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An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 17of 176

إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِجَهَٰلَةٍۢ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍۢ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا﴿١٧

Translation (Sahih International)

The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

Word-by-word meaning

إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
ٱلتَّوْبَةُl-tawbatuthe acceptance of repentance
عَلَىʿalāby
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
لِلَّذِينَlilladhīna(is) for those who
يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūnado
ٱلسُّوٓءَl-sūathe evil
بِجَهَـٰلَةٍۢbijahālatinin ignorance
ثُمَّthummathen
يَتُوبُونَyatūbūnathey repent
مِنminfrom
قَرِيبٍۢqarībinsoon after
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَfa-ulāikaThen those
يَتُوبُyatūbuwill have forgiveness
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(from) Allah
عَلَيْهِمْ ۗʿalayhimupon them
وَكَانَwakānaand is
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
عَلِيمًاʿalīmanAll-Knowing
حَكِيمًۭاḥakīmanAll-Wise

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Repentance is Accepted Until one Faces deathAllah states that He accepts repentance of the servant who commits an error in ignorance and then repents, even just before he sees the angel who captures the soul, before his soul reaches his throat. Mujahid and others said, "Every person who disobeys Allah by mistake, or intentionally is ignorant, until he refrains from the sin.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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