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2
لِيَغفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ ما تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَما تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعمَتَهُ عَلَيكَ وَيَهدِيَكَ صِراطًا مُستَقيمًا

Ali Unal

That God may forgive you (O Messenger) your lapses of the past and those to follow,1 and complete His favor on you,2 and guide you (to steadfastness) on a straight path (leading to God’s being pleased with You and eternal happiness);3
  • Before proceeding to explain the sinlessness of the Prophets, we should point out that, as will be stated in the last verse, the sins mentioned here are the sins committed by the believers, not the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, himself. As in many other verses, God addresses the believers through the person of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. However, the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, also has a share in this address. It should be understood in the light of the following explanation:
    Infallibility in the sense of sinlessness is a necessary attribute of the Prophets. Their infallibility is an established fact, based on reason and tradition. This quality is required for several reasons.
    First, the Prophets came to convey the Message of God. If we liken this Message to pure water or light (13: 17; 24: 35), the Archangel Gabriel (who brought it) and the Prophet (who conveyed it), upon him be peace and blessings, also must be absolutely pure. If this were not so, their impurity would pollute the Message. Every falling off is an impurity, a dark spot, in the heart. The hearts or souls of Gabriel and the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, are like polished mirrors that reflect the Divine Revelation to people, a cup from which people quench their thirst for the pure Divine water.
    Any black spot on the mirror would absorb a ray of that light; a single drop of mud would make the water unclear. As a result, the Prophets would not be able to deliver the complete Message. But they delivered the Message perfectly, as stated in 5:3 and 67.
    Second, the Prophets taught their people all the commands and principles of faith and conduct. In order for people to learn their Religion in its pristine purity and truth, as perfectly as possible so that they can secure their happiness and prosperity in both worlds, the Prophets must present and also represent the Revelation without fault or defect. This is their function as guides and good examples to be followed (33:21; 60: 4, 6). A Prophet can do or say only that which has been sanctioned by God. If he could not, he would have to repent even beyond his current lifetime.
    Third, the Qur’ān commands believers to obey the Prophet’s orders and prohibitions, without exception, and emphasizes that it is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, to have any doubts about a judgment on a matter when it has been decided by God and His Messenger (33:36), upon him be peace and blessings. It also warns believers that what falls to them when God and His Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, have given a judgment is only to say: “We have heard and obeyed” (24: 51). Absolute obedience to a Prophet means that all of his commands and prohibitions are correct and beyond reproach.
    Then, how should we evaluate some verses that mention the forgiveness of a Prophet?
    Prophethood is such a great favor that all Prophets bore extreme hardship while fulfilling the duty of thanksgiving, and always worried about not worshipping God sufficiently. Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, often implored God as follows: “Glory be to You! We have not been able to know You as Your knowledge requires, O Known One. Glory be to You! We have not been able to worship You as Your worship requires, O Worshipped One.”
    The Qur’ānic verses that are sometimes understood (mistakenly) to reprimand certain Prophets for some faults or to show that they have sought God’s forgiveness for some sin should be considered in this light. Moreover, God’s forgiveness does not always mean that a sin has been committed. The Qur’ānic words ‘afw (pardon) and maghfirah (forgiveness) also signify a special favor and kindness, as well as Divine dispensation, in respect to lightening or overlooking a religious duty, as in the following verses:
    Whoever is constrained by dire necessity (and driven to what is forbidden), without purposely inclining to sin – surely God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. (5:3)
    If you … can find no water, then betake yourselves to pure earth, passing with it lightly over your face and hands (and forearms, up to and including the elbows). Assuredly, God is One Who grants remission, All-Forgiving. (4:43)
    In addition, sins (lapses in respect with the Prophets) and pardoning have different types and degrees. These are disobeying religious commandments, and forgiveness thereof; disobeying God’s laws of creation and life, and forgiveness thereof; and disobeying the rules of good manners or courtesy, and forgiveness thereof. A fourth type, which is not a sin, involves not doing something as perfectly as possible, as required by the love of and nearness to God. Some Prophets may have done this, but such acts cannot be considered sins according to the common definition.
  • See sūrah 5: 3, note 1.
  • As with the address in the first part of the verse concerning the forgiveness of sins, this address also is, as will be seen in the verse 20, to the believers through the person of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, though he also has a share in it with respect to his rank as Messenger and being one who is nearest to God, and, therefore, with respect to his relation with God.