Quran Verses About Forgiveness
No verse in the Quran opens the door wider than 39:53: 'do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.' The Quran pairs being forgiven with forgiving others — 'let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?' (24:22). These eight ayahs cover seeking Allah's forgiveness and extending your own.
Updated July 16, 2026
- Surah Az-Zumar 39:53
۞قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful
The widest door in the Quran — addressed to those who have transgressed against themselves, forbidding despair because Allah forgives all sins.
- Surah An-Nur 24:22
وَلَا يَأۡتَلِ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡفَضۡلِ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤۡتُوٓاْ أُوْلِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱلۡمُهَٰجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَلۡيَعۡفُواْ وَلۡيَصۡفَحُوٓاْۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغۡفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٌ
And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Revealed about pardoning someone who caused deep personal hurt — would you not love for Allah to forgive you as you forgive?
- Surah Ali 'Imran 3:133
۞وَسَارِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَغۡفِرَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرۡضُهَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ أُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ
And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil)
Forgiveness is something to race toward — hasten to it, and to a garden as wide as the heavens and the earth.
- Surah Ali 'Imran 3:134
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلۡكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلۡغَيۡظَ وَٱلۡعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good
The forgiven are also forgivers — those who restrain anger and pardon people, whom Allah loves as doers of good.
- Surah Ash-Shuraa 42:40
وَجَزَـٰٓؤُاْ سَيِّئَةٖ سَيِّئَةٞ مِّثۡلُهَاۖ فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَأَصۡلَحَ فَأَجۡرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers
Justice permits an equivalent response, but the higher road is named — whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is upon Allah.
- Surah An-Nisa 4:110
وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ سُوٓءًا أَوۡ يَظۡلِمۡ نَفۡسَهُۥ ثُمَّ يَسۡتَغۡفِرِ ٱللَّهَ يَجِدِ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا
Yet whoso doeth evil or wrongeth his own soul, then seeketh pardon of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful
A standing offer with no expiry — whoever does wrong but then seeks Allah's forgiveness will find Him Forgiving and Merciful.
- Surah Nuh 71:10
فَقُلۡتُ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗا
And I have said: Seek pardon of your Lord. Lo! He was ever Forgiving
Nuh's message across nine and a half centuries — ask forgiveness of your Lord; He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
- Surah Al-Hijr 15:85
وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَأٓتِيَةٞۖ فَٱصۡفَحِ ٱلصَّفۡحَ ٱلۡجَمِيلَ
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them save with truth, and lo! the Hour is surely coming. So forgive, (O Muhammad), with a gracious forgiveness
With the Hour coming, believers are told how to release grievances — 'forgive with gracious forgiveness.'
Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani (public domain). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) — public domain.
Frequently asked questions
Does Allah forgive all sins?
Ayah 39:53 says exactly that to those who repent: 'Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.' The Quran consistently attaches forgiveness to turning back to Him — seeking forgiveness and correcting course (4:110).
What does the Quran say about forgiving other people?
It ties your pardon to Allah's: 'let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?' (24:22). Restraining anger and pardoning people is praised in 3:134, and 42:40 promises that whoever pardons and reconciles has his reward with Allah.
How do I ask Allah for forgiveness?
The Quran's pattern is simple: stop, seek forgiveness sincerely, and do not persist (3:135). Istighfar — saying astaghfirullah and meaning it — is the practice Nuh preached in 71:10, with the promise that Allah is a Perpetual Forgiver.
Sit with these ayahs, not just skim them
Read each verse in its surah, favorite the ones that hold you, and ask Noor about anything unclear — free to start.
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