وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ 43
Translations
And whoever is patient and forgives - indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of resolve.
Transliteration
Wa-laman sabara wa-ghafara inna dhalika lamin azmi al-umur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that whoever practices patience (sabr) and forgiveness (maghfirah) has indeed grasped one of the most resolute and noble of matters. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, 'azm al-umur (the determination of affairs) refers to the most important and difficult virtues—those requiring strong willpower and firm resolve. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that patience and forgiveness are not passive qualities but active demonstrations of spiritual strength, combining emotional restraint with moral magnanimity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ash-Shuraa, which discusses divine guidance, consultation, and moral conduct. The broader passage (42:40-43) addresses the response to wrongdoing: one may retaliate equally, or one may choose the higher path of forgiveness. This ayah concludes that section by affirming that forgiveness coupled with patience represents the highest moral resolution.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger' (Sahih Bukhari 5763). Additionally, 'Whoever restrains their anger when they have the power to act upon it, Allah will fill their heart with contentment on the Day of Judgment' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4189).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true strength lies not in revenge or retaliation, but in the disciplined choice to forgive and remain patient—a practice that requires greater inner fortitude than any physical confrontation. For modern believers, it emphasizes that spiritual maturity is measured by our ability to control our emotions and extend compassion even when wronged.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
And those who are patient, seeking the face [i.e., acceptance] of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home -
۞ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًا
[Al-Khiḍr] said, "Did I not tell you that with me you would never be able to have patience?"
فَٱصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَـٰرِ
So be patient, [O Muḥammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.
وَٱصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And be patient, for indeed, Allāh does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.