Transliteration:( Fa'lam annahoo laaa ilaaha illal laahu wastaghfir lizambika wa lilmu'mineena walmu'minaat; wallaahu ya'lamu mutaqallabakum wa maswaakum (section 2) )
"Know [51] that there is none [52] worthy of worship except Allah and (O dear Prophet) ask for forgiveness [53] for the sins of your near ones, and for the general believers, men and women [54]. And Allah knows your moving about and your rest [55]."
This command is directed outwardly to the Prophet ﷺ, but the real message is for the general public to learn and remain firm in the belief of Tauheed. The Holy Prophet ﷺ already had complete and certain knowledge of the Oneness of Allah even before revelation. This is to emphasize Tauheed as the unshakable foundation of Islam.
Whereas common believers accept Tauheed through teachings and belief, the Prophet ﷺ witnessed it directly, such as during the Miraj, when he saw divine realities. This establishes the vast difference between our knowledge and his experiential certainty.
Though the Prophet ﷺ is free from sin, the command to seek forgiveness relates to his intercession on behalf of his followers. The sins here refer to the wrongdoings of the Ummah, which he seeks forgiveness for out of mercy and love. Just as a representative may refer to someone else’s matter as "his own," similarly, this sin is metaphorically attached to him as the intercessor.
This verse reveals the honour of the Ummah—that Allah commands His beloved Prophet ﷺ to seek forgiveness for believing men and women. This proves that divine mercy reaches the believers through the Prophet’s ﷺ intercession. None can bypass him; his role remains central to divine forgiveness.
The final part is a declaration of honour and closeness: Allah is always aware of the Prophet’s movements—whether walking, resting, or standing. The plural form "you" is used as a mark of respect, emphasizing that the Prophet ﷺ is never out of divine gaze, as reaffirmed in the verse: “Indeed, you are before Our Eyes” (Surah At-Tur, 52:48).
The tafsir of Surah Muhammad verse 19 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muhammad ayat 16 which provides the complete commentary from verse 16 through 19.
(47:19) Know, therefore, (O Prophet), that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your shortcomings and also for (the shortcomings of) believing men and believing women.[31] Allah knows the places where you move about and where you dwell.
31. One of the morals taught to man by Islam is also this: However hard and sincerely may man be trying to serve and worship his Lord and fighting and struggling in the cause of His Religion, he should never be involved in the misunderstanding that he has done and accomplished whatever he was required to do. Rather, on the contrary, he should have the feeling that he has not been able to do full justice to what was expected of him by his Lord and Master. Therefore, he should confess his errors constantly and pray to Allah saying Lord, forgive me for whatever fault and error I may have committed in Your service. This is indeed the essence of Allah’s command: O Prophet, ask forgiveness for your fault. This does not mean that God forbid, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had actually committed an error willfully, but its correct meaning is that it did not even behoove the servant who was the greatest worshiper of his Lord that he should harbor even a tinge of the pride of accomplishment in his heart, but his true position also was that in spite of all his great and glorious services he should continue confessing his shortcomings before his Lord. It was under this state of the mind that the Prophet (peace be upon him) often implored his Lord for forgiveness. According to Abu Daud and Nasai, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: I implore Allah for forgiveness one hundred rimes every day.
[1501]- See footnote to 40:55.
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