verse of a devout worshipper, full of humility. “Those who do good in this world will have a good reward.” What a great reward: a good deed in this present life, which is short and flimsy, is repaid with something good in the life to come, which is everlasting. This is certainly an act of God’s grace. He knows man’s weakness and small effort, so He repays him generously and takes care of him.

“Wide is God’s earth.” Your love of your land where you have relatives and friends should not prevent you from seeking a different abode if your own area is hostile to your faith and you cannot do well there. To stick to your place of habitat in such a case could present an opening for Satan. It could become a form of attributing equals to God, even though it might not be felt in this way. This is a fine point indicating that polytheism can subtly creep into our hearts. It is given within the context of belief in God’s oneness and fearing Him. It should be seen as evidence of the source of the Qur’ān. No one can deal in this way with the human heart except the One who created it and knows what has an effect on it and how.

God, the Creator of mankind, knows that leaving one’s land is hard. It involves abandoning one’s relatives and the people with whom one has close ties, leaving the place where one can easily find work and earn a living, to go to a new place where one is a stranger. This is not an easy thing for anyone. Hence, the Sūrah refers here to patience in adversity and how it is generously rewarded by God: “Those who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond reckoning.” Thus, God’s servants feel His care and are touched as they see that when they have to undertake something hard God turns to them with care and grace. He opens for them what compensates for land, country, family and relatives, giving them a reward without count. All praise is due to God who knows all that affects a human heart and is fully aware of every thought that finds its way into his mind.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

The Divine Call to repent before the Punishment comes

Man is born to err, and so did Adam when he was enticed by the Devil and violated the Divine Commandment. But there is always a way back if one pleads to his Lord, the Master of the Entire Universe, in repentance, asking for forgiveness of his sins and wrongdoings. The Lord, Who is Ever Merciful and Forgiving, promises His servants that He will accept their repentance and forgive them. 

However, there is a condition laid out: Repent before the Punishment comes!! That is one must repent before the final countdown begins to click and one knows that the end has come, for seeing the death knocking at the door will not then save a sinner from the punishment. Even Pharoah, when he was drowning, cried out that he believed in God. But God replied that then it was too late to repent. 

(Surah 10 Yusuf (Jospeh):90) And We led the Children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them in iniquity and transgression until Pharaoh cried out while he was drowning: 'I believe that there is no god but Allah in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am also one of those who submit to Allah.

(10:91) (Thereupon came the response): 'Now you believe, although you disobeyed earlier and were one of the mischief-makers. (10:92) We shall now save your corpse that you may serve as a sign of warning for all posterity, although many men are heedless of Our signs.

This is just one example from Qur'an which shows importance of seeking repentance before one's time runs out. The verse we have selected in our series of posts on repentance and seeking forgiveness is the 53rd verse from Surah 39 Az Zumar (The Troops) in which Divine Call is made to repent before the dreadful punishment arrives for those who sinned and did not felt remorse over their actions, like Pharoah, and did not repent. In fact, verses 53-63 are meant for those who have transgressed against their souls and have been promised by Allah that they should not despair of Allah's mercy, they should repent while they can so that they should be forgiven:

قُلۡ يٰعِبَادِىَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰٓى اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةِ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِيۡعًا​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 

(39:53) Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'

The address here is to all mankind. There is no weighty argument to regard only the believers as the addressees. As has been observed by 'Allama Ibn Kathir, to address such a thing to the common men does not mean that Allah forgives all sins without repentance, but Allah Himself has explained in the following verses that sins are forgiven only when the sinner turns to Allah's worship and service and adopts obedience to the message sent down by Him. As a matter of fact, this verse brought a message of hope for those people who had committed mortal sins like murder, adultery, theft, robbery, etc. in the days of ignorance, and had despaired whether they would ever be forgiven. To them it has been said: "Do not despair of Allah's mercy: whatever you might have done in the past, if you sincerely turn to your Lord's obedience, you will be forgiven every sin." The same interpretation of this verse has been given by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid and Ibn Zaid. (Ibn Jarir, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi). For further explanation, see AI-Furqan: 70-71 and the E.N.'s thereof. 

