Sacred texts · Islam
38 Quran verses about mercy and forgiveness
Mercy sits at the heart of the Quran: two of the most repeated names of God, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, come from it, and every surah but one opens with them. This page gathers verses about divine mercy, about repentance and about forgiving others, each with its surah and verse number. Verse 7:156 sets the scale: “My mercy embraceth all things.”
The English translation quoted is Marmaduke Pickthall’s The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930); the French page quotes Albin de Biberstein Kazimirski (1840). Both are in the public domain, and every verse was checked word for word against their text. Pickthall renders ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim as “the Beneficent, the Merciful.” For other themes, see the main page of Quran verses or the verses about patience.
A mercy that embraces all things
Every surah of the Quran but one opens with the formula “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” The verses in this group unfold that name: a mercy God has prescribed for Himself (6:54), one that embraces all things (7:156), visible in the earth that revives after rain (30:50).
My mercy embraceth all things.
Your Lord hath prescribed for Himself mercy.
Thou comprehendest all things in mercy and knowledge.
That which Allah openeth unto mankind of mercy none can withhold it; and that which He withholdeth none can release thereafter. He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Look, therefore, at the prints of Allah’s mercy (in creation): how He quickeneth the earth after her death.
And He it is Who sendeth down the saving rain after they have despaired, and spreadeth out His mercy.
We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.
Lo! thy Lord is of vast mercy. He is Best Aware of you (from the time) when He created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies of your mothers.
Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise.
And He is the Forgiving, the Loving.
In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard.
Do not despair of God’s mercy
Verse 39:53 is one of the most quoted on this theme: “Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins.” It belongs to a group of verses that close the door on despair, down to the promise that God will change evil deeds into good ones for whoever turns back to Him (25:70).
Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
And who despaireth of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?
Despair not of the Spirit of Allah.
Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
And lo! verily I am Forgiving toward him who repenteth and believeth and doeth good, and afterward walketh aright.
And He it is Who accepteth repentance from His bondmen, and pardoneth the evil deeds, and knoweth what ye do.
Asking forgiveness: prayers from the Quran
Many of these verses are prayers that Muslims still use: the prayer of Adam and Eve after their mistake (7:23), the prayer of Moses (28:16), the prayer of believers for themselves and for those who came before them (59:10). They name the fault plainly without getting stuck in it.
Ask pardon of your Lord and then turn unto Him (repentant). Lo! my Lord is Merciful, Loving.
Seek pardon of your Lord. Lo! He was ever Forgiving.
So ask forgiveness of Him and turn unto Him repentant. Lo! my Lord is Nigh, Responsive.
Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, surely we are of the lost!
My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for Thou art best of all who show mercy.
Our Lord! We believe, therefor forgive us and have mercy on us for Thou art Best of all who show mercy.
Thou art our Protecting Friend, therefore forgive us and have mercy on us, Thou, the Best of all who show forgiveness.
Our Lord! Therefor forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die the death of the righteous.
My Lord! Lo! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. Then He forgave him. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
And relent toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful.
Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.
Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us!
Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who were before us in the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancour toward those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art Full of Pity, Merciful.
Forgiving others
The last group moves from forgiveness received to forgiveness given. Verse 24:22 asks those who hesitate to forgive whether they would not also like to be forgiven. A kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury (2:263).
Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you?
And if ye efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah.
If ye do good openly or keep it secret, or forgive evil, lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Powerful.
A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement.
I shall ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Peace be unto thee! I shall ask forgiveness of my Lord for thee. Lo! He was ever gracious unto me.
How to read these verses after a mistake
When you are angry with yourself, you tend to replay the mistake over and over. These verses suggest a different movement: admit it, ask forgiveness, then keep going. Choose one of the prayers in the third group, the prayer of Moses for instance, and say it in your own words if the old-fashioned English gets in the way.
The last group works the other way, when you are the one who was hurt. Forgiving does not mean excusing, or putting yourself back in harm’s way: the verses speak of overlooking, not of forgetting what happened.
In the Selfia app, the Islam path (Settings › Spirituality) adds Quran verses in a section of their own, never mixed with other themes.
Frequently asked questions
Which verse says that Allah forgives all sins?
It is verse 53 of Surah Az-Zumar (39), often quoted for its call not to despair. Pickthall renders it “Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins,” calling God the Forgiving, the Merciful. In the Quran, the verse addresses those who have wronged themselves; commentators read it with the following verses, which call people to turn back to God.
What do ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim mean?
They are two names of God built on the same Arabic root, which carries the sense of tenderness and mercy. Both appear in the formula that opens the surahs, the basmala. Pickthall translates them as “the Beneficent, the Merciful,” Kazimirski as “clément” and “miséricordieux.” Ar-Rahman is also the name of Surah 55.
Which surah does not begin with the basmala?
Surah 9, At-Tawbah (Repentance), is the only one of the 114 surahs that does not open with “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” On the other hand, the formula appears twice in Surah 27, An-Naml: at the start and in verse 30, in Solomon’s letter to the Queen of Sheba.