إِلَّا مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْنًۢا بَعْدَ سُوٓءٍ فَإِنِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 11
Translations
Otherwise, he who wrongs, then substitutes good after evil - indeed, I am Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Illa man zalama thumma baddala husnan ba'da su'in fa'inni ghafurun rahimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes Allah's reassurance to Prophet Musa (Moses) by clarifying that His mercy extends to all except those who persist in wrongdoing without repentance. However, even for those who commit injustice, if they subsequently replace their evil deeds with righteous conduct, Allah's forgiveness and mercy are guaranteed. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse demonstrates Allah's attribute of Rahmah (mercy) and His desire to accept sincere repentance, establishing that no sin is unforgivable for the one who genuinely turns back to Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah An-Naml, a Meccan surah that recounts stories of the prophets and divine mercy. The verse is part of Allah's dialogue with Musa, following His command to call Pharaoh to monotheism. The context emphasizes that despite the burden of prophetic mission and the apparent power of oppressors, Allah's mercy encompasses all who repent, providing solace to the Prophet and the early Muslim community facing persecution.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, 'Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you would be pleased with finding his lost camel in the desert' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), highlighting the theme of Allah's eagerness to accept repentance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no one is beyond redemption if they sincerely turn away from wrongdoing and reform themselves; the door to Allah's forgiveness remains open throughout one's life. For modern believers, this provides profound hope and encouragement to seek repentance without despair, knowing that Allah's mercy supersedes His punishment for those who genuinely change.
Related Ayahs
فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
And those who have believed and done righteous deeds - for them is forgiveness and noble provision.
فَمَن تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allāh will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
سَابِقُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Race [i.e., compete] toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allāh and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allāh which He gives to whom He wills, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.