The next two Ayats/verses supplement the Divine Call for repentance in which our Lord says: (39:54) Turn to your Lord and surrender yourselves to Him before the chastisement overtakes you; for then you will receive no help, and

(39:55) Follow the best of what has been revealed to you from your Lord before the chastisement suddenly comes upon you without you even being aware of it.

Ta:fsir Ibn-Kathir 

This Ayah is a call to all sinners, be they disbelievers or others, to repent and turn to Allah. This Ayah tells us that Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will forgive all the sins of those who repent to Him and turn back to Him, no matter what or how many his sins are, even if they are like the foam of the sea. This cannot be interpreted as meaning that sins will be forgiven without repentance, because Shirk can only be forgiven for the one who repents from it. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that some of the people of Shirk killed many people and committed Zina (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent; they came to Muhammad and said, "What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation for what we have done.'' 

Then the following Ayat were revealed: (And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse) (25:68).

What is meant by the first Ayah (25:68) is: (Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds) (25:70). 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah reciting, (verily, his work is unrighteous) (11:46). And I heard him say: (قُلْ يَاعِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا وَلَا يُبَالِي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ) (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins He does not reckon him Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).'' This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi. All of these Hadiths indicate that what is meant is that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah even if his sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive. 

Allah says:

(Know they not that Allah accepts repentance from His servants) (9:104).

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (4:110). 

Concerning the hypocrites, Allah says: (Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them. Except those who repent, and do righteous good deeds) (4:145-146). And Allah says:

(Surely, disbelievers are those who said: "Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).'' But there is no god but One. And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them.) (5:73). 

Then He says:(Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (5:74) 

And Allah says: (Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them), and then do not turn in repentance (to Allah)) (85: 10). Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Look at this generosity and kindness! They killed His close friends but He still called them to repentance and forgiveness.'' There are many Ayat on this topic. The Two Sahihs record the Hadith of Abu Sa`id, may Allah be pleased with him, from Messenger of Allah about the man who killed ninety-nine people. Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper among the Children of Israel whether he could repent. He told him no, so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent. He said, "What is stopping you from repenting'' Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped. He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him, so Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns; whichever he was closer to was the one to which he belonged. They found that he was closer to the town he was heading for, so the angels of mercy took him. It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself (towards that town), and Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away. This is basic meaning of the Hadith; we have quoted it in full elsewhere. 

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins...'') Allah invites all to His forgiveness; those who claim that the Messiah is God, those who claim that the Messiah is the son of God, those who claim that `Uzayr is the son of God, those who claim that Allah is poor, those who claim that the Hand of Allah is tied up, and those who say that Allah is the third of three ﴿Trinity﴾. 

Allah says to all of these: (Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (5:74). And He calls to repentance the one who says something even worse than that, the one who says, `I am your Lord most high,' and says, ("I know not that you have a god other than me.'') (28:38). Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Anyone who makes the servants of Allah despair of His mercy after this, has rejected the Book of Allah, but a person cannot repent until Allah decrees that he should repent.'' 

At-Tabarani recorded that Shutayr bin Shakal said, "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say, 

`The greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah is: (Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) (2:255). 

The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an concerning good and evil is: (Verily, Allah enjoins justice and Al-Ihsan) (16:90).

The Ayah in the Qur'an which brings the most relief is in Surat Az-Zumar: (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah.') 

And the clearest Ayah in the Qur'an about reliance on Allah is: (And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine) (65:2-3).' Masruq said to him; `You have spoken the truth.'

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

"whenever the sinner repents and turns to Him": cf., for instance, 6:54 - "Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy - so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace"; or 4:110 - "he who does evil or [otherwise] sins against himself, and thereafter prays God to forgive him, shall find God much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace".

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

In Ayat 10 (…and the earth of God is spacious…) there is abundant evidence that this Surah was sent down before the migration to Abyssinia. Some hadith provide the explanation that this verse was sent down in respect of Ja’far bin Abi Talib and his companions when they made up their mind to emigrate to Abyssinia.

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَـٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّـهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ  "Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (39:10) 

In Surah al-Ankabut (29) - there is a similar Ayat, يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَاعْبُدُونِ "O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship only Me." (29:56)

Please listen to explanation of the Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Surrender yourselves to your Lord before the chastisement over-takes you

Repentance is a powerful tool that Allah has handed over to those believers who get derailed from the righteous path by commuting sins, doing wrong to others or digressing from the teaching of Allah brought to man through prophets and messengers. 

