وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا۟ هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ 37
Translations
And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive,
Transliteration
Wa alladhīna yajtanibūna kabā'ira al-ithmī wa al-fawāhisha wa idhā mā ghaḍibū hum yaghfirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the characteristics of the righteous servants of Allah who abstain from major sins and indecencies, and crucially, when they become angry, they exercise self-control and forgive others. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this represents a pinnacle of moral virtue—controlling one's anger despite provocation—while Al-Qurtubi notes that forgiveness in the state of anger demonstrates true spiritual strength and adherence to divine guidance, as anger naturally inclines one toward retaliation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within a passage (42:36-39) describing the attributes of those who have understood the message of Ash-Shuraa. The surah, revealed in Mecca during a period of Qureshi opposition to the Prophet Muhammad, emphasizes patience, consultation, and moral excellence as responses to adversity. This particular ayah contextualizes forgiveness as a direct response to anger, addressing the spiritual struggle of early believers facing persecution.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The strong man is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong man is the one who controls himself when angry' (Sahih Bukhari 6114). Additionally, Tirmidhi reports that controlling anger and forgiving others is among the qualities that grant one entry into Paradise.
Themes
Key Lesson
In our modern context, this ayah teaches that true strength lies not in suppressing anger or denying its existence, but in channeling it toward forgiveness and compassion—a practice that transforms personal disputes into opportunities for spiritual growth and reflects the mercy of Allah. For contemporary believers, this is a call to cultivate emotional intelligence and respond to provocation with the grace that Allah demonstrates toward His servants.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَآءُ قَدِيرٌ
And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is competent.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا۟ وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُۥ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ
And it is He who sends down the rain after they had despaired and spreads His mercy. And He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.
وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن وَلِىٍّ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۗ وَتَرَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ إِلَىٰ مَرَدٍّ مِّن سَبِيلٍ
And he whom Allāh sends astray - for him there is no protector beyond Him. And you will see the wrongdoers, when they see the punishment, saying, "Is there for return [to the former world] any way?"
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَـٰٓؤُا۟ شَرَعُوا۟ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ ٱلْفَصْلِ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Or have they partners [i.e., other deities] who have ordained for them a religion to which Allāh has not consented? But if not for the decisive word, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.