Tafseer of The Table · Al-Maaida · 5:39
But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
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 statement concerning the explanation of His saying, mighty is His remembrance: Wie zich dan na zijn onrecht berouwvol bekeert en zich betert, voorzeker, Allah zal zich tot hem in vergeving wenden. Voorwaar, Allah is Vergevensgezind, Genadevol (5:39).
Abū Jaʿfar said: Exalted is His praise, He says: "Whoever then repents" — of these thieves, that is to say: whoever among them turns back from that which Allah detests of disobedience to Him, toward that with which He is pleased of obedience to Him — "after his wrongdoing," and "his wrongdoing" is his transgression and his commission of that which Allah has forbidden him, namely the stealing of people's possessions — "and reforms himself," that is to say: and improves his soul by compelling it to that which it detests in the obedience to Allah, and by showing repentance to Him for the disobedience in which he was.
And Mujāhid used to say — according to what has been related to us — that his repentance in this place is the prescribed penalty (ḥadd) that is carried out upon him.
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11916 - Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "Whoever then repents after his wrongdoing and reforms himself," and He turns to him in forgiveness — that is to say: the prescribed penalty (ḥadd).
11917 - Abū Kurayb related to us, he said: Mūsā ibn Dāwūd related to us, he said: Ibn Lahīʿa related to us, on the authority of Ḥuyayy ibn ʿAbd Allāh, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ḥubulī, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, who said: A woman stole jewelry, and those from whom she had stolen came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, this woman has stolen from us!" Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Cut off her right hand." The woman said: "Is there yet any opportunity for repentance?" Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "You are today free of your sin, as on the day your mother bore you!" He said: Then Allah, mighty and exalted, revealed: "Whoever then repents after his wrongdoing and reforms himself, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness."
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And His saying: "indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness," that is to say: indeed Allah, mighty and exalted, brings him back to that which He loves and with which He is pleased, away from that which He detests and over which He is wrathful of disobedience to Him.
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And His saying: "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful," that is to say: indeed Allah, mighty is His remembrance, is, for whoever repents and turns back from his disobediences to obedience to Him, a Concealer of his sins, by refraining from the punishment for them on the Day of Resurrection, and by leaving off his humiliation thereby before the eyes of the witnesses — "Merciful" toward him and toward His servants who repent to Him of their sins.
