سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 159
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴿159﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allâh’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allâh, certainly, Allâh loves those who put their trust (in Him).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَبِمَا
fabimā
So because
رَحْمَةٍۢ
raḥmatin
(of) Mercy
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
لِنتَ
linta
you dealt gently
لَهُمْ ۖ
lahum
with them
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
كُنتَ
kunta
you had been
فَظًّا
faẓẓan
rude
غَلِيظَ
ghalīẓa
(and) harsh
ٱلْقَلْبِ
l-qalbi
(at) [the] heart
لَٱنفَضُّوا۟
la-infaḍḍū
surely they (would have) dispersed
مِنْ
min
from
حَوْلِكَ ۖ
ḥawlika
around you
فَٱعْفُ
fa-uʿ'fu
Then pardon
عَنْهُمْ
ʿanhum
[from] them
وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ
wa-is'taghfir
and ask forgiveness
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
وَشَاوِرْهُمْ
washāwir'hum
and consult them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ
l-amri
the matter
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
Then when
عَزَمْتَ
ʿazamta
you have decided
فَتَوَكَّلْ
fatawakkal
then put trust
عَلَى
ʿalā
on
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يُحِبُّ
yuḥibbu
loves
ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
l-mutawakilīna
the ones who put trust (in Him)
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
159. It is by Allah’s great mercy that you (O Prophet) have been gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, seek forgiveness for them [153], and consult them in matters (of the religion). Then when you have made a firm decision, put your trust in Allah [154]. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.
[153]
The Prophet ﷺ Instructing to Forgive Those Who Make Mistakes:
After giving these instructions to the Muslims, the mention of the circumstances and outcomes of the Battle of Uhud is resumed. The punishment that befell the Muslims as a result of disobeying the Messenger of Allah was a lesson, and one aspect of this incident is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ could have taken strict action against those who disobeyed, or at the very least, could have become displeased with them. But it is also a great favor of Allah that you were very gentle-hearted towards the believers. Otherwise, if you had been harsh-hearted, or had taken strict action over this disobedience, then the Muslims would have started to avoid coming near you. Allah Almighty Himself had already forgiven those who disobeyed and those who fled. Now, He instructed His Prophet that you too should pardon them, and not only pardon them but also seek forgiveness for them from Me, and just as before the Battle of Uhud you used to consult them and include them in the council of consultation, you should continue to do so in the future as well. That is, do not let any kind of resentment remain in your heart for them.
[154]
The Purpose of Consultation:
The meaning of consultation is that all aspects of the matter become clear and every participant in the consultation is given the opportunity to freely express their opinion. Consultation can only be done in matters where there is no explicit command in the Book and Sunnah, and where there is an explicit command, there is no need for consultation. This is generally done in administrative matters. For example: where should a battle be fought? What should be its method? How should prisoners be treated? What methods should be used for the economic and moral welfare of the people, etc. In consultation, only this should be considered: which opinion is closer to the truth, that is, in accordance with the intent of the Book and Sunnah. This is true whether the opinion is held by a few people or many. The real purpose of consultation is the search for evidence. The number of people giving an opinion does not affect this, and the authority to declare an opinion as closer to the truth belongs to the head of the council of consultation. In other words, the authority for the final decision belongs to the head of the council, and the intention to implement this decision is called determination (azm), that is, after determination, one should begin the work by taking the name of Allah and placing trust in Him.
[153]
The Prophet ﷺ Instructing to Forgive Those Who Make Mistakes:
After giving these instructions to the Muslims, the mention of the circumstances and outcomes of the Battle of Uhud is resumed. The punishment that befell the Muslims as a result of disobeying the Messenger of Allah was a lesson, and one aspect of this incident is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ could have taken strict action against those who disobeyed, or at the very least, could have become displeased with them. But it is also a great favor of Allah that you were very gentle-hearted towards the believers. Otherwise, if you had been harsh-hearted, or had taken strict action over this disobedience, then the Muslims would have started to avoid coming near you. Allah Almighty Himself had already forgiven those who disobeyed and those who fled. Now, He instructed His Prophet that you too should pardon them, and not only pardon them but also seek forgiveness for them from Me, and just as before the Battle of Uhud you used to consult them and include them in the council of consultation, you should continue to do so in the future as well. That is, do not let any kind of resentment remain in your heart for them.
[154]
The Purpose of Consultation:
The meaning of consultation is that all aspects of the matter become clear and every participant in the consultation is given the opportunity to freely express their opinion. Consultation can only be done in matters where there is no explicit command in the Book and Sunnah, and where there is an explicit command, there is no need for consultation. This is generally done in administrative matters. For example: where should a battle be fought? What should be its method? How should prisoners be treated? What methods should be used for the economic and moral welfare of the people, etc. In consultation, only this should be considered: which opinion is closer to the truth, that is, in accordance with the intent of the Book and Sunnah. This is true whether the opinion is held by a few people or many. The real purpose of consultation is the search for evidence. The number of people giving an opinion does not affect this, and the authority to declare an opinion as closer to the truth belongs to the head of the council of consultation. In other words, the authority for the final decision belongs to the head of the council, and the intention to implement this decision is called determination (azm), that is, after determination, one should begin the work by taking the name of Allah and placing trust in Him.
