الْغَفُورُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Ghafoor
The All-Forgiving
Al-Ghafoor is the All-Forgiving, the One who forgives a lot, and al-Qurtubi adds that He covers His servants' sins instead of exposing them. In 15:49 Allah calls Himself the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful, and the Name is mentioned 91 times in the Quran.
Key verse
﴿نَبِّئْ عِبَادِىٓ أَنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾Inform My servants ˹O Prophet˺ that I am truly the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful,
The scholar's text
The All-Forgiving, The Forgiving, The One who forgives a lot.
(نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٤٩﴾ ) الحجر 15: 49
(Inform My servants ˹O Prophet˺ that I am truly the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful,) Al-Hijr 15: 49
It is mentioned 91 times in the Holy Quran
الغفور، الغافر، الذي يغفر كثيرا.
(نَبِّئْ عِبَادِىٓ أَنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٤٩﴾) الحجر 15: 49
ورد في القرآن الكريم 91 مرة.
He Forgives, and He Covers
﴿ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ﴾˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.
The definition above takes only a few words. Al-Qurtubi, on “And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving” (85:14), gives the Name a second side: Al-Ghafoor covers the sins of His believing servants and does not expose them. Al-Sa'di, at 67:2, puts the size of it plainly. He forgives the sins of those who fall short even if they reach the clouds of the sky, and covers their faults even if they fill the world, above all when they repent and turn back.
Arabic: يغفر ويستر
يقتصر التعريف على أن الغفور هو الذي يغفر كثيرا. وقال القرطبي في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ﴾ (البروج 85: 14): «وهو الغفور أي الستور لذنوب عباده المؤمنين لا يفضحهم بها». وقال السعدي في آية الملك: الغفور «عن المسيئين والمقصرين والمذنبين، خصوصًا إذا تابوا وأنابوا،»، «فإنه يغفر ذنوبهم، ولو بلغت عنان السماء، ويستر عيوبهم، ولو كانت ملء الدنيا».
Forgiveness That Brings Love Back
﴿وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ﴾And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving
In 85:14 the Name is paired with Al-Wadud, the All-Loving, and al-Sa'di calls the pairing a subtle secret. When sinners repent and turn back, Allah forgives them and loves them; it is a mistake, he says, to think the sins are forgiven while the love never returns. He then recalls the Prophet's ﷺ picture of it. A man loses his camel, with his food and drink on it, in a waterless desert, gives up and lies down in the shade, and then finds it standing before him. Allah is more pleased with a servant's repentance than that man is with his camel (Sahih Muslim 2747).
Arabic: مغفرة يعود معها الود
قرن الله الغفور بالودود في آية البروج، قال السعدي: «وفي هذا سر لطيف، حيث قرن { الودود } بالغفور، ليدل ذلك على أن أهل الذنوب إذا تابوا إلى الله وأنابوا، غفر لهم ذنوبهم وأحبهم، فلا يقال: بل تغفر ذنوبهم، ولا يرجع إليهم الود، كما قاله بعض الغالطين»، ثم قال: «بل الله أفرح بتوبة عبده حين يتوب، من رجل له راحلة، عليها طعامه وشرابه وما يصلحه، فأضلها في أرض فلاة مهلكة، فأيس منها، فاضطجع في ظل شجرة ينتظر الموت، فبينما هو على تلك الحال، إذا راحلته على رأسه، فأخذ بخطامها، فالله أعظم فرحًا بتوبة العبد من هذا براحلته،». والحديث في صحيح مسلم (2747).
Hope, With Fear Beside It
Its verse does not stand alone. The next one reads: “and that My torment is indeed the most painful” (15:50), and Ibn Kathir says the pair holds both hope and fear. Al-Sa'di turns that into a rule for every day: the servant's heart should always sit between the two. Looking at his Lord's mercy, forgiveness and generosity gives him hope. Looking at his own sins and shortfalls gives him fear, and the resolve to leave them.
Arabic: بين الرجاء والخوف
وأتبع الله آيته بقوله: ﴿وَأَنَّ عَذَابِى هُوَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ٱلْأَلِيمُ﴾ (الحجر 15: 50)، قال ابن كثير: «وهي دالة على مقامي الرجاء والخوف». وقال السعدي: «فالعبد ينبغي أن يكون قلبه دائما بين الخوف والرجاء، والرغبة والرهبة، فإذا نظر إلى رحمة ربه ومغفرته وجوده وإحسانه، أحدث له ذلك الرجاء والرغبة، وإذا نظر إلى ذنوبه وتقصيره في حقوق ربه، أحدث له الخوف والرهبة والإقلاع عنها».
Every Sin, for the One Who Returns
﴿قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The promise of 39:53 is as wide as it sounds, and al-Sa'di names the door to it: turning back to Allah in sincere repentance, with prayer and humility. On 42:25 he says what that repentance is: leaving the sin, regretting it and resolving not to return to it, for the sake of Allah. He then wipes out the sins and their traces, and the one who repents is honoured again, as if he had never done wrong.
Arabic: يغفر الذنوب جميعا لمن تاب
قال السعدي في آية الزمر (39: 53): «ولكن لمغفرته ورحمته ونيلهما أسباب إن لم يأت بها العبد، فقد أغلق على نفسه باب الرحمة والمغفرة، أعظمها وأجلها، بل لا سبب لها غيره، الإنابة إلى اللّه تعالى بالتوبة النصوح، والدعاء والتضرع والتأله والتعبد». وقال في آية الشورى في قبول التوبة: «حين يقلعون عن ذنوبهم ويندمون عليها، ويعزمون على أن لا يعاودوها، إذا قصدوا بذلك وجه ربهم»، «ويمحوها، ويمحو أثرها من العيوب، وما اقتضته من العقوبات، ويعود التائب عنده كريما، كأنه ما عمل سوءا قط».
