إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 89
Translations
Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Illa alladhina taboo min ba'di dhalika wa aslahoo fa inna Allaha ghafoorun raheem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah offers hope and redemption by stating that those who repent after their disbelief and wrongdoing, and reform themselves, will find that Allah is forgiving and merciful. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that sincere repentance (tawbah) combined with righteous action (islah) opens the door to Allah's boundless forgiveness, regardless of past transgressions. The verse demonstrates that no sin is too great for Allah's mercy if the person genuinely turns back to Him.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of those who reject faith and the consequences of their choices (verses 86-88). However, verse 89 interrupts the description of punishment to provide an exceptional case: those who repent are excluded from the preceding condemnation. This demonstrates the Qur'an's consistent theme that repentance is always available as a path to forgiveness.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept their repentance' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, 'All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent' (Sunan Ibn Majah and Sunan At-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
No matter how far one has strayed from the path of faith, sincere repentance combined with righteous reform can restore one's relationship with Allah. This verse teaches believers that divine mercy transcends human judgment and extends to all who genuinely turn back to Allah with contrite hearts.