Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 199

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(O Prophet,) take forgiveness (as your habit), enjoin virtue, and ignore the ignorant.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Be gracious, enjoin what is right, and turn away from those who act ignorantly.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Be gracious, enjoin what is right and turn away from those who are ignorant.

A. J. Arberry

Take the abundance, and bid to what is honourable, and turn away from the ignorant.

Abdul Haleem

Be tolerant and command what is right: pay no attention to foolish people.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Use thou indulgence and enjoin seemliness and turn away from the ignorant.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant.

Abul Ala Maududi

[O Prophet!] Show forgiveness, enjoin equity, and avoid the ignorant.

Ahmed Ali

Cultivate tolerance, enjoin justice, and avoid the fools.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) adopt forgiveness, and enjoin virtue, and turn away from the ignorant.

Ali Quli Qarai

Adopt [a policy of] excusing [the faults of people], bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.

Ali Ünal

(Even so, O Messenger) adopt the way of forbearance and tolerance, and enjoin what is good and right, and withdraw from the ignorant ones (do not care what they say and do).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Take to forgiveness and ever forbear and enjoin (the doing of) good and turn away from (those who intentionally want to remain) ignorant.

English Literal

Take/receive the grace/goodness , and order/command with the kindness/known , and oppose/turn away from the lowly/ignorant .

Faridul Haque

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) adopt forgiveness, and enjoin virtue, and turn away from the ignorant.

Hamid S. Aziz

Hold to forgiveness, and command what is kind, and shun the ignorant.

Hilali & Khan

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if you invite them to guidance, they hear not; and thou seest them looking towards thee, yet they see not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant.

Muhammad Sarwar

Have forgiveness, preach the truth, and keep away from the ignorant ones.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Accept the easing, order with fine jurisprudence, and avoid the ignorant.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-'Urf (the good), and turn away from the foolish (don't punish them).

Wahiduddin Khan

Be tolerant; enjoin what is right; and avoid the ignorant.

Talal Itani

Be tolerant, and command decency, and avoid the ignorant.

Tafsir jalalayn

Indulge [people] with forgiveness, [accepting] what issues spontaneously from people's manners [of behaviour], and do not scrutinise them, and enjoin kindness, decency, and turn away from the ignorant, and do not counter their stupidity with the like.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Showing Forgiveness

Allah says;
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ

Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-'Urf (the good), and turn away from the foolish (don't punish them).

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam commented on Allah's statement,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ
(Show forgiveness),

"Allah commanded (Prophet Muhammad) to show forgiveness and turn away from the idolators for ten years. Afterwards Allah ordered him to be harsh with them."

And more than one narration from Mujahid says,

"From the (bad) behavior and actions of the people, of those who have not committed espionage."

And Hashim bin Urwah said that his father said,

"Allah ordered Allah's Messenger to pardon the people for their behavior."

And in one narration,

"pardon what I have allowed you of their behavior."

In Sahih Al-Bukhari it is recorded that Hisham reported from his father Urwah from his brother Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr who said;

"(The Ayah);
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ
(Show forgiveness) was only revealed about the peoples (bad) character."

There is a narration from Mughirah from Hisham from his father from Ibn Umar; and another from Hisham from his father from A'ishah, both of whom said similarly. And Allah knows best.

Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Yunus said that Sufyan bin Uyaynah narrated that Umay said,

"When Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, revealed this Ayah,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ
(Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-`Urf (what is good), and turn away from the foolish), to His Prophet, the Messenger of Allah asked,

مَا هَذَا يَا جِبْرِيل


`What does it mean, O Jibril!

Jibril said, `Allah commands you to forgive those who wronged you, give to those who deprived you, and keep relations with those who cut theirs with you."'

Al-Bukhari said, "Allah said,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ
(Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-`Urf and turn away from the ignorant).

`Al-`Urf', means, righteousness."

Al-Bukhari next recorded from Ibn Abbas that he said,

"Uyaynah bin Hisn bin Hudhayfah stayed with his nephew Al-Hur bin Qays, who was among the people whom Umar used to have near him, for Umar used to like to have the reciters of the Qur'an (who memorized it) near him and would listen to their opinion, regardless of whether they were old or young men.

Uyaynah said to his nephew, `O my nephew! You are close to this chief (Umar), so ask for permission for me to see him.'

Al-Hur said `I will ask him for you,' and he asked Umar for permission for Uyaynah to meet him, and Umar gave him permission. When Uyaynah entered on Umar, he said, `O Ibn Al-Khattab! You neither give to us sufficiently nor rule with justice between us.'

Umar became so angry that he almost punished Uyaynah. However, Al-Hur said, `O Chief of he Faithful! Allah, the Exalted, said to His Prophet,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ
(Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-`Urf, and turn away from the foolish), Verily this man (Uyaynah) is one of the fools!' By Allah, Umar did not do anything after he heard that Ayah being recited, and indeed, he was one who adhered to the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored."

Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith.

Some scholars said that people are of two kinds,

a good-doer, so accept his good doing and neither ask him more than he can bear nor what causes him hardship.

The other kind is the one who falls in shortcomings, so enjoin righteousness on him. If he still insists on evil, becomes difficult and continues in his ignorance, then turn away from him, so that your ignoring him might avert his evilness.

Allah said in other instances,

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّيَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ

وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ

وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ

Repel evil with that which is better. We are best-acquainted with the things they utter. And say;"My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me." (23;96-98)

and,

وَلَا تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّيَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ

وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَأ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient -- and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion in this world. (41;34-35)

in reference to the advice contained in these Ayat,

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ

إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ


And if an evil whisper from Shaytan tries to turn you away (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower) (41;36)

Allah said in this honorable Surah,