Although no one likes the sinners, and of course Allah too, yet Allah stresses upon his subjects to ask for forgiveness and then repent not falling into the hands of evil forces. This latitude stays and offer is valid till the cherishment of Allah finally gets the sinners or until when death approaches and then there will be no let up:

وَاَنِيۡبُوۡۤا اِلٰى رَبِّكُمۡ وَاَسۡلِمُوۡا لَهٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ يَّاۡتِيَكُمُ الۡعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنۡصَرُوۡنَ‏ 

Turn to your Lord and surrender yourselves to Him before the chastisement over-takes you; for then you will receive no help. (Surah 39 Az Zumar:54) 

This verse is in continuation with the previous verse, wherein Allah says: Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." The verse simply means to turn back to Allah and submit yourselves to Him, and hasten to repent and do righteous deeds before His wrath comes upon you.

This Ayah is a call to all sinners, be they disbelievers or others, to repent and turn to Allah. This Ayah tells us that Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will forgive all the sins of those who repent to Him and turn back to Him, no matter what or how many his sins are, even if they are like the foam of the sea. This cannot be interpreted as meaning that sins will be forgiven without repentance, because Shirk can only be forgiven for the one who repents from it. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that some of the people of Shirk killed many people and committed Zina (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent; they came to Muhammad ﷺ and said, "What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation for what we have done." Then the following Ayat were revealed:

(And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse) (25:68). Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds) (25:70)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins He does not reckon him Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)." This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi. [1]

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: The exhortation in brief is: 'Repent and work righteousness, before it becomes too late'. No help will come to you when the Judgment is actually established and you stand before Allah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Cf. 4:18 - "repentance shall not be accepted from those who do evil deeds until their dying hour, and then say, 'Behold, I now repent'; nor from those who die as deniers of the truth".

So let us not a life in despair if we have sinned and instantly turn to Allah by asking for His forgiveness and invoking his many attributes of mercy and forgiveness and then repent in sincerity not to repeat. Allah promises that He will continue to forgive us and accept our repentance before His wrath comes and befall upon us or death knocks at our door.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Allah guides those who pay heed to what is said and follow the best of it

Social media today is replete with authentic and unauthentic news and general information. and so is also true for the information on Islam. There are many versions, mostly twisted, based on unauthorized sources and by so called pseudo scholars. In some cases, followers of false scholars with no knowledge of Arabic language and therefore of Qur'an and Sunnah, are often seen downplaying scholars of international repute and standing.

The verse chosen for today's post in our series of posts on Selected verses from Qur’an is for believers who come across many a information, but they use their knowledge and wisdom to sift the right from wrong, authentic from unauthentic so that they are not misled and that Allah may guide them from derailing:

الَّذِيۡنَ يَسۡتَمِعُوۡنَ الۡقَوۡلَ فَيَتَّبِعُوۡنَ اَحۡسَنَهٗ​ ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ هَدٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ​ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمۡ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ‏ 

to those who pay heed to what is said and follow the best of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided to the Right Way; they are the ones endowed with understanding. (Surah 39. Az-Zumar: 18)

This verse can have two meanings:  (1) That they do not follow every voice but ponder over what every man says and accept only what is right and true, and (2) That they do not try to give a false meaning to what they hear but adopt its good and righteous aspects.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

The Commentators construe this clause in two alternative ways. (1) If "word" be taken as any word, the clause would mean that good men listen to all that is said and choose the best of it. (2) If "word" be taken to mean Allah's Word, it would mean that they should listen reverently to it, and where permissive and alternative courses are allowed for those who are not strong enough to follow the higher course, those "endued with understanding" should prefer to attempt the higher course of conduct. For example, it is permitted (within limits) to punish those who wrong us, but the nobler course is to repel evil with good (xxiii. 96): we should try to follow the nobler course. I prefer the latter construction: it accords better with my interpretation of the last verse: 39:17 ( reproduced as under):

Those who eschew evil and fall not into its worship and turn to Allah (in repentance) for them is Good News: so announce the Good News to My Servants 39:17

