The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Al-Taḥrīm – Verse 8

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا توبوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوبَةً نَصوحًا عَسىٰ رَبُّكُم أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُم سَيِّئَاتِكُم وَيُدخِلَكُم جَنّاتٍ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ يَومَ لا يُخزِي اللَّهُ النَّبِيَّ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَهُ ۖ نورُهُم يَسعىٰ بَينَ أَيديهِم وَبِأَيمانِهِم يَقولونَ رَبَّنا أَتمِم لَنا نورَنا وَاغفِر لَنا ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

O you who have faith! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance! Maybe your Lord will absolve you of your misdeeds and admit you into gardens with streams running in them, on the day when Allah will not let the Prophet down and the faithful who are with him. Their light will move swiftly before them and on their right. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us! Indeed You have power over all things.’

EXEGESIS

Naṣūḥ (sincere) comes from the word nuṣḥ, meaning to exhort in word or deed to that which would benefit one’s friend, as we have elsewhere, My exhorting (nuṣḥī) will not benefit you, much as I may seek to exhort (anṣaḥa) you (11:34).‎[1] The literal meaning of the word is to be sincere or pure.‎[2] Hence, the naṣūḥ repentance is the one in which a person ‘exhorts themselves to sincere regret, whilst also making a firm decision not to return to the same evil’.‎[3] Nuṣḥ also has the meaning of sowing or patching something together.‎[4] Hence, some have said that just as sin tears apart one’s faith, the naṣūḥ repentance patches it back, or reattaches one back to the good servants of God.‎[5]

As with verse 5, the term ʿasā (maybe) is once again utilised. As we mentioned there, many scholars were of the opinion that ʿasā has the meaning of compulsoriness (wujūb) when used in conjunction with God, rendering it a promise in effect. ‎[6] Here, also, we may say that certainly God has promised to forgive the transgressions of those who sincerely repent, as He says: But whoever repents after his wrongdoing, and reforms, then Allah shall accept his repentance (5:39).‎[7] The translation of this term to maybe is appropriate though, as it alludes to the fact that the believer never knows for certain whether his repentance has been accepted.‎[8]

Yukaffira (absolve) derives from the root kufr, which literally means to cover something.‎[9] Here it means that God will cover or hide the sins and misdeeds of those who sincerely repent, so it will seem as if they had never committed those actions.

Yukhzī (let down) comes from the word khizy, which literally means humiliating (tadhlīl), disgracing (iftiḍāḥ), and abasing (ihānah).‎[10] This abasement may occur already in this life: So Allah made them taste disgrace (khizy) in the life of the world (39:26); or it may be in the hereafter: Our Lord, give us what You have promised us through Your apostles, and do not disgrace us (tukhzinā) on the Day of Resurrection (3:194). The latter refers to the punishment of hell,‎[11] Our Lord, whoever that You make enter the fire will surely have been disgraced (akhzaytah) by You (3:192). Hence, the verse warns the believers that if they have sinned, they should repent sincerely or else they will face the same disgrace and abasement as the faithless on the Day of Judgement.

EXPOSITION

Once again the address changes, turning away from the faithless and back to the faithful. This time they are commanded to repent for any misdeeds, however this repentance should not be on their tongues only – meaning an outward one – but it should be one that comes from their hearts, with sincerity. While the address is a general one to all the believers, in the context of the surah this is also a specific admonition to the wives of the Prophet, reminding them that simply apologising would not be sufficient if it is not accompanied by internal change. Naturally, it is also a glad tiding in that mistakes need not doom one to damnation, but they can be atoned for with sincere repentance.

Sincere repentance (as discussed in the coming sections) is conditioned by a firm decision not to return to that sin and to make amends. Making amends could mean performing duties one abandoned, for example by performing prayers one might have missed; or it could mean giving back the rights of others, for example by returning what one had taken unjustly, or apologising to those one had wronged.

