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wa-ʾidhā jāʾaka lladhīna yuʾminūna bi-ʾāyātinā fa-qul salāmun ʿalaykum kataba rabbukum ʿalā nafsihi r-raḥmata ʾannahū man ʿamila minkum sūʾan bi-jahālatin thumma tāba min baʿdihī wa-ʾaṣlaḥa fa-ʾannahū ghafūrun raḥīmun
When those who have faith in Our signs come to you, say, ‘Peace to you! Your Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself: whoever of you commits an evil [deed] out of ignorance and then repents after that and reforms, then He is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘An’am, Verses 54 - 55
54. " And when those who believe in Our Signs come to you, say: Peace be on you. Your Lord has prescribed mercy on Himself that whoever of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and amends (himself), then verily He is forgiving, Merciful '."
55. "And thus do We explain the Signs so that (the Truth be distinguished) and the way of the sinners be manifest."
It is cited in the occasion of revelation of this verse that a group of the sinners went to the Prophet (S) and said that they had committed many faults. The Holy Prophet (S) kept silence; and this verse was revealed.
In this Surah, Allah has repeated twice the phrase:
. Once in the verse under discussion for the encouragement of people in this world, and the second upon the Resurrection, when the concerning verse says:
The holy verse leads us to this understanding that if sin is not committed arrogantly and pertinaciously, it is forgivable.
When it is said that the relation of the Islamic leaders is with people, it is a relation of intimacy and affection.
Allah has prescribed mercy on Himself, but those whom this mercy is bestowed on are the repentant.
However, in the next verse (No.55), it implies it is thus that Allah explains His Signs and his commandments so clear that both the way of truth, seekers and the obedient believers be distinguished and the way of obstinate sinners and that of the enemies of Truth be made manifest. The verse says:
The purpose of the Arabic term /mujrim/, here, is the very obstinate sinners who, by no means, will surrender to the Truth. That is, after this general invitation unto the Truth, including even the invitation unto those sinners who are remorseful from their deeds, the way and tradition of the obstinate and inflexible sinners will be recognized fully.