There is always the danger that Evil may seize us even if we approach it out of mere curiosity. If we take an interest in it we may become its worshippers or slaves. The wise man eschews it altogether, and so he enrolls among the Servants of Allah, and gets the good news of His Mercy and Good Pleasure.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:      

According to Razi, this describes people who examine every religious proposition (in the widest sense of this term) in the light of their own reason, accepting that which their mind finds to be valid or possible, and rejecting all that does not measure up to the test of reason. In Razi's words, the above verse expresses "a praise and commendation of following the evidence supplied by one's reason (hujjat al-'aql), and of reaching one's conclusions in accordance with [the results of] critical examination (nazar) and logical inference (istidlal)." A somewhat similar view is advanced, albeit in simpler terms, by Tabari. 

One quality of such people is that they listen to whatever is being said, but their hearts and minds pick up only the best of it and discard the rest. Thus, the only words that they actually receive are the best words that improve and purify people’s hearts and souls. A good soul is always ready to receive good words and respond to them, while the one which is foul receives only what is foul. “These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance.” He knows that they are genuinely good in their hearts and souls and He, therefore, guided them to listen and respond to the best of what is said. Guidance comes only from God. “And these are the ones endowed with insight.” It is a sound mind that leads a person to self-purification and safety. Anyone who does not follow the way that ensures such safety appears to be deprived of a sound mind and insight, which are blessings given by God. [4] 

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

The Verse of Mercy: Those who have committed excesses should not despair of Allah's Mercy - Surely Allah forgives all sins

If sinners and wrong doers have been warned to be ready to be thrown into the hell fire, there is still glad tidings for those wrong doers who instantly repent their misdeeds and ask for forgiveness of their Creator. Allah in all His Might and being the Most Merciful has promised to forgive all sins on sincere repentance and amendment of conduct. 

Qur'an is replete with such promises, one such is made in the 53rd verse of Surah 39. Az Zumar. OWing to the promise of mercy made in this verse, this ayat is called The Verse of Mercy:

قُلۡ يٰعِبَادِىَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰٓى اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةِ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِيۡعًا​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 

(39:53) Tell them, (O Prophet): “My servants who have committed excesses against themselves, do not despair of Allah's Mercy. Surely Allah forgives all sins. He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Some commentators have given a strange interpretation to these words. They say that Allah Himself has commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to address the people as “My servants” therefore, all men are the servants of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This interpretation is no interpretation at all but a worst distortion of the meaning of the Quran and indeed tampering with the Word of Allah. If this interpretation were correct, it would falsify and negate the whole Quran. For the Quran, from the beginning to the end, establishes the concept that men are the servants of Allah alone, and its whole message revolves around the point that they should serve none but One Allah alone. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself was Allah’s servant. Allah had sent him not as rabb (sustainer, providence) but as a Messenger so that he should himself serve Him and teach the other people also to serve Him alone. After all, how can a sensible person believe that the Prophet (peace be upon him) might have one day stood up before the disbelieving Quraish of Makkah and made the sudden proclamation: You are in fact the slaves of Muhammad and not of al-Uzzah and ash- Shams. (We seek Allah’s refuge from this).

The address here is to all mankind. There is no weighty argument to regard only the believers as the addressees. As has been observed by Allama Ibn Kathir, to address such a thing to the common men does not mean that Allah forgives all sins without repentance, but Allah Himself has explained in the following verses that sins are forgiven only when the sinner turns to Allah’s worship and service and adopts obedience to the message sent down by Him. As a matter of fact, this verse brought a message of hope for those people who had committed mortal sins like murder, adultery, theft, robbery, etc. in the days of ignorance, and had despaired whether they would ever be forgiven. To them it has been said: Do not despair of Allah’s mercy; whatever you might have done in the past, if you sincerely turn to your Lord’s obedience, you will be forgiven every sin. The same interpretation of this verse has been given by Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid and Ibn Zaid. (Ibn Jarir, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidhi). 

