سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 38
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِن يَنتَهُوا۟ يُغْفَرْ لَهُم مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِن يَعُودُوا۟ فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّتُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُل
qul
Say
لِّلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
to those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
إِن
in
if
يَنتَهُوا۟
yantahū
they cease
يُغْفَرْ
yugh'far
will be forgiven
لَهُم
lahum
for them
مَّا
mā
what
قَدْ
qad
[verily]
سَلَفَ
salafa
(is) past
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
يَعُودُوا۟
yaʿūdū
they return
فَقَدْ
faqad
then verily
مَضَتْ
maḍat
preceded
سُنَّتُ
sunnatu
(the) practice
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
l-awalīna
(of) the former (people)
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
38. 1. The meaning of returning is to become a Muslim. Just as it is mentioned in the hadith: "Whoever accepted Islam and adopted the path of righteousness, he will not be questioned about those sins which he committed during the time of ignorance, and whoever, after accepting Islam, did not abandon evil, he will be held accountable for all his previous and later deeds." (Sahih Muslim) In another hadith, it is stated: Islam erases the sins committed before it.
38. 2. That is, if they persist in their disbelief and stubbornness, then sooner or later they will inevitably become subject to the punishment of Allah.
38. 2. That is, if they persist in their disbelief and stubbornness, then sooner or later they will inevitably become subject to the punishment of Allah.