Again and Again, Until the Door Closes
The same sin can come back. In al-Bukhari (7507) a man sins and says, “O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!” and is forgiven. He keeps clear for a while, falls again, asks again and is forgiven again, three times over. Al-Qurtubi, on 3:135, draws two lessons from it. Each fall needs a fresh repentance, and coming back to repentance is better still than the first time, because the servant keeps knocking at the door of the Generous. The door does have an end. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah accepts a servant's repentance “as long as (his soul does not reach his throat)” (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3537, graded hasan by al-Albani), and that whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah turns to him (Sahih Muslim 2703).
Arabic: التوبة بعد التوبة حتى يغلق الباب
قد يعود العبد إلى الذنب نفسه، وفي صحيح البخاري (7507) أن عبدا أذنب فسأل ربه المغفرة فغفر له، ثم عاد فاستغفر فغفر له، ثلاث مرات. قال القرطبي: «وفيه دليل على صحة التوبة بعد نقضها بمعاودة الذنب ; لأن التوبة الأولى طاعة وقد انقضت وصحت، وهو محتاج بعد مواقعة الذنب الثاني إلى توبة أخرى مستأنفة»، «فالعود إلى التوبة أحسن من ابتدائها ; لأنه أضاف إليها ملازمة الإلحاح بباب الكريم، وإنه لا غافر للذنوب سواه». وللتوبة حد، قال النبي ﷺ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ» (جامع الترمذي 3537، حسنه الألباني)، وقال: «مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ» (صحيح مسلم 2703).
Forgive, and Be Forgiven
﴿وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾Do not let the people of virtue and affluence among you swear to suspend donations to their relatives, the needy, and the emigrants in the cause of Allah. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love to be forgiven by Allah? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Mistah ibn Uthatha was a poor relative of Abu Bakr, who paid for his needs. When Mistah joined in the slander against Aisha, Abu Bakr swore he would never give him anything again. Then 24:22 came down: “Do you not love to be forgiven by Allah? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. Abu Bakr said, “Yes, by Allah, I would like that Allah forgive me”, and went back to giving Mistah what he used to give him (Sahih al-Bukhari 4141). Al-Sa'di draws the lesson: treat His servants with pardon, and He treats you the same way.
Arabic: اعف يعف الله عنك
كان مسطح بن أثاثة قريبا لأبي بكر الصديق فقيرا، وكان أبو بكر ينفق عليه، فلما خاض في الإفك حلف ألا ينفق عليه، فنزل قوله تعالى: ﴿وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾ (النور 24: 22)، فقال أبو بكر: «بَلَى وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لِي»، ورجع إلى مسطح النفقة التي كان ينفق عليه (صحيح البخاري 4141). قال السعدي: «إذا عاملتم عبيده، بالعفو والصفح، عاملكم بذلك،».
From the Sunnah
My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins)
أَعَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي .
Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert
اللَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ سَقَطَ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ، وَقَدْ أَضَلَّهُ فِي أَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ
By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ
A du'a with this Name
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَىَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الْغَفُورُ
O my Lord, forgive me, and accept my repentance. Verily, You are the Oft-Returning, the Most Forgiving
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3434, graded sahih by al-Albani and Ahmad Shakir: Ibn Umar counted the Prophet ﷺ saying it a hundred times in one sitting
Related Names
Questions about Al-Ghafoor
What does Al-Ghafoor mean?
Al-Ghafoor is the All-Forgiving, who forgives a great deal. Writing on 85:14, al-Qurtubi adds a second meaning: He conceals what His believing servants did wrong and does not shame them with it.
How many times is Al-Ghafoor mentioned in the Quran?
Al-Ghafoor is mentioned 91 times in the Quran, for example in 15:49 and 85:14.
Will Allah forgive me if I fall into the same sin again?
The hadith in al-Bukhari (7507) describes exactly that: a man who sins, asks, and is forgiven, three times over. Each return has to be a real repentance; al-Sa'di's description of it, on 42:25, is to stop the sin, feel remorse for it and decide never to go back to it. In Muslim's wording the report ends: “O servant, do what you like. I have granted you forgiveness” (Sahih Muslim 2758). Al-Qurtubi, on 3:135, explains that this is a word of honour: the past is forgiven, and he is protected, if Allah wills, in what is to come.
What is the difference between Al-Ghafoor and Al-Ghaffaar?
Very little, in the tafsir used here. On 20:82 al-Sa'di explains Al-Ghaffaar much as he explains Al-Ghafoor: abundant forgiveness and mercy for whoever repents, believes and does good. Some pages split the two, one for scope and one for repetition, but none of the five tafsirs on these verses draws that line.
Which du'a uses the Name Al-Ghafoor?
Ibn Umar said that in one sitting you could count the Prophet ﷺ saying, a hundred times before he stood up: “O my Lord, forgive me, and accept my repentance. Verily, You are the Oft-Returning, the Most Forgiving (Rabbighfirlī watub `alayya innaka antat-Tawwābul-Ghafūr)” (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3434, graded sahih by al-Albani). And the prayer he taught Abu Bakr to say in salah ends with “innaka antalGhafur-Rahim” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6326).
How should this Name change the way I treat people?
By pardoning them. Al-Sa'di, on 22:60, tells those who have been wronged to pardon, overlook and forgive, so that Allah treats them as they treat His servants. Abu Bakr did exactly that with Mistah when 24:22 came down.