For further explanation, see (Surah Al-Furqan, Ayats 70-71), the explanation reproduced herein under:

This is a good news for those people who repented and reformed themselves, for they will have the benefit of the general amnesty contained in (verse 70). This was regarded as a great blessing by the true servants because very few of those who embraced Islam had been free from those vices during their ignorance, and were terrified by the threat contained in (verses 63-69), but this amnesty not only redeemed them but filled them with hope.

Many instances of such people, who sincerely repented and reformed their lives, have been related in the traditions. For instance, Ibn Jarir and Tabarani have related an incident from Abu Hurairah, who says: One day when 1 returned home after offering the lsha prayer in the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Mosque, I saw a woman standing at my door. I saluted her and walked into my room, closed the door and busied myself in voluntary worship. After a while she knocked at the door. I opened the door and asked what she wanted. She said that she had come with a problem: She had committed zina, had become pregnant, given birth to a child and then killed it. She wanted to know if there was any chance of her sin being forgiven. I replied in the negative. She went back grief-stricken, exclaiming, Ah! this beautiful body was created for the fire! The next morning, after the prayer, when I related the night’s incident before the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said: You gave a very wrong answer, Abu Hurairah: Haven’t you read the Quranic verse which says: (Those) who do not invoke any deity other than Allah...except the one who may have repented (after those sins) and have believed and done righteous deeds? Hearing this from the Prophet (peace be upon him), I went out in search of the woman, and had her traced again at the Isha time. I gave her the good news and told her what the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said in reply to her question. She immediately fell prostrate on the ground and thanked Allah, Who had opened a way for her forgiveness. Then she offered repentance and set a slave-girl, along with her son, free.

A similar incident about an old man has been related in the traditions. He came before the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, all my life has passed in sin, there is no sin which I have not committed; so much so that if my sins were to be distributed over the people of the whole world, they would all be doomed. Is there any way out for my forgiveness? The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him: Have you embraced Islam? He said: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Go back, Allah is All-Forgiving and has the power to change your evil deeds into good deeds. He asked: Is it about all my crimes and errors? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: Yes, it is about all your crimes and errors. (Ibn Kathir).

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: The Call to repent before Punishment comes

This Ayah is a call to all sinners, be they disbelievers or others, to repent and turn to Allah. This Ayah tells us that Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will forgive all the sins of those who repent to Him and turn back to Him, no matter what or how many his sins are, even if they are like the foam of the sea. This cannot be interpreted as meaning that sins will be forgiven without repentance, because Shirk can only be forgiven for the one who repents from it. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that some of the people of Shirk killed many people and committed Zina (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent; they came to Muhammad and said, "What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation for what we have done.'' 

Then the following Ayat were revealed: 

(And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse) (25:68).

(Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah.) This was also recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i. 

What is meant by the first Ayah (25:68) is: (Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds) (25:70). 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah reciting, (إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَـلِحٍ verily, his work is unrighteous) (11:46). And I heard him say: (قُلْ يَاعِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا وَلَا يُبَالِي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ) (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins He does not reckon him Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).'' This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi. All of these Hadiths indicate that what is meant is that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah even if his sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive. 

Allah says: 

(Know they not that Allah accepts repentance from His servants) (9:104).

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (4:110). 

Concerning the hypocrites, Allah says: Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them. Except those who repent, and do righteous good deeds) (4:145-146). 

(Surely, disbelievers are those who said: "Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).'' But there is no god but One. And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them.) (5:73). 

(Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (5:74) 

(Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them), and then do not turn in repentance (to Allah)) (85: 10). 

Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Look at this generosity and kindness! They killed His close friends but He still called them to repentance and forgiveness.'' There are many Ayat on this topic. The Two Sahihs record the Hadith of Abu Sa`id, may Allah be pleased with him, from Messenger of Allah about the man who killed ninety-nine people. Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper among the Children of Israel whether he could repent. He told him no, so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent. He said, "What is stopping you from repenting' Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped. He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him, so Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns; whichever he was closer to was the one to which he belonged. They found that he was closer to the town he was heading for, so the angels of mercy took him. It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself (towards that town), and Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away. This is basic meaning of the Hadith; we have quoted it in full elsewhere. 

