إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ 28
Translations
Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful."
Transliteration
Inna kunna min qablu nad'uwuh, innahu huwa al-barru ar-raheem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the righteous servants of Allah who testify that they used to invoke Him alone before this (referring to the final message or day of judgment), affirming His attributes of Al-Barr (The Most Kind/Dutiful) and Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, these verses represent the believers acknowledging their consistent devotion to Allah and His perfect attributes, contrasting with those who rejected faith. The ayah emphasizes that true servants recognize Allah's kindness and mercy as the foundation of their worship.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tur is a Meccan surah that deals with themes of the Day of Judgment, divine punishment for disbelievers, and reward for believers. This specific ayah appears in a passage (52:17-35) describing the blessings of Paradise and the grateful testimony of its inhabitants, providing comfort to early Muslims facing persecution in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The Most Merciful shows mercy to those who are merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy on you.' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1924). This relates thematically to recognizing Allah's mercy and reciprocating it.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that consistent devotion to Allah based on recognition of His kindness and mercy is the mark of true faith, and that believers should find encouragement in acknowledging His perfect attributes even amid life's trials.