16:119 An-Nahl (The Bee)

وهذا حض منه لعباده على التوبة، ودعوة لهم إلى الإنابة، فأخبر أن من عمل سوءا بجهالة بعاقبة ما تجني عليه، ولو كان متعمدا للذنب، فإنه لا بد أن ينقص ما في قلبه من العلم وقت مفارقة الذنب. فإذا تاب وأصلح بأن ترك الذنب وندم عليه وأصلح أعماله، فإن الله يغفر له ويرحمه ويتقبل توبته ويعيده إلى حالته الأولى أو أعلى منها.

ثم أخبر تعالى تكرما وامتنانا في حق العصاة المؤمنين أن من تاب منهم إليه تاب عليه فقال "ثم إن ربك للذين عملوا السوء بجهالة" قال بعض السلف كل من عصى الله فهو جاهل "ثم تابوا من بعد ذلك وأصلحوا" أي أقلعوا عما كانوا فيه من المعاصي وأقبلوا على فعل الطاعات "إن ربك من بعدها" أي تلك الفعلة والزلة "لغفور رحيم".

Some Good Things were Forbidden for the Jews

After mentioning that He has forbidden us to eat dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, and after making allowances for cases of necessity - which is part of making things easy for this Ummah, because Allah desires ease for us, not hardship - Allah then mentions what He forbade for the Jews in their laws before they were abrogated, and the restrictions, limitations and difficulties involved therein. He tells us:

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا مَا قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ

(And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before.) meaning in Surat Al-An`am, where Allah says:

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ

(And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs) Until,

لَصَـدِقُونَ

(We are indeed truthful) 6:146 Hence Allah says here:

وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ

(And We did not wrong them,) meaning, in the restrictions that We imposed upon them.

وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

(but they wronged themselves. ) meaning, they deserved that. This is like the Ayah:

فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً

(Because of the wrong committed of those who were Jews, We prohibited certain good foods which had been lawful for them - and (also) for their hindering many from Allah's way.) (4:160) Then Allah tells us, honoring and remin- ding believers who have sinned of His blessings, that who- ever among them repents, He will accept his repentance, as He says:

ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السُّوءَ بِجَهَـلَةٍ

(Then, your Lord for those who did evil out of ignorance) Some of the Salaf said that this means that everyone who disobeys Allah is ignorant.

ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ

(and afterward repent and do righteous deeds) meaning, they give up the sins they used to commit and turn to doing acts of obedience to Allah.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا

(verily, after that, your Lord is...) means, after that mistake

لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(...Pardoning, Most Merciful.)

Then indeed your Lord — to those who did evil associating others with God out of ignorance and then repented returned to God’s way after that and made amends in their actions — indeed your Lord after that that is after that ignorance or that repentance is Forgiving of them Merciful to them.

Repentance from Sin brings Forgiveness: Is it Open or Restricted?

In the last verse (119): ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَ‌بَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ (Then your Lord – for those who did evil through ignorance ...), it will be noticed that the sense of ignorance has been conveyed by the use of the word: جَهَالَةٍ (jahalah), not: جَھل (jahl). As for the word: جَھل (jahl), it is employed as an antonym of: عِلَم (` ilm: knowledge) and releases the sense of a lack of knowledge or understanding while the word: جَهَالَةٍ (jahalah) denotes acting ignorantly - even if done knowingly. This tells us that the forgiveness of sins through Taubah (repentance) is not restricted to a situation where a sin is committed with lack of understanding or volition. (Rather, a true taubah or repentance may forgive all sins, even though committed deliberately).