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: (Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins...'') Allah invites all to His forgiveness; those who claim that the Messiah is God, those who claim that the Messiah is the son of God, those who claim that `Uzayr is the son of God, those who claim that Allah is poor, those who claim that the Hand of Allah is tied up, and those who say that Allah is the third of three ﴿Trinity﴾. 

Allah says to all of these: 

(Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (5:74). And He calls to repentance the one who says something even worse than that, the one who says, `I am your Lord most high,' and says: ("I know not that you have a god other than me.'') (28:38). 

Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Anyone who makes the servants of Allah despair of His mercy after this, has rejected the Book of Allah, but a person cannot repent until Allah decrees that he should repent.'' 

At-Tabarani recorded that Shutayr bin Shakal said, "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say, `The greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah is: ( اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) (2:255).

The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an concerning good and evil is: 

( إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإْحْسَانِ Verily, Allah enjoins justice and Al-Ihsan) (16:90).

And the Ayah in the Qur'an which brings the most relief is in Surat Az-Zumar: 

(قُلْ يعِبَادِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لاَ تَقْنَطُواْ مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ Say: "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah.') 

And the clearest Ayah in the Qur'an about reliance on Allah is: 

(وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاًوَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ and whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine) (65:2-3).' Masruq said to him; `You have spoken the truth.'

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Sc... "whenever the sinner repents and turns to Him": cf., for instance, 6:54 - "Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy - so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] much forgiving, a dispenser of grace"; or 4:110 - "he who does evil or [otherwise] sins against himself, and thereafter prays God to forgive him, shall find God much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace". 

Tafsir Ibnu Kastir: [5] Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “This was revealed about the people of Mecca who said: ‘Muhammad claims that whoever has worshipped idols and killed souls which Allah has made inviolable will not be forgiven; how are we expected to embrace Islam and migrate when we have in the past worshipped other deities besides Allah and killed souls which Allah has made inviolable?’ And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. 

Said Ibn ‘Umar: “This verse was revealed about ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid and a group of people who had accepted Islam but later on renounced it after being tortured and tried. We used to say: ‘Allah will never accept the repentance or return of these people; people who renounced their religion because of some torture they faced’. And so this verse was revealed. ‘Umar was a scribe. He wrote the verse and sent it to ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid and those people. They embraced Islam and migrated to Medina”. 

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Sarraj informed us, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Kazari, ‘Ali ibn‘Abd al-‘Aziz, al-Qasim ibn Salam> Hajjaj, Ibn Jurayj, Ya‘la ibn Muslim, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Ibn ‘Abbas who related that some idolaters who had killed a great number of people and committed adultery numerous times went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: “What you say and call people to is fine, if only you inform us that there is an expiation for the wrongs that we have committed. And so this verse was revealed (Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah)”. This was narrated by Bukhari, Ibrahim ibn Musa, Hisham ibn Yusuf, Ibn Jurayj. Abu Ishaq al-Muqri’ informed us, Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Dinawari, Abu Bakr ibn Khurjah>Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Sulayman, Muhammad ibn al-‘Ala’, Yunus ibn Bukayr, Muhammad ibnIshaq, Nafi‘, Ibn ‘Umar. ‘Umar who said: “When we gathered for migration, myself, ‘Ayyash ibn AbiRabi‘ah and Hisham ibn al-‘As ibn Wa’il set an appointment between us. We said: ‘We shall meet at al-Manasif, Banu Ghifar’s site for entering Ihram. If some of us do not make it, it means they have been stopped and the others should proceed ahead’. ‘Ayyash and I made it but Hisham was stopped and was tortured until he renounced Islam. We then made it to Medina. We used to say: ‘Allah will never accept the repentance of these people: they have known Allah and His Messenger but then renounced their faith because of a worldly affliction that has befallen them’. But Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah) up to His words (Is not the home of the scorners in Hell?) [39:60]”. ‘Umar said: “I wrote these verses with my own hands and sent them to Hisham”. Hisham said: “When I received the verses, I went to Tuwa and prayed ‘O Allah, grant me understanding of these verses. I knew then that they were revealed about us; I therefore mounted my camel and joined the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace”. 

It is also related that this verse was revealed about Wahshiyy, the killer of Hamzah, may Allah’s mercy and good pleasure be with him. We have already mentioned this at the end of Surah al-Furqan. 

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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