Al-'Afuww — The Pardoner
Al-'Afuww is the One who pardons — and classical scholars distinguish pardon from forgiveness precisely. To forgive (ghafara) is to cover a sin; to pardon ('afa) is to erase it, so that no trace of it remains to be mentioned. The name is therefore stronger than forgiveness: the record itself is wiped. Aisha asked the Prophet ﷺ what to say if she found Laylat al-Qadr, and he taught her to say: O Allah, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me (Tirmidhi 3513).
Updated July 16, 2026
Name 82 of 99
الْعَفُوُّ
Al-'Afuww
The Pardoner
Where Al-'Afuww appears in the Quran
فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعۡفُوَ عَنۡهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورٗا
As for such, it may be that Allah will pardon them. Allah is ever Clement, Forgiving
Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani (public domain). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) — public domain.
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