إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا 60
Translations
Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.
Transliteration
Illā man tāba wa āmana wa ʿamila ṣāliḥan fa-ūlāʾika yadkhulūna al-jannata wa lā yuẓlamūna shayʾan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the exception to those who will face punishment: whoever repents, believes sincerely, and performs righteous deeds will enter Paradise and suffer no injustice whatsoever. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse demonstrates Allah's mercy and justice—repentance (tawbah) combined with genuine faith (īmān) and good works (ʿamal ṣāliḥ) are the keys to salvation, and those who meet these conditions receive complete protection from any diminishment of their reward or unfair treatment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Maryam's discussion of various prophets and their missions, following verses about those who reject faith and turn away from guidance. It comes as a reassurance and exception clause—while the surah warns of punishment for disbelief, this verse emphasizes that the door of repentance remains open. The surah itself addresses the Meccan disbelievers during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said: 'Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept their repentance' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Also related is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said: 'Verily, Allah accepts the repentance of His servant as long as the soul has not departed the body.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah offers profound hope to believers: regardless of past mistakes, sincere repentance combined with renewed faith and righteous conduct opens the path to Paradise. It teaches that Islam is fundamentally a religion of second chances, where Allah's mercy supersedes His punishment for those who genuinely turn back to Him.