وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ 90
Translations
And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Affectionate."
Transliteration
Wa-staghfiroo rabbakum thumma tooboo ilayhi, inna rabbee rahimun wadood
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes the message of the Prophet Shu'ayb to his people, calling them to seek forgiveness (istighfar) from Allah and repent (tawbah) to Him, emphasizing that Allah is both merciful (rahimun) and affectionate/loving (wadood). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this dual emphasis on divine mercy and compassionate love is meant to encourage repentance by showing that Allah desires the reformation of His servants and will accept their return to Him with gentleness and compassion.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Hud, which recounts stories of various prophets and their peoples. It specifically concludes Shu'ayb's exhortation to the people of Madyan (the Midianites), who were engaged in fraud and cheating in commerce. The call to repentance here is framed as a merciful invitation despite their persistent wrongdoing.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him" (Sahih Muslim 2703). Additionally, "The best of you are those who repent the most" (Tirmidhi 2499) reflects the Quranic emphasis on the value of sincere repentance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no matter how far one has strayed, Allah's mercy and affection towards His servants remain, making sincere repentance and seeking forgiveness always possible and always welcomed. Believers should approach repentance with confidence in Allah's compassionate nature rather than despair, knowing that return to Him is met with loving acceptance.
Related Ayahs
وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا ثُمَّ ٱهْتَدَىٰ
But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allāh and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allāh? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.
أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُۥ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
So will they not repent to Allāh and seek His forgiveness? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
فَمَن تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allāh will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.