رَّبَّنَآ إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِى لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَـَٔامَنَّا ۚ رَبَّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّـَٔاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ 193
Translations
Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die among the righteous.
Transliteration
Rabbana innana sami'na munadin yunadi lil-imani an aminu bi-rabbikum fa-amanna. Rabbana faghfir lana dhunubana wa-kaffir 'anna sayyiatina wa-tawaffana ma'a al-abrar.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the supplication of the believers who have responded to the call of Prophet Muhammad (the 'munadi' or caller) to believe in Allah, and now they turn to their Lord asking for forgiveness of their sins, expiation of their evil deeds, and a righteous death. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that this represents the complete journey of a believer—hearing the message, accepting faith, and then seeking Allah's mercy and purification. The ayah emphasizes that faith is not merely intellectual acceptance but leads to sincere repentance and a desire to die among the righteous.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a passage (3:191-200) describing the characteristics of the righteous believers (al-muttaqun) who reflect upon creation and respond to the divine call. The broader context of Surah Ali 'Imran addresses the People of the Book, establishes Islamic theology, and describes the qualities of those who truly believe, making this supplication a model for authentic believers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafah, and the best thing that I and the prophets before me have said is: There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, alone, without partner' (Tirmidhi). Related thematically: 'Whoever dies seeking knowledge, there is but one degree between him and the Prophets in Paradise' (Tirmidhi), reflecting the desire to die among the righteous (al-abrar).
Themes
Key Lesson
True belief requires both accepting the divine message and following it with sincere repentance and continuous supplication for Allah's mercy and guidance. The believer's ultimate hope should be to live righteously and depart this life in a state of faith and piety, alongside the righteous servants of Allah.