Quran-2:37 Surah Al-baqarah English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٖ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Transliteration:( Fatalaqqaaa Aadamu mir Rabbihee Kalimaatin fataaba 'alaihi; innahoo Huwat Tawwaabur Raheem )

37. Then Adam learned certain words (of repentance) [74] from his Lord and He (Allah) accepted his repentance. Surely, He is the Most-Relenting, the Merciful [75]. (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(37) Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words,[22] and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of Repentance,[23] the Merciful. (Saheen International Translation)

Surah Al-Baqarah Ayat 37 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

📖 Commentary of Verse 37 (Surah Al-Baqarah)

"Then Adam learned certain words (of repentance) [74] from his Lord, and He (Allah) accepted his repentance. Surely, He is the Most-Relenting, the Merciful. [75]"


✅ [74] The Words Taught Were Through the Wasila of the Prophet ﷺ

The “certain words” that Hazrat Adam عليه السلام was taught were not simply the well-known supplication “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves…” because that prayer was made before he was sent out of Paradise, as stated in other verses.

The actual words referred to here were special words of Tawbah (repentance) taught by Allah, which included seeking forgiveness through the intercession (wasila) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

This highlights the honor and elevated status of the Prophet ﷺ even before his physical arrival in the world. It was through his blessed means that the repentance of Adam عليه السلام was accepted.


✅ [75] Understanding Divine Tawbah (Acceptance of Repentance)

The name “Tawwab” (Accepter of Repentance) comes from the root meaning to return.

  • When applied to humans, it means to return from disobedience to obedience.

  • When applied to Allah, it refers to the return of His wrath to Mercy—showing Divine Compassion.

Although the word is the same, its meaning depends on the subject it is applied to.

True repentance (Tawbah) from a believer involves three essential elements:

  1. Remorse over committing the sin.

  2. A firm intention not to return to it.

  3. Confession or acknowledgment of the sin.

With these conditions, Allah, the Most-Merciful, accepts repentance with open grace, just as He did with Hazrat Adam عليه السلام.

Ibn-Kathir

37. Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful.


Adam repents and supplicates to Allah

It was reported that the above Ayah is explained by Allah’s statement,

﴿قَالاَ رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ﴾

(They said: “Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.”) (7:23) as Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Khaلlid bin Ma`dan, `Ata’ Al-Khurasani and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam have stated. As-Suddi said that Ibn `Abbas commented on,

﴿فَتَلَقَّى ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ﴾

(Then Adam received from his Lord Words) “Adam said, `O Lord! Did You not created me with Your Own Hands’ He said, `Yes.’ He said, `And blow life into me’ He said, `Yes.’ He said, `And when I sneezed, You said, `May Allah grant you His mercy.’ Does not Your mercy precede Your anger’ He was told, `Yes.’ Adam said, `And You destined me to commit this evil act’ He was told, `Yes.’ He said, `If I repent, will You send me back to Paradise’ Allah said, `Yes.”’ Similar is reported from Al-`Awfi, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Sa`id bin Ma`bad, and Ibn `Abbas. Al-Hakim recorded this Hadith in his Mustadrak from Ibn Jubayr, who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas. Al-Hakim said, “Its chain is Sahih and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.”

Allah’s statement,

﴿إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾

(Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful) (2:37) means that Allah forgives whoever regrets his error and returns to Him in repentance. This meaning is similar to Allah’s statements,

﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ﴾

(Know they not that Allah accepts repentance from His servants) (9:104),

﴿وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ﴾

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself) (4:110) and

﴿وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً﴾

(And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds) (25:71).

The Ayat mentioned above, testify to the fact that Allah forgives the sins of whoever repents, demonstrating His kindness and mercy towards His creation and servants. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

(2:37) Thereupon Adam learned from his Lord some words and repented[51] and his Lord accepted his repentance for He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.[52]


51. This means that when Adam became conscious of his act of sin and wanted to return from his state of disobedience to that of obedience, and when he tried to seek remission for his sin from God, he was unable to find the words to use in his prayer to God. In His Mercy God taught him the words with which he could pray.

The word tawbah basically denotes ‘to come back, to turn towards someone’. Tawbah, on the part of man, signifies that he has given up his attitude of disobedience and has returned to submission and obedience to God. The same word used in respect of God means that He has mercifully turned towards His repentant servant so that the latter has once more become an object of His compassionate attention.

