Forgiveness and Easing of Burden
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ، وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ، وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ، وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا، وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ. رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ، وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ. رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا، إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا. رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا. رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ، وَاعْفُ عَنَّا، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا، وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا، فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ.
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Could not load the audio. Please try again later.
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.’ Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. ‘Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.’”
Forms: The substitutive masdar “Ghufranaka” (“Your forgiveness” — we seek Your forgiveness), which is followed by the prohibitive forms “la tu’akhidhna” (“do not hold us accountable”) and the petitions “wa-’fu ’anna” (“pardon us”). These are the two great concluding passages of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Tafsir of Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Saadi
Sheikh al-Saadi explains: “Allah has lightened the religious prescriptions for this community, forgiven mistakes committed out of forgetfulness and ignorance, and promised to answer these supplications of the believers.”
Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir cites the hadith of Muslim that, when each sentence of these verses is recited, Allah responds: “I have already done so!” (qad fa’altu).
Tafsir al-Baghawi
The words of Allah, the Exalted: “...The Messenger has believed...” that is, affirmed as true
“...what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers (have believed) as well. All (of them) have believed in Allah...” — that is, each one of them. Therefore, the verb is used in the singular, since the reference is to each individually.
“...and (in all) His angels, and (in all) His Books, and (in all) His messengers. We make no distinction between any of His messengers...” — believing in some and rejecting others, as the Jews and Christians do. This expression contains an ellipsis, and its implied meaning is that they say: “We make no distinction...” Ya‘qub read: “la yufarriqu” (“he makes no distinction”), with the verb in the third person.
In that case, this would be a statement about the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or the meaning would be: “no one makes a distinction,” that is, none of the believers.
Allah, the Exalted, said: “bayna ahadin” (“between anyone”), and not: “between many,” because the word “ahad” in Arabic is used for both singular and plural. For example, Allah, the Exalted, says: “...and there would not be among you anyone who could withhold it from him...” (Surah al-Haqqah, verse 47). “...And they said: ‘We have heard...’” Your Word,
“...and obeyed...” Your command. It is transmitted from Hakim, from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), that Jibril (peace be upon him) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when this verse was revealed: “Indeed, Allah has spoken well of you and your community, so ask, and it will be granted.”
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made a request, through inspiration and instruction from Allah, the Exalted, and said:
“...Your forgiveness...” This word is in the accusative as a verbal noun, that is: “Forgive us through Your forgiveness”; or it is a direct object, in which case the meaning is: “We ask You for Your forgiveness.”
“...our Lord, and to You alone is the return (on the Day of Resurrection)!...”
“... Allah does not burden a soul with anything beyond its capacity...” The apparent meaning of the verse is a request that a need be fulfilled, while it contains an implicit supplication, as though they had said: “Do not burden us with anything beyond our capacity.” Allah replied: “Allah does not burden a soul with anything beyond its capacity...” that is, beyond what it can bear.
The scholars differed regarding the interpretation of this verse.
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), ‘Ata, and most of the exegetes held that this refers to the thought within oneself, mentioned in the words of the Exalted:
“...Whether you disclose what is within yourselves (by performing an outward deed) or conceal it,...” — as has already been mentioned.
It is also transmitted from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: this applies exclusively to the believers. Allah made the matter of their faith easy for them and did not burden them in it with anything beyond what they could bear, as the Exalted said:
“...Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you...” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 185); and also: “...and He has placed no hardship upon you in the Religion...” (Surah al-Hajj, verse 78).
Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah was asked about the words of the Exalted:
“Allah does not burden a soul with anything beyond its capacity...” He replied: “Only within the limits of what it can bear; He does not obligate it beyond its endurance.” This is a good statement, for “capacity” is that which is below the limit of strength. The words of Allah, the Exalted:
“...It shall have what it has earned...” — that is, the soul will receive what good it has done, and will be rewarded and recompensed for it.
“...and against it shall be what evil it has earned...” — of evil, and its sin and burden will rest upon it.
“...‘Our Lord! Do not take us to task...’” — that is: do not punish us
“...if we forget...” Some interpreted this as forgetfulness that leads to an error committed inadvertently. Therefore, Allah commanded the believers to ask Him not to punish them for this. It is also said that this refers to forgetfulness in the sense of neglect, as in the words of the Exalted: “They forgot Allah, so He forgot them” (Surah al-Tawbah, verse 67), where “forgot” means “neglected.” The words of Allah, the Exalted:
“...or make a mistake...” It is said that this refers to a deliberate act, since one may say “he erred (akhta’a)” intending that he did it deliberately. As the Exalted said: “Indeed, their killing is a great error” (Surah al-Isra’, verse 31). ‘Ata said: the expression “if we forget or make a mistake” means: if we act unknowingly or do it deliberately.
However, most scholars interpreted this as an error in the sense of ignorance and forgetfulness, because sins committed deliberately are not forgiven (without repentance), and the decision in this matter rests with Allah: if He wills, He punishes; if He wills, He forgives. As for a mistake, it is forgiven. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Removed from my community are: error, forgetfulness, and that to which they are compelled.” The words of Allah, the Exalted:
“...‘Our Lord! Do not place upon us a burden...’” — that is: do not place upon us a weighty obligation or binding covenant that we are unable to fulfill, for whose violation and abandonment You would then punish us.
“...as You placed upon those before us...” — that is, the Jews. They were unable to fulfill it, and You punished them.
It is also said that the meaning is: “Do not make the matter difficult and burdensome for us, as You made it difficult for those before us among the Jews.” For Allah obliged them to perform fifty prayers, commanded them to give a quarter of their wealth in zakat, and if impurity touched their garments, they cut that part off; and if one of them committed a sin, he would find it written on the door of his house in the morning, along with other such burdens and hardships.
This is also indicated by the words of the Exalted: “...and removes from them their burden and the shackles that were upon them” (Surah al-A‘raf, verse 157).
It is also said that the word “isr” means a sin for which there is no repentance, and the meaning of the supplication is: “Protect us from anything of that kind.” Originally, this word means “reason” and “firm decree.” The words of Allah, the Exalted:
“...‘ Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear...’” — that is: do not oblige us to perform deeds that we are unable to bear. It is also said that this refers to the inner movement of the soul — thoughts and whisperings.
It is transmitted that Makhul said: this refers to an intense passionate longing. It is transmitted from Ibrahim that he said: it is love. It is transmitted from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab that he said: passionate infatuation. Ibn Jurayj said: it is the transformation of people into apes and pigs.
It is also said: it is the gloating of enemies. It is also said: it is division and the severing of ties. We seek Allah’s protection from all of this. The words of Allah, the Exalted:
“...And pardon us...” — that is: forgive our sins and erase them
“...and forgive us...” — that is: conceal our sins and do not disgrace us
“...and have mercy on us...” for we can perform righteous deeds only through obedience to You, and we refrain from disobeying You only by Your mercy.
“...You are our Protector...” — that is: our Helper, Guardian, and Defender. “...so help us against the disbelieving people!...”
In “Sahih Muslim” (No. 126) it is reported from Ibn Abbas that an angel descended from heaven and said to the Prophet: “Rejoice at two lights… This is Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding verses of Surah Al-Baqarah.”