سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 199
خُذِ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ ﴿199﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
خُذِ
khudhi
Hold
ٱلْعَفْوَ
l-ʿafwa
(to) forgiveness
وَأْمُرْ
wamur
and enjoin
بِٱلْعُرْفِ
bil-ʿur'fi
the good
وَأَعْرِضْ
wa-aʿriḍ
and turn away
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
l-jāhilīna
the ignorant
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 199) ➊ {خُذِ الْعَفْوَ:} That is, in response to the call to Tawheed, you will have to endure much hardship from the polytheists and the ignorant. See Al-Imran (186) and Baqarah (109). In response, you should act with forgiveness. Here, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is taught good character, and through him, every person who is fulfilling the duty of inviting to Islam is addressed, as it is said: «{ وَ جَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُ }» [ النحل : ۱۲۵ ] "And argue with them in the best manner." And it is said: «{ وَ لَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيْظَ الْقَلْبِ لَا نْفَضُّوْا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ }» [ آل عمران : ۱۵۹ ] "And if you had been rude and harsh-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you."
➋ {وَ اْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ: ’’عَرَفَ يَعْرِفُ‘‘} is a verbal noun meaning "that which is recognized as good," the thing whose goodness is recognized by human nature and affirmed by the Shariah. That is, forgiveness does not mean that you stop commanding them to do good, rather, forgiveness is related to good character.
➌ { وَ اَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجٰهِلِيْنَ:} If they persist in stubbornness and adopt an opposing attitude and engage in useless repetition, then instead of getting entangled, you should remain silent, even if they interpret this silence in any way. It is hoped that this will bring about a change in their behavior and their aggression will be rendered ineffective. See Surah Qasas (55) and Furqan (63). Some scholars have said that this command of forgiveness was in Makkah; when the command of fighting and establishing legal punishments was revealed in Madinah, it was abrogated. See Surah Baqarah (109). However, even after that, those among the Muslims who adopt ignorance, such as hypocrites or those disbelievers with whom there is no war, the command to forgive them, to enjoin good, and to turn away from their ignorance still remains, and in fact, these things must always be kept in mind during da'wah. Yes, those who are criminals subject to prescribed punishments or those who are ready for war should be dealt with accordingly, and the clear rulings for this are present in the Qur'an and Hadith.
➋ {وَ اْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ: ’’عَرَفَ يَعْرِفُ‘‘} is a verbal noun meaning "that which is recognized as good," the thing whose goodness is recognized by human nature and affirmed by the Shariah. That is, forgiveness does not mean that you stop commanding them to do good, rather, forgiveness is related to good character.
➌ { وَ اَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجٰهِلِيْنَ:} If they persist in stubbornness and adopt an opposing attitude and engage in useless repetition, then instead of getting entangled, you should remain silent, even if they interpret this silence in any way. It is hoped that this will bring about a change in their behavior and their aggression will be rendered ineffective. See Surah Qasas (55) and Furqan (63). Some scholars have said that this command of forgiveness was in Makkah; when the command of fighting and establishing legal punishments was revealed in Madinah, it was abrogated. See Surah Baqarah (109). However, even after that, those among the Muslims who adopt ignorance, such as hypocrites or those disbelievers with whom there is no war, the command to forgive them, to enjoin good, and to turn away from their ignorance still remains, and in fact, these things must always be kept in mind during da'wah. Yes, those who are criminals subject to prescribed punishments or those who are ready for war should be dealt with accordingly, and the clear rulings for this are present in the Qur'an and Hadith.
