رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِى نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا۟ صَـٰلِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّٰبِينَ غَفُورًا 25
Translations
Your Lord is most knowing of what is within yourselves. If you should be righteous [in intention] - then indeed He is ever, to the often returning [to Him], Forgiving.
Transliteration
Rabbukum a'lamu bima fee nufoosakum; in takoonoo saliheen fa'innahu kana lil-awwabeen ghafoor
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah asserts that Allah knows what lies within the hearts and souls of humanity, and emphasizes His knowledge of innermost intentions and thoughts. The verse then offers reassurance that for those who are righteous and turn back to Allah in repentance (al-awwabun), He is indeed Most Forgiving. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse addresses both the omniscience of Allah and the condition of righteousness as a pathway to His mercy, connecting divine knowledge with human moral responsibility.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan surah that addresses the polytheists of Mecca regarding matters of belief, morality, and the consequences of rejecting divine guidance. The verse is part of a broader passage discussing obedience to parents and proper conduct, offering reassurance to believers that despite their hidden struggles, Allah's mercy is accessible through righteousness and repentance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Allah does not look at your bodies or your wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds' (Sahih Muslim 2564). This hadith complements the ayah's emphasis on Allah's knowledge of inner states beyond outward appearances.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that while Allah is fully aware of our innermost thoughts and intentions, His mercy remains accessible to those who strive for righteousness and genuinely repent. It encourages sincere self-reflection and moral reformation, knowing that Allah judges not merely by outward actions but by the state of one's heart and commitment to turning back to Him.
Related Ayahs
نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِۦٓ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَىٰٓ إِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسْحُورًا
We are most knowing of how they listen to it when they listen to you and [of] when they are in private conversation, when the wrongdoers say, "You follow not but a man affected by magic."
وَإِن كَادُوا۟ لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِىَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُۥ ۖ وَإِذًا لَّٱتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا
And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَـٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا
[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."
ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ ٱلْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَـٰكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا
Then We gave back to you a return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower.