Juz 24: Az-Zumar 32 to Fuṣṣilat 46
Section 4 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Allah's Mercy and the Open Door of Repentance
One of the most hopeful and mercy-filled passages in the Quran appears in this portion of Surah Az-Zumar, where Allah (swt) emphasizes the expansiveness of His forgiveness and the perpetual opportunity for repentance.
Allah (swt) begins by affirming His complete sovereignty over all souls:
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“Allah takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die, in their sleep. Then He retains those for whom He has ordained death, and sends others back till an appointed term. Surely, in this are signs for a people who ponder.”
This verse establishes Allah's complete control over life and death. Even our sleep is a form of minor death, with Allah determining which souls return to wakefulness and which transition to the permanent state of death. This serves as a reminder of our ultimate dependency on Allah and the temporary nature of our worldly existence.
After several verses addressing those who take intercessors besides Allah, the surah arrives at perhaps its most hope-filled passage, a verse that stands as one of the greatest expressions of divine mercy in the Quran:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْ
“Say (on My behalf), “O servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful.” (39:53)