God mentions five significant rewards promised to those who sincerely repent. Not only will all their sins be forgiven, those misdeeds will be wiped away as if they had never existed in the first place. Thirdly, they will be given peace of mind and body on the Day of Judgement when other people will be filled with worry and will have to go through the difficult stages of it, and have their misdeeds revealed. Fourthly, they will be granted a light that will guide them on the Day of Judgement. Fifthly, they will be given the glad tidings of the gardens of paradise and will be granted entry therein.‎[12]

As the previous two verses described the terrible punishment of hell, this verse reassures the faithful that they should not despair of the hereafter, even if they have burdened themselves with sin. God promises that just like He will protect His Messenger from the ordeals of the Day of Judgement,‎[13] He will also not let down the faithful who are with him, and will not let them suffer the same fate as the disbelievers.

Tabatabai also points out that the verse describes the faithful as not only believing in the Prophet, but also that they are with him. This additional attribute acts as a subtle reminder that simply believing in the Prophet is not sufficient, rather the faithful must accompany him in their actions and lives and manners, without disobeying him.‎[14] This is a significant point, as it ties into the earlier themes about the qualities believers should have and their attitude towards the Messenger.

The verse then mentions that a light moves in front of the believers on that day. This light is a manifestation of their faith and good deeds that guides them on the Day of Judgement towards their reward that they have earned through those good deeds, as God has promised them they shall have their reward and their light (57:19). However, because of their sins some of these faithful may suffer from trepidation on that day, unsure if God has accepted their repentance and forgiven them. Thus, they ask for God for the perfection of that light, that it should see them to their final destination and abode, saying Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us, just like a nervous passenger in an airplane on a stormy day might pray to God to keep the plane intact until it reaches its destination. This trepidation ties into the earlier use of Maybe when discussing forgiveness of sins, as they are unsure if their sins have truly been forgiven, and that is why they still plead for forgiveness on the Day of Judgement.

Another possibility is that no one, not even the Prophet, may enter paradise without the mercy of God, as actions alone cannot earn the unending reward of paradise. Thus, they pray that God forgives them and encompasses them in His mercy.‎[15]

Tabatabai argues that the light moving before them is the light of faith, and the one moving on their right is the light of actions. He further adds that because these believers have shortcomings in both, they ask for God to perfect it for them.‎[16]

Faḍl-Allāh considers the light moving before them as the light of their actions that they had put forward for the Day of Judgement, and the light on their right to be the good effects of those actions that had lingered after them.‎[17]

For a more detailed discussion on this light, see the commentary on verse 57:12.

The verse ends with the exaltation You have power over all things, meaning that God has the power to complete the light of the believers and to forgive their sins.‎[18]

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. It is reported from Muhammad ibn al-Fuḍayl that Imam al-Riḍā (a) said concerning the statement O you who have faith! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance: ‘[It means] the servant should repent and then not return to it. Verily, the most beloved of God’s servants to God is the God-fearing and repentant.’‎[19]
  2. It is reported through Ibn Abbas that Muʿādh ibn Jabal said to the Prophet: ‘O Messenger of God, what is the sincere repentance?’ To which the Prophet replied: ‘That one repents and does not return to it, just like milk does not return to the udder.’‎[20]
  3. It is reported that Abū al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Kinānī asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) regarding the meaning of sincere repentance, to which he replied: ‘That a servant repents for his sin and does not return to it.’‎[21]
  4. It is reported through ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Sinān from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Sincere repentance means that the within of a man should be like his without, and [even] better.’‎[22]
  5. It is reported through Abū Baṣīr from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) concerning the meaning of sincere repentance: ‘It is fasting on Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday.’‎[23]

Note: Ṣadūq has explained that it means it is good for a person intending to sincerely repent to fast these three days as a sign of their sincerity in repentance.

