Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:35
That Allah may remove from them the worst of what they did and reward them their due for the best of what they used to do.
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.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: So that Allah may efface from them the worst of what they did, and recompense them their reward according to the best of what they used to do (35)
He, exalted is His mention, says: And their Lord rewarded these doers of good for their good-doing, so that He may efface from them the worst of what they did of deeds in the worldly life — insofar as it concerns what is between them and their Lord — on account of the penitent return and the turning back to Allah that came from them regarding the sins they committed therein. ( And recompense them their reward ). He says: and He recompenses them their reward ( according to the best of what they used to ) do in the worldly life ( do ), namely that with which Allah is pleased concerning them, and not according to the worst of it.
As Yūnus [related], he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said: And the one who has come with the truth and held it to be true — they are the ones who are God-fearing (39:33): that is to say (1), while they have sins; yes, my Lord, they have good deeds, for them therein is whatever they wish with their Lord; that is the reward of the doers of good * so that Allah may efface from them the worst of what they did, and recompense them their reward according to the best of what they used to do . And he recited: Indeed, the believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned ... until he reached: and forgiveness , so that those who have sins do not give up hope that they are among them, and a noble provision (8:2-4); and he recited: Indeed, the Muslim men and the Muslim women ... to the end of the verse.
------------------------
Footnotes:
(1) In the original it reads: "a-lahum dhunūb" (do they have sins?), which is an interrogative form that has no meaning in this place. We have corrected it in this manner, so that it conforms with what the narration entails.
