Transliteration:( in tubdoo khairann aw tukhfoohu aw ta'foo 'an sooo'in fa innal laaha kaana 'afuwwan Qadeeraa )
“If you do any good deed openly or in secret or pardon anyone's evil [433], then surely Allah is Pardoning, Powerful.”
From this verse, we understand that both public and private good deeds are valid and valuable—depending on the nature and intention behind them.
Examples of public good deeds:
Jumu‘ah (Friday) Prayer
Eid Prayers
Hajj
These are meant to be performed in congregation, and their public display is part of their virtue.
Examples of private good deeds:
Tahajjud (late night prayer)
Voluntary charity (Sadaqah)
Personal supplication or quiet acts of kindness
These are better performed without publicity, as they reflect sincerity and humility.
The phrase “or pardon anyone’s evil” encourages the believer to forgive personal wrongs, emphasizing that forgiving others is a sign of nobility and closeness to Allah.
However:
Only personal offenses may be pardoned.
Religious violations, national betrayals, or treachery against the Muslim community cannot be pardoned by an individual—these fall under the jurisdiction of the Islamic legal system, and justice must be upheld.
This verse concludes with two divine names:
Ghafūr (Pardoning): Allah forgives sins, especially when the sinner repents sincerely or when people forgive each other.
Qadīr (Powerful): Allah has the full power to exact justice, but He chooses mercy for those who deserve it.
Thus, the verse encourages acts of good, whether public or hidden, and promotes a spirit of forgiveness, grounded in the understanding that Allah's mercy is vast—but never weak.
The tafsir of Surah Nisa verse 149 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Nisa ayat 148 which provides the complete commentary from verse 148 through 149.
(4:149) (Even though you have the right to speak evil if you are wronged), if you keep doing good -whether openly or secretly -or at least pardon the evil (then that is the attribute of Allah). Allah is All-Pardoning and He has all the power to chastise.[177]
177. This verse embodies a moral directive of very high value to the Muslims. The hypocrites, the Jews and the polytheists were all bent on placing all kinds of obstacles in the way of the spread of Islam: They eagerly persecuted the Muslims and used all possible means, however malicious, against them. Such an attitude inevitably created anger and resentment. It was in the context of this storm of bitter feelings that God told the Muslims that He did not consider speaking ill of people as praiseworthy. No doubt the Muslims had been wronged, and if a wronged person speaks out against a wrong-doer, he is quite justified in doing so. Even though this is a person’s right, it is more meritorious to continue to do good both in public and in private, and to ignore the misdeeds of others. For one’s ideal should be to try to approximate to God’s way as far as possible. God with whom one wants to be close is lenient and forbearing; He provides sustenance even to the worst criminals and seeks mitigating circumstances in even the most serious offences. In order to become close to God, one ought to be generous in spirit and full of tolerance.
[229]- Allāh is always able to exact retribution, although He pardons out of His grace.
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