۞ قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ 53
Translations
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Transliteration
Qul ya 'ibadi alladhina asrafa 'ala anfusihim la taqnatu min rahmati allahi inna allaha yaghfiru al-dhunuba jami'an innahu huwa al-ghafuru al-rahimu
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is a divine call of mercy and hope, commanding the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inform those who have transgressed against themselves through sin not to despair of Allah's mercy, for He forgives all sins without exception. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that 'asrafa 'ala anfusihim (exceeded bounds against themselves) refers to those who have committed grievous sins, yet Allah's forgiveness encompasses all transgressions for those who repent. The ayah concludes by affirming two Divine attributes—Al-Ghafur (The Pardoner) and Al-Rahim (The Merciful)—establishing that forgiveness is intrinsic to Allah's nature.
Revelation Context
While this ayah does not have a specific asbab al-nuzul (occasion of revelation), it appears in the Meccan surah Az-Zumar during a period addressing various categories of people. The broader context of Surah Az-Zumar emphasizes monotheism and the consequences of shirk, making this ayah a compassionate counterpoint—assuring sincere believers that repentance remains possible regardless of the magnitude of their sins.
Related Hadiths
1) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you were to sin until your sins reached the heavens, then you asked Allah for forgiveness, He would forgive you' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). 2) Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Prophet said: 'Allah extends His hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at night, and extends His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the day' (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no sin is too great for Allah's forgiveness if one genuinely repents—a transformative message for those burdened by guilt or shame. For modern believers, it emphasizes that spiritual despair is itself a spiritual disease; true faith means maintaining hope in Allah's infinite mercy while actively pursuing sincere repentance and reformation.