وَأَنِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَـٰعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِى فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ 3
Translations
And [saying], "Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor [i.e., reward]. But if you turn away, then indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day.
Transliteration
Wa an istagh-firu Rabbakum thumma tubu ilayhi yumatti'kum mata'an hasanan ila ajalin musamman wa yu'ti kulla dhi fadlin fadlahu wa in tawallaw fa inni akhaf alaikum adhaba yawmin kabir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a comprehensive divine offer: if people seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him, He will grant them good sustenance until an appointed term and bestow His favors upon those deserving of them. Conversely, if they turn away from this message, the Prophet is commanded to warn them of the severe punishment of the Day of Judgment. Ibn Kathir emphasizes this as an invitation to repentance and obedience, while Al-Tabari notes the emphasis on both seeking forgiveness and genuine repentance (turning back to Allah) as prerequisites for divine blessings.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the early Meccan period of Surah Hud, where Prophet Hud is addressing his people. The broader context shows the recurring Quranic pattern of prophets inviting their nations to monotheism, repentance, and righteous conduct, while warning of consequences for rejection. The ayah encapsulates the core message of all prophets: turning to Allah brings blessing; turning away brings punishment.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and ask forgiveness from Allah, and He would forgive them.' This hadith reinforces the emphasis on seeking forgiveness and repentance as mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
True blessing from Allah is contingent upon sincere repentance and seeking His forgiveness; turning away from divine guidance leads to accountability on the Day of Judgment. For contemporary believers, this ayah serves as a reminder that no matter how far one has strayed, returning to Allah through sincere repentance unlocks His infinite mercy and grace.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـٰهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۖ فَمَآ أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ ءَالِهَتُهُمُ ٱلَّتِى يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ لَّمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَمَا زَادُوهُمْ غَيْرَ تَتْبِيبٍ
And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. And they were not availed at all by their gods which they invoked other than Allāh when there came the command of your Lord. And they did not increase them in other than ruin.
فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌۢ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُۥ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
Then would you possibly leave [out] some of what is revealed to you, or is your breast constrained by it because they say, "Why has there not been sent down to him a treasure or come with him an angel?" But you are only a warner. And Allāh is Disposer of all things.
وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَـٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ
And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned."
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Those are the ones who will have lost themselves, and lost from them is what they used to invent.