وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ذُو ٱلرَّحْمَةِ ۖ لَوْ يُؤَاخِذُهُم بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۚ بَل لَّهُم مَّوْعِدٌ لَّن يَجِدُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦ مَوْئِلًا 58
Translations
And your Lord is the Forgiving, the possessor of mercy. If He were to impose blame upon them for what they earned, He would have hastened for them the punishment. Rather, for them is an appointment from which they will never find an escape.
Transliteration
Wa rabbukal ghafuru dhu ar-rahmah; law yu'akhidhuhum bima kasabu la'ajjala lahum al-adhab; bal lahum maw'idun lan yajidu min dunihee maw'ila
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's attributes of forgiveness and mercy, teaching that if He were to immediately punish people for their sins, punishment would come swiftly and inescapably. Instead, Allah has appointed a final Day of Judgment from which there is no escape or refuge, demonstrating His wisdom in delaying punishment to allow opportunity for repentance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir highlight how this verse balances divine justice with divine mercy, showing that Allah's forbearance does not mean impunity—the ultimate reckoning is certain.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Kahf's broader themes about divine wisdom, patience, and the certainty of the afterlife. It follows discussions about those who reject faith and serves as a warning that divine patience is temporary, reinforcing the surah's emphasis on accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
Hadith from Sahih Muslim (2758): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'If Allah were to punish people for their wrongdoing, He would not leave upon it a creature, but He gives them respite to a specified term.' This directly illustrates the concept of divine forbearance mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that while Allah's mercy delays immediate punishment, encouraging repentance and reform, ultimate accountability before Allah is inescapable and certain. We should therefore use the respite we are given in this life to correct ourselves and draw closer to Allah, not become complacent in our disobedience.
Related Ayahs
وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ خُبْرًا
And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water, and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَـٰسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا
And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.
۞ مَّآ أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ ٱلْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا
I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.