Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:83
[Allah] said, "And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?"
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ (verse 82)
And His words ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ ﴾ — that is to say: I am indeed forgiving toward whoever repents of his polytheism (shirk) and turns away from it back to belief in Me. ﴿ وَآمَنَ ﴾ — that is to say: and who acknowledges Me as the sole deity, and associates no one alongside Me in his worship of Me. ﴿ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ﴾ — that is to say: and who fulfills My obligations which I have imposed upon him, and avoids My prohibitions. ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ — that is to say: then he holds fast to that and remains steadfast in it, and lets nothing of it be lost.
In accordance with what we have said concerning the exegesis of ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of those who said this:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ ﴾ — from polytheism (shirk) — ﴿ وَآمَنَ ﴾ — he says: acknowledged Allah as One — ﴿ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ﴾ — he says: fulfilled My obligations.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ ﴾ — from his sin — ﴿ وَآمَنَ ﴾ — in Him — ﴿ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ﴾ — in what is between him and Allah.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar al-Rāzī, on the authority of Al-Rabīʿ: ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ ﴾ — from polytheism — ﴿ وَآمَنَ ﴾ — he says: and was sincere toward Allah, and acted in his sincerity.
They differed concerning the meaning of His words ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾. Some said: the meaning is: did not doubt in his faith.
Mention of those who said this:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: ʿAbdallāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ — he says: did not doubt in it.
And others said: the meaning of this is: then he continued to hold fast to faith and good works.
Mention of those who said this: Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ — he says: then he continued to cling to Islam until he died upon it.
And others said: the meaning of this is: then he remained steadfast.
Mention of those who said this: Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar al-Rāzī, on the authority of Al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas: ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ — he said: he followed the sunnah of his prophet ﷺ.
And others said: its meaning is: he attained what was correct in the work.
Mention of those who said this: Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His words ﴿ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾: he said: he attained what was correct in the work.
And others said: the meaning of this is: he came to know his Rewarder.
Mention of those who said this: Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of Al-Kalbī: ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ ﴾ — from sin — ﴿ وَآمَنَ ﴾ — from polytheism — ﴿ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ﴾ — he performed what I have made obligatory upon him — ﴿ ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾ — he came to know his Rewarder: if it is good, then it is good; and if it is evil, then it is evil.
And others said what Ismāʿīl ibn Mūsā al-Fazārī related to us, saying: ʿUmar ibn Shākir informed us, saying: I heard Thābit al-Bunānī say, concerning His words ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴾: he said: to the friendship (love) of the People of the House of the Prophet ﷺ.
Abū Jaʿfar says: We have chosen the opinion that we chose before this, because guidance (al-ihtidāʾ) is being steadfast upon guidance; and steadfastness upon this has no meaning unless it encompasses faith, good works, and repentance. Whoever does that and remains steadfast in it, his guidance is beyond doubt.
