وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَيَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ 15
Translations
And remove the fury in their [i.e., the believers'] hearts. And Allāh turns in forgiveness to whom He wills; and Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
Transliteration
Wa yudhhib ghayz qulubihim wa yatūbu Allāhu 'alā man yashā' wa Allāhu 'alīmun hakīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes a passage about Allah's promise to remove the rage and resentment from the hearts of the believers who fought against the polytheists, replacing their anger with contentment and peace. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as Allah's mercy in healing the psychological and emotional wounds inflicted by the disbelievers' persecution, while simultaneously affirming that repentance and forgiveness are matters of Allah's sovereign will—He grants tawbah (repentance and acceptance) to whom He wills. The ayah emphasizes Allah's perfect knowledge and wisdom in His decisions regarding who receives His grace.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah At-Tawbah, which was revealed after the Battle of Tabūk (9 AH). The surah addresses the hypocrites and those who made excuses for not participating in the military expedition, while also consoling the faithful believers who endured hardship and emotional turmoil from the conflict. This specific ayah provides comfort to the believers by promising divine solace and the removal of their inner pain.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2675) wherein the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself' relates thematically to the purification of hearts. Additionally, Sunan At-Tirmidhi (2504) records that the Prophet taught that Allah looks at hearts before deeds, connecting to the theme of heart-cleansing mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true peace comes not from worldly victory alone, but from Allah's healing of one's inner heart and the removal of destructive emotions like anger and hatred. For modern believers, it emphasizes reliance on Allah's will in matters of forgiveness and reconciliation, recognizing that healing emotional wounds requires divine intervention and submission to His wisdom.