An-Naml · Makki · ayah 11 of 93

An-Naml 27:11

إِلَّا مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْنًۢا بَعْدَ سُوٓءٍ فَإِنِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Otherwise, he who wrongs, then substitutes good after evil - indeed, I am Forgiving and Merciful.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Whoever has done wrong and then puts good where the evil stood will find Allah introducing Himself: I am Forgiving, Merciful.

A reflection

The Mighty introduces Himself as Forgiving

A world-famous conductor stops a rehearsal in the middle of a difficult passage. The orchestra braces for the usual storm. Instead he lowers his baton and says, 'That was my tempo. My mistake, not yours.' The players glance at one another. Nobody can remember him saying it before.

Most human greatness struggles with that sentence. The higher a person rises, the harder it becomes to say 'I was wrong'. Pride builds a wall around every fault.

Now look at who is speaking in this ayah. Two ayat earlier He has said: I am Allah, the Mighty, the Wise (27:9). He owes no one anything. He could have closed this moment with a warning. Instead He introduces Himself, in the first person, to the wrongdoer: fa-innī ghafūrun raḥīm, then I am Forgiving, Merciful.

The Mighty has no fault to confess. It is we who do. Yet the ego often will not say three honest words to Him: I have wronged. Musa did say them, years earlier, after the blow that killed a man: my Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me (28:16). And he was forgiven.

The contrast should humble us. The One who needs nothing describes Himself by forgiveness. The creature who needs everything hides behind excuses. 'I was provoked.' 'Everyone does it.' 'It wasn't that serious.'

Someone may ask why Allah describes Himself at all. Does He need us to think well of Him? He does not. A rescue crew radioing 'we can reach you' to a stranded climber is not fishing for praise. It is telling him what he must know in order to hold on. 'I am Forgiving' is said for the sinner's sake, so he does not despair and stay away.

The ego is arrogant not only towards people. It is arrogant towards repentance itself, as if admitting fault would make us smaller. In truth it makes us what we are: servants in need, before a Lord who forgives.

Before you sleep tonight, say the words Musa said, about something specific. Then let His names answer you.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.