An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 99 of 176

An-Nisa 4:99

فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

“For those it is expected that Allāh will pardon them, and Allāh is ever Pardoning[214] and Forgiving.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Even the truly trapped are given hope, not a claim: Allah may well pardon them, for pardoning and forgiving is His settled way.

A reflection

Even the excused say 'perhaps'

Fa-ulāʾika ʿasā Allāhu an yaʿfuwa ʿanhum. As for those, Allah may well pardon them.

These are the people the previous ayah set apart: men, women and children with no means and no road. One might expect a flat guarantee. Instead comes ʿasā, a word of hope.

Two classical commentators explain why. It shows how weighty the matter was. Even someone plainly forced to stay should say: perhaps Allah will pardon me. If that is the stance of the excused, how much more of everyone else?

This is where the ego shrinks. Pride wants to stand before Allah with a case. I had good reasons. I was blameless. I am owed. The ayah teaches a different posture. Even with a true excuse, the believer comes asking, not demanding.

Picture a man with diabetes whose doctor has told him not to fast Ramadan. Each evening he sits at the iftar table with his fasting family, having eaten at noon. Before he lifts his fork he says quietly: O Allah, You know why. Accept my excuse. He has every right to the exemption. He still asks.

Does Allah need us to approach Him this way, to feed some need for deference? No. The ayah closes with His names, ʿafuwwan ghafūrā, Pardoning, Forgiving. He gains nothing from our humility. The humility is what lets the pardon in. A cup held upside down cannot be filled.

What claims do you bring to Allah that would be better turned into requests?

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.