وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ ۖ أَنَّهُۥ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوٓءًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 54
Translations
And when those come to you who believe in Our verses, say, "Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy: that any of you who does wrong out of ignorance and then repents after that and corrects himself - indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful."
Transliteration
Wa-idha ja'aka alladhina yu'minuna bi-ayatina faqul assalamu alaikum, kataba rabbuka ala nafsihi ar-rahmah, annahu man amila minkum su'an bi-jahalachin thumma taba min ba'dihi wa-aslaha fa-annahu ghafurun rahimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah instructs the Prophet Muhammad to greet the believers with 'As-salamu alaikum' (peace be upon you) when they come to him, establishing the Islamic greeting as a means of peace and mercy. Allah has prescribed upon Himself mercy, promising forgiveness and compassion to those who commit sins out of ignorance, then repent sincerely and reform their conduct. As Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note, this verse emphasizes that sincere repentance and righteous action following a sin are sufficient for Allah's forgiveness, reflecting the infinite mercy of the Divine.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period, this ayah comes in the context of Surah Al-An'am's discussion of faith, revelation, and Allah's attributes. It addresses the proper etiquette for the Prophet's interactions with believers and establishes the principle of repentance as a fundamental pathway to Allah's mercy in Islamic law.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said, 'All the children of Adam commit sins, but the best of those who commit sins are those who repent' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi, 2499). Additionally, 'Repentance wipes away sins as water washes away dirt' (various collections), exemplifying the principle established in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
No believer should despair of Allah's mercy, for sincere repentance coupled with righteous reform opens the door to forgiveness regardless of past mistakes. This verse teaches that our faith community is built on mercy and compassion, beginning with how we greet one another and extending to how we view ourselves and others in their journey toward spiritual improvement.