66. At-Tahrim Page 561 یٰۤاَیُّهَا O الَّذِیْنَ (you) who believe اٰمَنُوْا believe تُوْبُوْۤا Turn اِلَی to اللّٰهِ Allah تَوْبَةً (in) repentance نَّصُوْحًا ؕ sincere عَسٰی Perhaps رَبُّكُمْ your Lord اَنْ [that] یُّكَفِّرَ will remove عَنْكُمْ from you سَیِّاٰتِكُمْ your misdeeds وَ یُدْخِلَكُمْ and admit you جَنّٰتٍ (into) Gardens تَجْرِیْ flow مِنْ from تَحْتِهَا underneath it الْاَنْهٰرُ ۙ the rivers یَوْمَ (on the) Day لَا not یُخْزِی will be disgraced اللّٰهُ (by) Allah النَّبِیَّ the Prophet وَ الَّذِیْنَ and those who اٰمَنُوْا believed مَعَهٗ ۚ with him نُوْرُهُمْ Their light یَسْعٰی will run بَیْنَ before اَیْدِیْهِمْ their hands وَ بِاَیْمَانِهِمْ and on their right یَقُوْلُوْنَ they will say رَبَّنَاۤ Our Lord اَتْمِمْ Perfect لَنَا for us نُوْرَنَا our light وَ اغْفِرْ and grant forgiveness لَنَا ۚ to us اِنَّكَ Indeed, You عَلٰی (are) over كُلِّ every شَیْءٍ thing قَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful یٰۤاَیُّهَا O النَّبِیُّ Prophet جَاهِدِ Strive الْكُفَّارَ (against) the disbelievers وَ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ and the hypocrites وَ اغْلُظْ and be stern عَلَیْهِمْ ؕ with them وَ مَاْوٰىهُمْ And their abode جَهَنَّمُ ؕ (is) Hell وَ بِئْسَ and wretched is الْمَصِیْرُ the destination ضَرَبَ Presents اللّٰهُ Allah مَثَلًا an example لِّلَّذِیْنَ for those who كَفَرُوا disbelieved امْرَاَتَ (the) wife نُوْحٍ (of) Nuh وَّ امْرَاَتَ (and the) wife لُوْطٍ ؕ (of) Lut كَانَتَا They were تَحْتَ under عَبْدَیْنِ two [slaves] مِنْ of عِبَادِنَا Our slaves صَالِحَیْنِ righteous فَخَانَتٰهُمَا but they both betrayed them فَلَمْ so not یُغْنِیَا they availed عَنْهُمَا both of them مِنَ from اللّٰهِ Allah شَیْـًٔا (in) anything وَّ قِیْلَ and it was said ادْخُلَا Enter النَّارَ the Fire مَعَ with الدّٰخِلِیْنَ those who enter وَ ضَرَبَ And presents اللّٰهُ Allah مَثَلًا an example لِّلَّذِیْنَ for those who اٰمَنُوا believed امْرَاَتَ (the) wife فِرْعَوْنَ ۘ (of) Firaun اِذْ when قَالَتْ she said رَبِّ My Lord ابْنِ Build لِیْ for me عِنْدَكَ near You بَیْتًا a house فِی in الْجَنَّةِ Paradise وَ نَجِّنِیْ and save me مِنْ from فِرْعَوْنَ Firaun وَ عَمَلِهٖ and his deeds وَ نَجِّنِیْ and save me مِنَ from الْقَوْمِ the people الظّٰلِمِیْنَۙ the wrongdoers وَ مَرْیَمَ And Maryam ابْنَتَ (the) daughter عِمْرٰنَ (of) Imran الَّتِیْۤ who اَحْصَنَتْ guarded فَرْجَهَا her chastity فَنَفَخْنَا so We breathed فِیْهِ into it مِنْ of رُّوْحِنَا Our Spirit وَ صَدَّقَتْ And she believed بِكَلِمٰتِ (in the) Words رَبِّهَا (of) her Lord وَ كُتُبِهٖ and His Books وَ كَانَتْ and she was مِنَ of الْقٰنِتِیْنَ۠ the devoutly obedient
(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
(66:9) O Prophet, strive against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe with them.23 Hell shall be their resort. What a grievous end!
