Surah At-Talaq Ayat 8 (65:8 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(66:8) Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance;^[19] maybe your Lord will expunge your evil deeds and admit you to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow.^[20] This will be on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who have embraced faith and are with him;^[21] their light will be running before them and on their right hands, and they will say: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Surely You have power over everything.”^[22]

19. Literally, taubat an-nasuh-an may either mean that one should offer such true repentance as may have no tinge of pretense and hypocrisy in it, or that one should wish his own self well and repenting of sin should save oneself from the evil end, or that one should so adorn and improve his life after repentance as to become a cause of admonition for others, and seeing his example others also also reform themselves accordingly. These are the meanings of taubat an-nasuh which are indicated by its literal sense. As for its religious meaning, its explanation is found in the Hadith which Ibn Abi Hatim has related on the authority of Zirr bin Hubaish. He says: When I asked Ubayy bin Kaab the meaning of taubat an-nasuh, he said that he had asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) the same question, and he had replied: It implies that when you happen to commit an error, you should feel penitent for it, then should implore Allah for forgiveness remorsefully, and then should refrain from committing the same error again. This same meaning has been reported from Umar, Abdullah bin Masud and Abdullah bin Abbas also, and in a tradition Umar has defined taubat an-nasuh, thus: After offering repentance one should not even think of committing the sin, not to speak of repeating it. (Ibn Jarir). Ali once heard a desert Arab chanting the words of repentance and forgiveness quickly and mechanically and remarked: This is the repentance of the liars. The man asked: What is true repentance? Ali replied: It should be accompanied by six things

(1) You should feel penitent for the wrong you have done. (2) You should carry out the duties that you have ignored. (3) Restore the rights that you have usurped. (4) Ask forgiveness of him whom you have wronged. (5) Make a resolve not to repeat the sin again. (6) Consume yourself in obedience to Allah as you have so far been consuming it in wrongdoing, and cause it to taste the bitterness of obedience as you have so far been causing it to enjoy the sweet taste of disobedience and sin. (Al- Kashshaf).

In connection with repentance there are also some other points which should be well understood. (1) That repentance, in fact, is to show remorse for an act of disobedience only because it is a disobedience of Allah. Otherwise to make a resolve to refrain from a sin because it is harmful for health, for instance, or it is likely to cause defamation or financial loss, is no repentance. (2) That man should offer repentance as soon as he realizes that he has committed disobedience of Allah and should compensate for it without delay in whatever form possible and should not defer it in any way. (3) That violating one’s repentance again and making a jest of repentance and repeating the sin again and again of which one has repented, is a proof of the falsity of one’s repentance. For the essence of repentance is penitence, and breaking his repentance repeatedly is a sign that it has not been motivated by penitence. (4) that if the person who has repented sincerely and resolved not to repeat the sin again, happens to repeat it once again because of human weakness, it will not revive his past sin. However, he should offer a fresh repentance for the latter sin and should resolve more firmly that he would not commit the sin in future. (5) That it is not necessary to renew one’s repentance again every time one remembers the disobedience committed in the past, but if one’s self derives pleasure from the remembrance of the past, sinful life, one should offer repentance again and again until the remembrance of the sins causes remorse instead of pleasure and enjoyment. For the person who has actually repented of disobedience because of fear of God cannot derive pleasure from the thought that he has been disobeying God. His deriving pleasure from it is a sign that fear of God has not taken root in his heart.

20. The words of the verse deserve deep consideration. It has not been said that if you repeat, you will surely be forgiven and will certainly be admitted to Paradise, but that: If you offer true repentance, it may well be that Allah will treat you kindly. It means that it is not incumbent upon Allah to accept the repentance of the sinner and to grant him Paradise instead of subjecting him to punishment but it will be His kindness and compassion that He may forgive well as reward His servant. One should have hope of His forgiveness, but one should not commit a sin with the confidence that he will achieve forgiveness by repentance.

21. That is, He will not allow the reward of their good deeds to go to waste. He will not let the disbelievers and the hypocrites taunt the believers that they had gained nothing in spite of their worship. Humiliation will be the fate of the rebels and the disobedient and not of the faithful and obedient.

