Al-Mu'minun 23:118
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 349
وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ وَٱرۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١١٨
And, [O Muḥammad], say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 23:118–24:1
رَّبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ (My Lord, forgive and have mercy - 23:118). Here the object of the forgiveness and having mercy has not been mentioned. What is there to be forgiven and to whom is mercy to be shown? And this seems to suggest a general prayer for forgiveness which would include deliverance from harm and suffering, and a general prayer for mercy which would include the grant of every wish. Since protection from bodily harm and acquisition of legitimate gains is the object of all human activity, this prayer covers both these aspects. (Mazhari) And the reason why the Holy Prophet ﷺ was commanded to recite this prayer of forgiveness and mercy, even tough he is impeccable, is to impress upon his followers the special merit of this prayer. (Qurtubi)
Surah Al-Mu'minun began with the verse قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (Success is really attained by the believers - 23:1) and ends withإِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ (Surely, the infidels will not achieve success - 23:117) which shows that success will come to believers only and that the unbelievers will have no share of it.
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23:105
أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَايَٰتِي تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَكُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ ١٠٥
[It will be said], "Were not My verses recited to you and you used to deny them?"
23:106
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتۡ عَلَيۡنَا شِقۡوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوۡمٗا ضَآلِّينَ ١٠٦
They will say, "Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.
23:107
رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡهَا فَإِنۡ عُدۡنَا فَإِنَّا ظَٰلِمُونَ ١٠٧
Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers."
23:108
قَالَ ٱخۡسَـُٔواْ فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ ١٠٨
He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
23:109
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١٠٩
Indeed, there was a party of My servants who said, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.'
23:110
فَٱتَّخَذۡتُمُوهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا حَتَّىٰٓ أَنسَوۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرِي وَكُنتُم مِّنۡهُمۡ تَضۡحَكُونَ ١١٠
But you took them in mockery to the point that they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them.
23:111
إِنِّي جَزَيۡتُهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡفَآئِزُونَ ١١١
Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success]."
23:112
قَٰلَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ ١١٢
[Allāh] will say, "How long did you remain on earth in number of years?"
23:113
قَالُواْ لَبِثۡنَا يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖ فَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلۡعَآدِّينَ ١١٣
They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate."
23:114
قَٰلَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗاۖ لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ١١٤
He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.
23:115
أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ عَبَثٗا وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١٥
Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"
23:116
فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡكَرِيمِ ١١٦
So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign,1 the Truth;2 there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
23:117
وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرۡهَٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ١١٧
And whoever invokes besides Allāh another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
23:118
وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ وَٱرۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١١٨
And, [O Muḥammad], say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."