Repentance and Redemption: A Call to the Guilty
Ayahs Covered
Common Words
Other Scholars on These Ayahs
God exalted be He says ‘Surely those who chose the calf as a god. wrath chastisement and abasement shall come upon them from their Lord in the life of this world and so they were punished for this dee...
But those who commit evil deeds and repent desist from them thereafter and believe in God — indeed your Lord thereafter that is after repentance is truly Forgiving Merciful’ towards them.
Related Hadiths
Whatever you assert and whatever you call to is indeed good. But if you inform us that there is atonement of our past deeds (then we would embrace Islam). Then it was revealed: And those who call not...
Some people used to kill, and they did a great deal of it, and they used to commit adultery and they did a great deal of it, and they committed violations. They came to the Prophet and said: "O Muham...
"A man from among the Ansar accepted Islam, then he apostatized and went back to Shirk. Then he regretted that, and sent word to his people (saying): 'Ask the Messenger of Allah and said: 'So and so ...
“If you were to commit sin until your sins reach the heaven, then you were to repent, your repentance would be accepted.”
Ibn Kathir Commentary
Related Tafsir
Repentance and Redemption: A Call to the Guilty
فَتُوبُواْ إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
(So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the guilty), that will be better for you before your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.) 2:54 As for the humiliation mentioned in the Ayah, it pertains to the disgrace and humiliation that the Jews suffered in the life of this world. Allah's statement,
وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُفْتَرِينَ
(Thus do We recompense those who invent lies) is for all those who invent an innovation (in religion). Surely, the disgrace resulting from inventing an innovation (in religion) and defying Allah's Message, will be placed in the heart and from there on to the shoulders. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said; "The disgrace of innovation will weigh on their shoulders even if they were to gallop on their mules or trot on their work horses." Ayyub As-Sakhtiyani narrated from Abu Qilabah Al-Jarmi that he commented on this Ayah,
وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُفْتَرِينَ
(Thus do We recompense those who invent lies.) "By Allah! This Ayah is for all those who invent a lie, until the Day of Resurrection." Also, Sufyan bin `Uyaynah said, "Every person who invents a Bid`ah (innovation in the religion) will taste disgrace."Allah tells His servants that He accepts repentance from His servants for any sin, even Shirk, Kufr, hypocrisy and disobedience. Allah said:
وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِهَا وَءَامَنُواْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ
(But those who committed evil deeds and then repented afterwards and believed, verily, your Lord) O Muhammad, Messenger of Repentance and Prophet of Mercy,
مِن بَعْدِهَا
(after that) after committing that evil action,
لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Ibn Abi Hatim reported that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud was asked about a man committing fornication with a woman and then marrying her, and Ibn Mas`ud recited this Ayah,
وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِهَا وَءَامَنُواْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(But those who committed evil deeds and then repented afterwards and believed, verily, your Lord after (all) that is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) `Abdullah recited this Ayah ten times, neither allowing nor disallowing it.