يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّمَن فِىٓ أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَسْرَىٰٓ إِن يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْرًا مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 70
Translations
O Prophet, say to whoever is in your hands of the captives, "If Allāh knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful."
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha an-nabiyyu qul liman fi aydikum mina al-asra in yalam Allah fi qulubikum khayran yu'atikum khayran mimma ukhidha minkum wa yaghfir lakum wa-Allah ghafurun rahimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell the prisoners of war that if Allah knows goodness in their hearts (i.e., sincere repentance and faith), He will grant them something better than what was taken from them and forgive their sins. This ayah emphasizes Allah's mercy and the opportunity for redemption even for those who were enemies, encouraging sincere faith as a means of divine reward and forgiveness. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this verse offers hope to the captives while teaching believers about the transformative power of genuine repentance and Allah's infinite mercy.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of prisoners taken at the Battle of Badr (2 AH), one of the first major battles in Islamic history. It addresses the treatment of war captives and establishes a compassionate Islamic approach by inviting them to Islam and offering divine mercy as an incentive, rather than treating them solely as captives of war.
Related Hadiths
The ransom and treatment of prisoners from Badr are discussed in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Maghazi). Additionally, the principle of sincere repentance leading to forgiveness is reinforced in the hadith: 'Repentance erases all sins that came before it' (Sunan Ibn Majah and other collections).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true transformation comes through sincere faith and repentance, and that Allah's mercy extends to all regardless of their past circumstances. It reminds believers to look beyond material loss and recognize that spiritual gain—through faith and forgiveness—surpasses any worldly deprivation.