Surah 23:118

"Say: ‘My Lord, forgive and have compassion, (for) You are the best of the compassionate.’"

Islamic Commentaries (1)Manuscripts (40)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 23:117-118

Show Full Scripture Context (23:117-118) — 2 Verses

Verse 117

وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرۡهَٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ

Whoever calls on another god with God – for which he has no proof – his reckoning is with his Lord. Surely he will not prosper, (nor will) the disbelievers.

Verse 118

وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ وَٱرۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّـٰحِمِينَ

Say: ‘My Lord, forgive and have compassion, (for) You are the best of the compassionate.’

meaning, they will not be successful with Him on the Day of Resurrection; they will not prosper or be saved.
And say: “My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy!”
Here Allah is teaching us to recite this supplication, for forgiveness, in a general sense, means wiping away sins and concealing them from people, and mercy means guiding a person and helping him to say and do good things.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.

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