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 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.
38. (O Prophet), say to those who disbelieve that if they desist, their past sins will be forgiven. But if they persist in what they used to do, then the established way of Allah with the earlier peoples [39] will certainly apply to them.
[39] That is, after being utterly defeated in the Battle of Badr, if these disbelievers now refrain from their hostile activities, then their previous faults can be forgiven; but if they do not desist, then their fate will be the same as that of their predecessors in the Battle of Badr. Another meaning of ﴿سنة الاولين﴾ could be that Allah's punishment will descend upon this disbelieving nation in the same way as it did upon the previous rebellious nations.
[39] That is, after being utterly defeated in the Battle of Badr, if these disbelievers now refrain from their hostile activities, then their previous faults can be forgiven; but if they do not desist, then their fate will be the same as that of their predecessors in the Battle of Badr. Another meaning of ﴿سنة الاولين﴾ could be that Allah's punishment will descend upon this disbelieving nation in the same way as it did upon the previous rebellious nations.