(66:10) Allah has set forth for the unbelievers the parable of the wives of Noah and Lot. They were wedded to two of Our righteous servants, but each acted treacherously with her husband,24 and their husbands could be of no avail to them against Allah. The two of them were told: “Enter the Fire with all the others who enter it.”
(66:11) Allah has set forth for the believers the parable of Pharaoh's wife. She prayed: “My Lord, build for me a house with You in Paradise and deliver me from Pharaoh and his misdeeds;25 and deliver me from the iniquitous people.”
(66:12) Allah has also set forth the parable of Mary, the daughter of Imran,26 who guarded her chastity,27 and into whom We breathed of Our Spirit,28 and who testified to the words of her Lord and His Books. She was among the obedient.29
19. The expressions employed in the above verse are tawbatan nasuha. Nush, in Arabic terminology connotes sincerity and wishing well for others. So, the reference is to one’s sincere repentance, without even an iota of hypocrisy. In doing so, one acts sincerely towards his own self, for his repentance over his sins will protect him against an ignominious end in the Hereafter. By seeking forgiveness, he mends the dents caused in his faith. Likewise, after his sincere penitence, he turns out to bea role model for others to reform their lives. All these connotations are conveyed by its literal meaning. As to its meaning in the parlance of Shari'ah, the following hadith, narrated by Ibn Abu Hatim, on the authority of Zirr ibn Hubaysh is quite instructive: “I requested Ubayy ibn Ka’b to explain the meaning, ‘of tawbatan nasuh. He replied that once he had made the same request to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and in reply he told: “It means that you should repent when you commit a mistake. You should seek Allah’s forgiveness for the guilt in the state of shame and do not repeat the same misdeed ever.” (Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, 8, 169) A similar interpretation of the above term is on record on the authority of ‘Umar, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas. Ina report, ‘Umar defines its meaning:” “After his repentance, one should not even think of repeating his misdeed, what to say of repeating it.” (Tafsir of Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, 23, 106-108) Once, when ‘Ali observed a Bedouin uttering the expressions of repentance and seeking forgiveness at a fast speed, he exclaimed: “This appears to be the repentance of a liar.” The Bedouin then asked what the right method of repentance is? ‘Ali replied: “Repentance involves the following six points: (i) One should be repentant over his misdeed. (ii) One should fulfil the duties neglected by him. (iii) One should return to the owner what is usurped by him. (iv) One should tender his apology to the person he has offended. (v) One should resolve never to commit that misdeed again. (vi) One should surrender himself wholly to the obedience to Allah. His mind and soul steeped in sinful pleasures should undergo the hardships arising from the obedience to Allah.” (al-Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf, 6, 162)
Some more points should be borne in mind regarding repentance. First, one should repent over his misdeed, realizing that it was an act of disobedience to Allah. Otherwise just resolving not to do something, which is hazardous to health or incurs some financial loss or leads to infamy, does not fall in the category of repentance. Second, one should repent as soon as he realizes he has committed disobedience to Allah and compensate for it without delay in whatever form he deems fit. One should not defer his repentance. Third, if one repeatedly breaks his resolve by committing the same misdeed again and again, it amounts to taking repentance as a sport and betrays his insincerity. The real essence of repentance lies in a genuine regret for the misdeed. The repeated committing of the same misdeed points to the absence of any remorse on his part. Fourth, if out of his human frailty, he again commits the same misdeed which he had resolved not to do and for which he had genuinely sought repentance and forgiveness, he should repent again and make a stronger resolve never to repeat it. Fifth, one need not repent every time he recalls his misdeed. However, if his soul derives any pleasure from the thought of having indulged in some sin, he should consistently repent until he tends to feel genuinely sorry for having committed that sin. For one who sincerely repents out of the fear of Allah cannot even think of gloating over his disobedience to Allah. If he does so, it underscores that his heart is devoid of any fear of God. As for one who fantasizes on the past sin, it indicates that God’s fear has not taken any root in his heart.