 

52. The Qur’an refutes the doctrine that certain consequences necessarily follow from sins and that man must in all cases bear them. In fact this is one of the most misleading doctrines to have been invented by human imagination. If it were true it would mean that a sinner would never have the opportunity to have his repentance accepted. It is a mechanistic view of reward and punishment and thus prevents and discourages the sinner from trying to improve.

 

The Qur’an, on the contrary, tells man that reward for good actions and punishment for bad ones rests entirely with God. The reward that one receives for good acts is not the natural consequence of those acts; it is rather due to the grace and benevolence of God and it is entirely up to Him to reward one or not. Likewise, punishment for evil deeds is not a natural and unalterable consequence of man’s acts. God has full authority to punish man for his sin as well as to pardon him.

 

God’s grace and mercy, however, are interrelated with His wisdom. Since He is wise, He does not use His power arbitrarily. Hence, whenever God rewards a man for his good acts, He does so because the good was done with purity of intention and for the sake of pleasing God. And if God refuses to accept an act of apparent goodness, He does so because that act had merely the form or appearance of goodness, and was not motivated by the desire to please God.

 

In the same way God punishes man for those sins which he commits with rebellious boldness, and which whet his appetite for more rather than lead him to repentance. Similarly, in His mercy God pardons those sins which are followed by genuine repentance and readiness on the part of the sinner to reform himself. There is no need for the criminal to despair of God’s grace and mercy, no matter how great a criminal he is. Nor is there any reason for even the most rabid disbeliever to despair, provided he recognizes his error, repents of his disobedience and is ready to replace his former disobedience with obedience.

 


Ala-Maududi

(2:37) Thereupon Adam learned from his Lord some words and repented[51] and his Lord accepted his repentance for He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.[52]


51. This means that when Adam became conscious of his act of sin and wanted to return from his state of disobedience to that of obedience, and when he tried to seek remission for his sin from God, he was unable to find the words to use in his prayer to God. In His Mercy God taught him the words with which he could pray.

The word tawbah basically denotes ‘to come back, to turn towards someone’. Tawbah, on the part of man, signifies that he has given up his attitude of disobedience and has returned to submission and obedience to God. The same word used in respect of God means that He has mercifully turned towards His repentant servant so that the latter has once more become an object of His compassionate attention.

52. The Qur’an refutes the doctrine that certain consequences necessarily follow from sins and that man must in all cases bear them. In fact this is one of the most misleading doctrines to have been invented by human imagination. If it were true it would mean that a sinner would never have the opportunity to have his repentance accepted. It is a mechanistic view of reward and punishment and thus prevents and discourages the sinner from trying to improve.

The Qur’an, on the contrary, tells man that reward for good actions and punishment for bad ones rests entirely with God. The reward that one receives for good acts is not the natural consequence of those acts; it is rather due to the grace and benevolence of God and it is entirely up to Him to reward one or not. Likewise, punishment for evil deeds is not a natural and unalterable consequence of man’s acts. God has full authority to punish man for his sin as well as to pardon him.

God’s grace and mercy, however, are interrelated with His wisdom. Since He is wise, He does not use His power arbitrarily. Hence, whenever God rewards a man for his good acts, He does so because the good was done with purity of intention and for the sake of pleasing God. And if God refuses to accept an act of apparent goodness, He does so because that act had merely the form or appearance of goodness, and was not motivated by the desire to please God.

In the same way God punishes man for those sins which he commits with rebellious boldness, and which whet his appetite for more rather than lead him to repentance. Similarly, in His mercy God pardons those sins which are followed by genuine repentance and readiness on the part of the sinner to reform himself. There is no need for the criminal to despair of God’s grace and mercy, no matter how great a criminal he is. Nor is there any reason for even the most rabid disbeliever to despair, provided he recognizes his error, repents of his disobedience and is ready to replace his former disobedience with obedience.

(37) Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words,[22] and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of Repentance,[23] the Merciful.

[22]- Allāh taught Adam words of repentance that would be acceptable to Him. [23]- Literally, He who perpetually returns, i.e., reminding and enabling His servant to repent from sins and then forgiving him. Thus, He is also the constant motivator of the repentance He accepts.

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