22. When this verse is read along with (Surah Al-Hadid, ayat 12-13), it becomes clear that the running of the light before the believers will take place when they will be proceeding towards Paradise from the Plain of Resurrection. There it will be pitch dark all around and those who will have been condemned to Hell, will be groping about in it. The light will only be with the believers by which they will be traveling on their way. On this critical occasion, hearing the wailings and groaning of those groping in the dark the believers will be feeling terror stricken. In view of their past errors and shortcomings they will be afraid lest they too should be deprived of their light and made to grope about like those wretched people. Therefore, they will pray: O our Lord, forgive us our sins and let our light remain with us until we reach Paradise. Ibn Jarir has cited Abdullah bin Abbas as explaining the meaning of Rabbana-atimim lava nurana thus: They will implore Allah Almighty that their light be allowed to remain with them and kept from going out until they have crossed the bridge across Hell. The commentary given by Hasan Basri, Mujahid and Dahhak is also almost the same. Ibn Kathir has cited theirs this saying: When the believers see that the hypocrites have been deprived of the light, they will pray to Allah for the perfection of their light. For further explanation, see (Surah Al-Hadid, ayat 12) note 17.

Ibn-Kathir

8. And many a town revolted against the command of its Lord and His Messengers; and We called it to a severe account, and We shall punish it with a horrible torment. 9. So it tasted the evil result of its affair, and the consequence of its affair was loss. 10. Allah has prepared for them a severe torment. So have Taqwa of Allah, O men of understanding, those who believe! Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder. 11. A Messenger, who recites to you the Ayat of Allah containing clear explanations, that He may take out those who believe and do righteous good deeds, from the darkness to the light. And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will admit him into Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allah has indeed granted for him an excellent provision.

Allah the Exalted threatens those who defy His commands, deny His Messengers and contradict His legislation, by informing them of the end that earlier nations met who did the same,

(And many a town revolted against the command of its Lord and His Messengers;) meaning, they rebelled, rejected and arrogantly refused to obey Allah and they would not follow His Messengers,

(and We called it to a severe account, and We shall punish it with a horrible torment.) meaning, horrendous and terrifying,

(So it tasted the evil result of its affair,) meaning, they tasted the evil consequences of defiance and they regretted their actions when regret does not avail,

(and the consequence of its affair was loss. And Allah has prepared for them a severe torment.) means, in the Hereafter, added to the torment that was sent down on them in this life. Allah the Exalted said, after mentioning what happened to the disbelieving nations,

(So have Taqwa of Allah, O men of understanding,) meaning, `O you who have sound understanding, do not be like them because if you do, you will suffer what they suffered, O people of comprehension,’

(who believe) meaning, in Allah and His Messengers,

(Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder.) meaning, this Qur’an. Allah also said,

(Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will preserve it.) (15:9)

Allah’s statement,

(A Messenger, who recites to you the Ayat of Allah containing clear explanations,) Some said that the Messenger is the subject of what is being sent ﴿as a reminder﴾ because the Messenger is the one that conveys the Dhikr. Ibn Jarir said that what is correct is that the Messenger explains the Dhikr. This is why Allah the Exalted said here,

(A Messenger, who recites to you the Ayat of Allah containing clear explanations,) meaning, plain and apparent. The statement of Allah;

(that He may take out those who believe and do righteous good deeds, from the darkness to the light.) Allah’s is like saying;

(A Book which We have revealed unto you in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness) (14:1), and,

(Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light.) (2:257) meaning, out of the darkness of disbelief and ignorance into the light of faith and knowledge. Allah the Exalted called the revelation that He has sent down, light, on account of the guidance that it brings. Allah also called it Ruh, in that, it brings life to the hearts,

(And thus We have sent to you Ruh of our command. You knew not what is the book, nor what is faith But We have made it a light wherewith we guide whosoever of Our servants We will. And verily, you are indeed guiding to the straight path.) (42:52) Allah’s statement,

(And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous good deeds, He will admit him into Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allah has indeed granted for him an excellent provision.) was explained several times before, and therefore, we do not need to repeat its explanation here. All the thanks and praises are due to Allah.