Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 135

Mufti Taqi Usmani

-and those who, when they happen to commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, remember Allah, then, seek forgiveness for their sins-and who is there to forgive sins except Allah?-and do not persist in what they have done, knowingly.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹They are˺ those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin—and who forgives sins except Allah?

Ruwwad Translation Center

And those who, when they commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – who can forgive sins except Allah? – and they do not persist in what they did knowingly.

A. J. Arberry

who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God, and pray forgiveness for their sins -- and who shall forgive sins but God? -- and do not persevere in the things they did and that wittingly.

Abdul Haleem

those who remember God and implore forgiveness for their sins if they do something shameful or wrong themselves- who forgives sins but God?- and who never knowingly persist in doing wrong.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those, who, when they have done an ill-deed or wronged themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness of their sins - and who forgiveth sins save Allah! Is --and persist not in that which they have done, while they know.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.

Abul Ala Maududi

These are the ones who, when they commit any indecency and wrong against themselves, instantly remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - for who will forgive sins save Allah? - and who do not wilfully persist in the wrong they did.

Ahmed Ali

And those who, if they commit a shameful act or some wrong against themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins: For who can forgive except God? They should not be perverse about their doings, knowingly.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And those who, when they commit an immoral act or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness of their sins – and who forgives sins except Allah? And those who do not purposely become stubborn regarding what they did.

Ali Quli Qarai

and those who, when they commit an indecent act or wrong themselves, remember Allah, and plead [to Allah seeking His] forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except Allah?—and who knowingly do not persist in what [sins] they have committed.

Ali Ünal

They are also the ones who, when they have committed a shameful deed or wronged themselves (through any kind of sinful act), immediately remember God and implore Him to forgive their sins – for who will forgive sins save God? – and do not persist knowingly in whatever (evil) they have committed.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And those who when they commit any act of indecency or do injustice to themselves remember Allâh and implore (Him for) protection against their sins - and who can protect against sins except Allâh? - And they do not deliberately persist in doing wrong.

English Literal

And those who if they made/did an enormous/atrocious deed , they caused injustice (to) themselves, they mentioned/remembered God, so they asked for forgiveness for their crimes, and who forgives the crimes except God? And they did not insist/persist on what they made/did, and they know .

Faridul Haque

And those who, when they commit an immoral act or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness of their sins - and who forgives sins except Allah? And those who do not purposely become stubborn regarding what they did.

Hamid S. Aziz

The reward for such is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, dwelling therein for ever - an excellent reward for those who strive.

Hilali & Khan

And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good (to others).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And those who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their faults-- and who forgives the faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have done.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - Who forgiveth sins save Allah only? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Paradise) is also for those who, when committing a sin or doing injustice to themselves, remember God and ask Him to forgive their sins. Who can forgive sins besides God? And who do not knowingly persist in their mistakes?

Qaribullah & Darwish

and those who, if they commit indecency or wrong themselves remember Allah and ask forgiveness of their sins for who but Allah forgives sins and those who do not persist in what they do while they know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (immoral sin) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; and none can forgive sins but Allah, and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.

Wahiduddin Khan

And who, when they have committed an indecency or have wronged their souls, remember God and pray that their sins be forgiven, for who but God can forgive sins?, and do not knowingly persist in their misdeeds,

Talal Itani

And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and ask forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except God? And they do not persist in their wrongdoing while they know.

Tafsir jalalayn

And who when they commit an indecency, a despicable sin such as adultery, or wrong themselves, with less than that, such as a kiss, remember God, that is to say, His threat of punishment, and pray forgiveness for their sins -- and who, that is, none, shall forgive sins but God? -- and who do not persist, persevere, in what they did, but have desisted from it, knowing, that what they did was sinful.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ

And those who, when they have committed Fahishah or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins.

Therefore, if they commit an error they follow it with repentance and ask forgiveness.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ رَجُلً أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَذْنَبْتُ ذَنْبًا فَاغْفِرْهُ

A man once committed an error and said, `O Lord! I committed an error, so forgive me.'

فَقَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَبْدِي عَمِل ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي

Allah said, `My servant committed an error and knew that he has a Lord Who forgives or punishes for the error. I have forgiven My servant.'

ثُمَّ عَمِلَ ذَنْبًا اخَرَ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي عَمِلْتُ ذَنْبًا فَاغْفِرْهُ

The man committed another error and said, `O Lord! I committed an error, so forgive me.'

فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى عَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ ربًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي

Allah said, `My servant knew that he has a Lord Who forgives or punishes for the sin. I have forgiven My servant.'

ثُمَّ عَمِلَ ذَنْبًا اخَرَ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي عَمِلْتُ ذَنْبًا فَاغْفِرْهُ لِي

The man committed another error and said, `O Lord! I committed an error, so forgive me.'

فَقَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ ربًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي

Allah said, `My servant knew that he has a Lord Who forgives or punishes for the error. I have forgiven my servant.'

ثُمَّ عَمِلَ ذَنْبًا اخَرَ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي عَمِلْتُ ذَنْبًا فَاغْفِرْهُ لِي

He then committed another error and said, `O Lord! I committed an error, so forgive me.'

فَقَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ ربًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي فَلْيَعْمَلْ مَا شَاء

Allah said, `My servant knew that he has a Lord Who forgives or punishes for the error. Bear witness that I have forgiven My servant, so let him do whatever he likes.'

A similar narration was collected in the Sahih.

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Anas bin Malik said,

"I was told that when the Ayah,
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ
(And those who, when they have committed Fahishah or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins), was revealed, Iblis (Shaytan) cried."

Allah's statement,

وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ

and none can forgive sins but Allah,

means that none except Allah forgives sins.

Allah said,

وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ



And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.

for they repent from their error, return to Allah before death, do not insist on error, and if they err again, they repent from it.

Allah said here,
وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
(while they know),

Mujahid and Abdullah bin Ubayd bin Umayr commented,

"Whoever repents, then Allah will forgive him."

Similarly, Allah said,

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ

Know they not that Allah accepts repentance from His servants. (9;104)

and,

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (4;110)

and there are several examples similar to this Ayah.

Next, Allah said after this description