  1. It is reported that a man said in the presence of Imam Ali (a): ‘I seek the forgiveness of God.’ The Imam said: ‘May your mother be deprived of you. Do you know what is seeking forgiveness (istighfār)? Seeking forgiveness is the status of the lofty ones, and it is a name that encompasses six meanings: firstly, to regret that which has occurred. Secondly, to decide firmly not to return to it ever again. Thirdly, to return to people their rights, so that you may meet God without any blemishes nor anyone hounding you. Fourthly, that you determine to fulfil every obligation that you neglected and make restitution for it. Fifthly, that you turn your attention to the flesh that grew due to illicit gains and dissolve it in sorrows until the skin sticks to the bones and then new flesh grows between them. Sixthly, that the body should taste the pain of obedience as it tasted the sweetness of disobedience. Only after that should you say “I seek the forgiveness of God”.’‎[24]
  2. Imam al-Sajjād (a) says in a supplication: ‘O my Lord, if regret is repentance, then I am the most regretful of those who regret.’‎[25]

Notes: It is clear in the narrations that sincere repentance entails regret and not wishing to return to that sin. Hadith 5 is perhaps illustrating an example of a practical way in which to return to obedience. Hadith 6 should not discourage one from repenting, rather it is meant to illustrate that repenting is not simply saying ‘may God forgive me’ with one’s tongue, without any internal or external changes in one’s behaviour and thinking. According to Majlisī, only the first two qualities are conditions for repentance and the rest are related to the perfection of penitence.‎[26]

Based on these reports, we may conclude that sincere repentance has five stages: abandoning the sinful act, regretting it in one’s heart, making a firm decision to never repeat that act again in the future, making amends for past transgressions, and finally seeking forgiveness from God.‎[27]

Hadith 2 is also beautiful in that it points out that some of the sincerest forms of repentance can cause such a significant change in a person that they see returning to sin as an impossibility. This does not mean that repeat offenders did not sincerely repent the first time, however the perfection of that repentance is when it eventually leads to abandoning the sin altogether.‎[28]

  1. It is reported from Muʿāwiyah ibn Wahab that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘When a servant repents sincerely, God will love him and cover him in this world and the hereafter.’ He then asked the Imam: ‘How will He cover him?’ The Imam (a) replied: ‘He will make his two angels forget what they had written against him concerning his sins and will reveal to his limbs: “Hide his sins for him.” He will also reveal to the far reaches of the earth: “Hide what sins he had committed [whilst] upon you.” Then he meets God when he meets Him, and there will be nothing that will bear witness against him regarding his sins.’‎[29]
  2. It is reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘The Imams of the believers will move swiftly before them and on their right on the Day of Judgement, until they accompany them to their abodes in paradise.’‎[30]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

The exegetes have mentioned different opinions regarding the meaning of sincere repentance:

  1. Kalbī reportedly said it is: ‘To seek forgiveness with the tongue and hold on to it with the body.’‎[31]
  2. Saʿīd ibn Jubayr reportedly said it is: ‘The accepted repentance, and repentance is not accepted unless it has three [qualities]: fear that it is not accepted, and hope that it is accepted, and continuation in obedience.’‎[32]
  3. Ibn Abbas and others have explained it as one who seeks forgiveness and then does not return to that sin.‎[33]
  4. From Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, that it means the repentance in which one exhorts oneself to be good.‎[34]
  5. From Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, that it should be as if the sin is manifest in front of his eyes and he should never cease to perceive it.‎[35]
  6. From Thawbān ibn Ibrāhīm, that it is speaking little, eating little, and sleeping little.‎[36]
  7. From Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī, that its signs are three: resisting desires, crying profusely, and enduring hunger and thirst.‎[37]

Thaʿlabī says there are over twenty opinions mentioned at his time for the meaning of sincere repentance.‎[38] It is clear that these are all attempts to point at different aspects and expressions of sincere repentance, some of which are mere personal opinion.

