Tafseer commentary of the verse “وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ”

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The verse from the Quraan that you refer to is as follows:

And race with one another towards forgiveness from your lord and towards a paradise which spans the heavens and the earth. It has been prepared for the God-fearing. (Al-Imran -133)

Here, forgiveness refers to the means of obtaining forgiveness, that is, good deeds which bring forth forgiveness. The meaning of the above verse though expressed differently, conveys the same theme.

There are 7 tafseers on what could be the means of forgiveness:

1. Ali (Radiallahu Anhu) explains that the means of forgiveness refers to the fulfilment of obligations, salah, fasting etc.

2. Ibn Abbas (Radiallahu Anhu) as teaching and learning Islam.

3. Anus ibn Malik (Radiallahu Anhu) as performing salah with al-Takbir al-Uula.

4. Saeed ibn Jubayr (Radiallahu Anhu) as perfection of obedience.

5. Dahak (Rahimahullah) as jihad.

6. Ikrimah (Rahimahullah) as tawbah.

7. Abu al-Aliyah (Rahimahullah) as hijrah (travelling for the sake of Deen).

All seven explanations are correct, as all are means of forgiveness. [1]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ismail Dawoodjee

Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

[1]Maariful Quran vol 2 page 185 DUK