20. The wording of the verse is worth reflecting. It does not say that repentance will necessarily result in Allah’s pardon and entry into Paradise. Rather, it gives out hope that one’s sincere repentance may lead to Allah’s forgiveness of his evil deeds. In other words, it is not obligatory on Allah to accept the repentance of every sinner and admit him to Paradise instead of punishing him for his sins. It will be His graciousness and favor, if He pardons a sinner and then rewards him. One should no doubt look forward to His pardon. However, he should not keep committing misdeeds out of his belief that his repentance will secure His pardon.
21. Allah will not deprive them of the reward of their good deeds. He will not provide the disbelievers and the hypocrites the opportunity to taunt the believers, that despite their sincere devotion to Allah, they had gained nothing. On the contrary, disgrace will be the lot of those who are rebellious and disobey Allah.
22. On studying this verse, in conjunction with verses 12-13 of Surah al-Hadid, it emerges that the light will be focusing on the route ahead of the believers who will proceed from the grand assembly to Paradise. On the contrary, those doomed to Hell will stumble in the all-round darkness. Only the believers will be blessed with light, which will facilitate their movement. On listening to the agonizing cries of the disbelievers groping in darkness, the hearts of the believers will be filled with the awe of Allah. While recalling their own lapses and shortcomings, they will apprehend that the light may be switched off and they might grope in the darkness like the sinners. They will therefore make this supplication: “O our Lord, forgive us our lapses and perfect for us our light, enabling us to reach Paradise.” Ibn Jarir (Tafsir, 23, 109) has related the wording of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas that the believers will supplicate that their light be not extinguished until they safely cross the bridge of Surat. More or less, the same stance is adopted by Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid, and Dahhak. Ibn Kathir cites their remark (Tafsir, 8, 170) as follows: “On noting that the hypocrites are deprived of light, the believers will invoke Allah that their light be perfected for them.” (For further details see Surah al-Hadid 57: 17).
23. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an vol. IDL, Sarah al-Tawbah 9: n. 82, pp. 232-234).
24. The statement that “each acted treacherously” does not mean, God forbid, that the wives of the Prophets Noah and Lot succumbed to any act of indecency. What is meant is that instead of lending support to the efforts of their husbands — Noah and Lot (peace be upon them) — to uphold the Truth, they lent support to the opponents of the true faith. Ibn ‘Abbas states: “No wife of any Prophet has ever been immoral. The two women acted treacherously regarding the faith. They did not embrace the faith of their husbands. Noah’s wife used to inform her unbelieving community leaders about the movement of the believers. Likewise, Lot’s wife used to pass on the information about the Prophet Lot’s guests to » the evildoers of her community.” (Ibn Jarir, Tafsir, 23, 111-112).
25. Her supplication was that she not be punished for Pharaoh’s evil deeds.
26. It is possible that the name of Mary’s father was ‘Imran, or that she was called “daughter of ‘Imran” because she belonged to the family of ‘Imran.
27. This refutes the Jews’ allegation that Jesus’s birth was, God forbid, the result of a sin committed by his mother. The Qur’an (4: 156) refutes this charge and calls it a “monstrous calumny.” (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. II, Surah al-Nisa’ 4: n. 190, p. 105.)
28. Mary conceived Jesus without any physical contact with any human being. It took place simply because God breathed into her womb a spirit from Himself. (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IL, Surah al-Nisa’ 4: nn. 212-213, pp. 116-117 and vol. V, Surah al-Anbiya’ 21: n. 89, p. 294.)
29. Our Introduction to this Surah states the rationale behind presenting these three women as role models.