It is reported that Ibn Abbas was of the opinion that the light spoken of in the verse means ‘the light of their book [of deeds]’.‎[39] Ṭabarī specifies that this refers to the light which is on their right.‎[40] Rāzī adds that the light moving before them is the light that guides them while they are making their way to the accounting.‎[41] For Ibn Arabi, the light before them is the manifestation of the degree of the perfection of knowledge, and the light on their right is their actions. He also suggests a second possibility that the light of the forerunners (sābiqūn) runs before them, and the light of the righteous (abrār) runs on their right.‎[42] All of these are simply speculations; what is certain is that (based on verse 57:12) the light is specific to the righteous believers, meaning it is somehow a manifestation of their faith and actions.

There is some uncertainty regarding whether or not the Prophet is included in the statement They will say. Tabatabai argues that there are two separate sentences here. In the first, God states that He will not let down the Prophet, and in the second, He relates the plea of perfecting the light and forgiveness of sins that is requested by the faithful (only).‎[43] If we accept his understanding then the verse should be translated as: on the day when Allah will not let the Prophet down; and the faithful are with him. Their light will move swiftly before them and on their right. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light …’ Rāzī, on the other hand, argues that the plea includes all the believers as well as the Prophet and other infallibles. Based on this, he concludes that the plea is not for forgiveness of sins since the infallibles have none, but rather a plea for overlooking shortcomings.‎[44]

Hasan al-Baṣrī and Mujāhid are said to have interpreted this to mean that the believers are fearful their light will go out on that day like the light of the hypocrites goes out, so they pray that God complete for them their light by not letting it go out.‎[45] In another opinion attributed to Hasan al-Baṣrī, he says that their light is perfected and they know it, but they ask this from God anyway as an act of humility to draw closer to Him.‎[46]

Zamakhsharī relates that some have put forward another opinion, saying that the brightness of one’s light will be based on their actions, so for some their light is very faint, enough to only see where they are stepping, so they pray that God perfects that light for them so it may become brighter. He says this is why some cross the bridge of ṣirāṭ swiftly, whilst others stumble and struggle.‎[47] Tustarī argues that perfecting the light refers to meeting God, as He is the illuminator.‎[48]

Zamakhsharī also relates that some have asked concerning this verse that why should the believers be fearful on that day and pray for God to perfect their light when they know that God has said in the Quran that a believer is one who arrives safely on the Day of Resurrection (41:40), and that God promises them that those who follow My guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve (2:38), and that The great terror will not upset them (21:103). To this he replies that they do so out of human nature, even though they believe that God will protect them.‎[49]     

Rāzī muses that the believers are called to repent today so that they may be called believers in the hereafter, or else they will be of the faithless addressed in the previous verse.‎[50]

