Quran by topic

Quran verses about forgiveness

Forgiveness in the Quran runs in two directions. God forgives the believer who turns back to Him, and believers are asked to forgive one another — not only when the wrong is small, but when they have the upper hand and could retaliate.

The passages below are a short selection. Each is given in Arabic with an English translation and its place in the Quran. They do not ask the wronged person to call the wrong good; they ask them to give up the right to punish.

A kind word is better than charity that wounds

۞ قَوْلٌۭ مَّعْرُوفٌۭ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّن صَدَقَةٍۢ يَتْبَعُهَآ أَذًۭى ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَلِيمٌۭ

A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement.

Al-Baqara 2:263

Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow) · Medinan · ayah 263 of 286

Those who control their anger and forgive

۞ وَسَارِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil);

Aal-i-Imraan 3:133

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِى ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلْكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good;

Aal-i-Imraan 3:134

وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

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.

Aal-i-Imraan 3:135

Surah Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan) · Medinan · ayahs 133–135 of 200

Keep to forgiveness and enjoin kindness

خُذِ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ

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

Al-A'raaf 7:199

Surah Al-A'raaf (The Heights) · Meccan · ayah 199 of 206

Would you not want God to forgive you?

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

An-Noor 24:22

Surah An-Noor (The Light) · Medinan · ayah 22 of 64

Whoever pardons and puts things right

وَجَزَٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍۢ سَيِّئَةٌۭ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers.

Ash-Shura 42:40

Surah Ash-Shura (Consultation) · Meccan · ayah 40 of 53

Forgiveness within your own household

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدِكُمْ عَدُوًّۭا لَّكُمْ فَٱحْذَرُوهُمْ ۚ وَإِن تَعْفُوا۟ وَتَصْفَحُوا۟ وَتَغْفِرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

O ye who believe! Lo! among your wives and your children there are enemies for you, therefor beware of them. And if ye efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

At-Taghaabun 64:14

Surah At-Taghaabun (Mutual Disillusion) · Medinan · ayah 14 of 18

Have no fear this day

قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

Yusuf 12:92

Surah Yusuf (Joseph) · Meccan · ayah 92 of 111

Context

Three of these passages are Meccan — al-A'raaf, ash-Shura and Yusuf — and four are Medinan, from al-Baqarah, Aal-i-Imraan, an-Noor and at-Taghaabun. The Meccan verses place forgiveness within the pressure of opposition; the Medinan ones apply it inside a community, to family, to the poor and to people who have wronged you.

Surah 24:22 is reported to have been revealed during the slander against Aisha, the Prophet's wife. Abu Bakr, her father, had sworn not to support Mistah ibn Uthatha, a relative who had repeated the story. The verse tells those with means not to swear off helping their kin, and asks: would you not want God to forgive you? The report is in Sahih al-Bukhari.

Surah 12:92 is Yusuf's answer to the brothers who had thrown him into a well. It belongs to the story rather than to a legal ruling, and shows forgiveness offered by the wronged person at the moment he could have punished.

No specific occasion is reported for the remaining passages. They are general commands, and are read as such.

Questions for reflection

Who has wronged you in a way you are still carrying, and what would it cost you to pardon them?
The verse from an-Noor asks whether you would not want God to forgive you. How does that question change the way you think about a wrong done to you?
Surah 2:263 says a kind word is better than charity that wounds. Where might you have given something and taken dignity in return?
Yusuf forgave his brothers while he had the power to punish them. What does forgiveness look like when you have the upper hand?