Do Not Despair of Allah's Mercy
Az-Zumar 39:53. Also known as La taqnatu min rahmatillah, Allah forgives all sins, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves
۞قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣﴾
Qul ya AAibadiya allatheena asrafoo AAala anfusihim la taqnatoo min rahmati Allahi inna Allaha yaghfiru alththunooba jameeAAan innahu huwa alghafooru alrraheemu
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: do not despair of Allah’s mercy, for Allah forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Clement.”
Verse 53 of Surah Az-Zumar, the 39th surah, is often called the most hopeful verse in the Quran. It is addressed to people who have wronged themselves, and it tells them not to give up on Allah's mercy, because He forgives all sins.
Surah Az-Zumar is a Meccan surah of 75 verses. Its name, The Troops or The Groups, comes from its closing verses, which describe people being led in groups to their final homes. Verse 53 sits near the middle of the surah and opens a short passage about turning back to Allah.
What it means
Allah calls them My servants
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is told to convey a message, and Allah addresses the listeners as My servants. Even while speaking to people who have sinned, He calls them His own.
Those who have wronged themselves
The people addressed are those who have gone too far against their own souls. The Quran frames sin as harm a person does to themselves, which makes the call to return an act of care rather than only a command.
Do not lose hope
The instruction is not to despair of Allah's mercy. Despair here means deciding that one is beyond forgiveness. The verse rules that thought out.
He forgives all sins
The reason given is that Allah forgives all sins. Scholars explain that this is for those who repent, which is why the very next verse calls people to turn back to Him. Elsewhere, at 4:48, the Quran says associating partners with Allah is not forgiven, and scholars explain this as referring to someone who dies on it without repenting.
The Forgiving, the Merciful
The verse ends with two names of Allah, the Forgiving and the Merciful. The message is grounded in who He is, not in how good the sinner has been.
Where it sits in Surah Az-Zumar
Just before this verse, 39:49 to 39:52 describe how people call on Allah in hardship and then credit themselves when blessings come, and remind them that provision is in His hands. Verse 53 then turns to hope. Verses 54 and 55 urge people to turn to their Lord and submit to Him, and to follow the best of what has been revealed, before punishment comes suddenly. Verses 56 to 58 picture the regrets a soul might voice too late: sorrow for neglecting its duty, claiming it would have been pious if guided, and wishing for another chance. The hope of verse 53 and the urgency of the verses after it belong together.
How it is used
This verse is often recited to people who feel their past is too heavy to bring back to Allah. Sahih al-Bukhari reports from Ibn Abbas that some people who had killed many and committed many sins came to the Prophet ﷺ asking whether there was any expiation for what they had done, and that this verse was revealed along with 25:68 to 25:70. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim also report the story of a man who had killed ninety-nine people, then a hundredth, and was still forgiven when he set out sincerely to repent.
Questions
Does Allah really forgive all sins?
39:53 says Allah forgives all sins. Scholars explain that this applies to those who turn back to Him, which is what the next verse, 39:54, calls for. Sincere repentance is open to everyone as long as they are alive.
Is this the most hopeful verse in the Quran?
Some Companions and later scholars described it that way, though others named different verses. It is widely regarded as one of the most hopeful.
Where else does the Quran warn against despair?
In 12:87, Jacob (Ya'qub) tells his sons not to despair of Allah's comfort, and in 15:56 Abraham (Ibrahim) asks who despairs of his Lord's mercy except those who are lost.