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

  1. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.‎[51]
  2. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.‎[52]
  3. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.‎[53]
  4. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.‎[54]
  5. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.‎[55]
  6. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.‎[56]
  7. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.‎[57]
  8. For we walk by faith, not by sight.‎[58]
  9. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.‎[59]
  10. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?‎[60]
  11. I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.‎[61] 
[1] Raghib, p. 808.
[2] Lisan, 2/616, like the pure honey (ʿasal naṣūḥ), which has been purified from wax; see also Alusi, 14/352.
[3] Tibyan, 10/51; Razi, 30/573. Suddī also adds that in addition to exhorting himself the repentant would exhort others too, since the one whose repentance is authentic would wish others to be like him; see Zamakhshari, 4/569.
[4] Lisan, 2/616-617.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/478; Razi, 30/573.
[6] Tibyan, 10/51; Tabrisi, 10/475; Tantawi, 14/473; Nemuneh, 24/283; Razi, 30/571; Qurtubi, 18/193.
[7] See also for example 20:82.
[8] There is some discussion amongst theologians on whether God must accept sincere repentance or not. The Mutazilites were apparently of the opinion that this is required based on rational evidence, whereas the Asharites naturally rejected such rational evidence, but agreed with the conclusion based on transmitted evidence (naql). Some, like al-Nawawī, said it is not an obligation on God, but rather He accepts it out of magnanimity. See Alusi, 14/355 for more.
[9] Raghib, p. 714.
[10] Lisan, 14/226.
[11] Tabrisi, 10/478.
[12] See also Nemuneh, 24/293 for a similar list.
[13] For many exegetes, not letting down the Prophet is generally said to mean that his intercession will not be refused. See for example Razi, 30/573; Tustari, p. 171.
[14] Mizan, 19/336. Razi, 30/574, argues that it is mentioned to honour the believers, as accompanying the Prophet should be a great merit for them.
[15] It has been narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī and others that the Prophet said: ‘No one will enter paradise except through the mercy of God.’ They then asked him: ‘O Messenger of God, and you too?’ to which he replied: ‘Not even I, unless God encompasses me in His mercy.’ See Ahmad, 3/52; Bukhari, 7/10; Muslim, 8/139; Bayhaqi, 3/18.
[16] Mizan, 19/336. The similar reason for their prayer is mentioned in Baydawi, 5/226.
[17] Fadlallah, 22/324.
[18] Tabrisi, 10/478; Tabari, 28/108-109.
[19] Qummi, 2/377.
[20] Tabrisi, 10/477; Suyuti, 6/244.
[21] Kafi, 2/432; almost the exact same narration is also reported from the Prophet, see Suyuti, 6/244-245.
[22] Maani, p. 174; Wasail, 16/77; Nur, 5/373.
[23] Maani, p. 174; Nur, 5/373.
[24] Nahj, saying 417; a very similar narration is present in other sources such as Zamakhshari, 4/569, and Baydawi, 5/225. In the latter it is related that Imam Ali (a) was asked about repentance and he said it has six conditions: ‘Regretting past sins, completing obligatory actions, returning the rights of those wronged, seeking absolution from those one quarrelled with, firmly deciding not to go back [to sin], and habituating (turabbī) yourself to the obedience of God just as you habituated yourself to disobedience.’
[25] Sahifah, supplication 31. The statement ‘regret is repentance’ is narrated from the Prophet in many narrations; see for example Ahmad, 1/376; Ibn Majah, 2/1420; Mustadrak.S, 4/243; Bayhaqi, 10/154.
[26] Majlisi, 6/37.
[27] Nemuneh, 24/289-290.
[28] Nemuneh, 24/291.
[29] Kafi, 2/430-431; Thawab, p. 171; Nur, 5/374.
[30] Tabrisi, 10/478.
[31] Tabrisi, 10/478.
[32] Tabrisi, 10/478.
[33] Tabari, 28/108.
[34] Thalabi, 9/350.
[35] Thalabi, 9/350.
[36] Thalabi, 9/350.
[37] Thalabi, 9/350.
[38] Thalabi, 9/352.
[39] Tibyan, 10/52.
[40] Tabari, 28/108.
[41] Razi, 30/573.
[42] Ibn Arabi, 2/353-354.
[43] Mizan, 19/336. He considers the faithful to be the subject, and with him to be its predicate. However, he admits it is just as valid to understand the verse in the other sense.
[44] Razi, 30/574.
[45] Tabari, 28/108. Razi attributes this opinion to Ibn Abbas (Razi, 30/573).
[46] Razi, 30/573.
[47] Zamakhshari, 4/570; see also Razi, 30/573.
[48] Tustari, p. 171.
[49] Zamakhshari, 4/570.
[50] Razi, 30/574.
[51] Acts 3:19.
[52] Isaiah 55:7.
[53] Ezekiel 14:6.
[54] Joel 2:12.
[55] Psalms 25:2.
[56] Romans 10:11.
[57] Psalms 91:11.
[58] 2 Corinthians 5:7.
[59] Psalms 119:105.
[60] Psalms 27:1.
[61] Job 42:2.