Most Hopeful Verse in Quran

The Verse that Gives the Most Hope to People in the Quran

The complete book of Allah, the Qur’an, is a source of tranquility for the servants, a means of guidance, and it instills hope at every stage of life. Therefore, we must hold onto it closely, make it a shield for our hearts, read it, teach it, and apply it in our lives. Whenever we feel uneasy, we should read Allah’s words; when facing difficulties, recite the Holy Qur’an; when there is fear or anxiety, revive our hearts and tongues with the remembrance of the Creator. In other words, we should never lose hope, regardless of the circumstances. After all, we have a Creator who sees and hears everything, who supervises all affairs, and who is the provider of every need, from sustenance to all aspects of life. Why should we despair when Allah has shown us the way out of every difficulty, made clear the difference between good and evil, and between faith and disbelief? He has given us a clear religion and an open book, every word of which contains light, hope, and guidance.

While other religions may teach despair, Islam offers no place for it. In fact, despair is a great sin that can lead to disbelief, and sometimes a person may even become a disbeliever. Allah says:
وَلَا تَيْأَسُوا مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ (يوسف:87)
Translation: And do not despair of Allah’s mercy; indeed, none despair of Allah’s mercy except the disbelieving people.

At another place, Allah says:
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّآلُّونَ(الحجر:56)
Translation: He said, “And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are misguided?”

In this regard, the Prophet ﷺ said:
الكبائرُ : الشِّركُ باللهِ ، والإْياسُ من رَوْحِ اللهِ ، و القُنوطُ من رَحمةِ اللهِ (صحيح الجامع:4603)
Translation: The major sins are: associating partners with Allah, despairing of Allah’s mercy, and despondency from Allah’s mercy.

This means that despairing of Allah’s mercy is blatant misguidance, and it is a path followed only by the misguided and disbelievers. If any Muslim falls into despair, they are committing a major sin and must repent.

The Qur’an, from cover to cover, is a source of comfort for people. Is there anyone who would read and reflect upon it? Is there anyone who would seek healing for their ailments in this book? History bears witness that whoever made the Qur’an a part of their life was granted success. If you too want to be successful, make the Book of Allah your companion, read it thoughtfully, act upon it, and invite others, both Muslims and non-Muslims, towards it.

Scholars have tried to identify which verse in the Qur’an gives the most hope to people, saves them from despair, and instills hope of forgiveness from their Creator even after their sins. Many Qur’anic verses are cited in this regard, but the majority of scholars have considered verse 53 of Surah Az-Zumar as the most hopeful verse. Allah says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ (الزمر:53)
Translation: (Say) O My servants who have harmed yourselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

This statement is also attributed to Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud, but its chain of narration is not verified. When we look at the context of this verse, we find a narration in Sahih Bukhari from Ibn Abbas (RA) that states:
**أنَّ نَاسًا، مِن أهْلِ الشِّرْكِ كَانُوا قدْ قَتَلُوا وأَكْثَرُوا، وزَنَوْا وأَكْثَرُوا، فأتَوْا مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ فَقالوا: إنَّ الذي تَقُولُ وتَدْعُو إلَيْهِ لَحَسَنٌ، لو تُخْبِرُنَا أنَّ لِما عَمِلْنَا كَفَّارَةً فَنَزَلَ: {وَالَّذِينَ لا يَدْعُونَ مع اللَّهِ إلَهًا آخَرَ، ولَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إلَّا بالحَقِّ، ولَا يَزْنُونَ} ونَزَلَتْ {قُلْ يا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أسْرَفُوا علَى أنْفُسِهِمْ، لا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ}(صحيح البخاري:4810)
Translation: Some people from among the idolaters had killed excessively and committed much fornication. They came to Muhammad ﷺ and said, “What you say and invite us to is certainly good. But tell us if what we have done is forgivable.” Then Allah revealed the verses: “Those who do not invoke with Allah another deity, and do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right, and do not commit adultery.” And the verse: “Say, O My servants who have harmed yourselves! Do not despair of Allah’s mercy.”

Although the verse was revealed in the context of the disbelievers of Makkah, the ruling of the verse is general and applies to all sinners, whether disbelievers or others, who have committed great sins and wronged themselves. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (رحمة اللہ علیہ) wrote regarding this verse that it is an invitation to repentance and returning to Allah, and it serves as the good news that Allah forgives all the sins of those who repent and return to Him. No matter how numerous the sins are, even if they are as many as the foam of the sea, Allah forgives them. However, this verse should be understood in the context of repentance, as polytheism is not forgiven without repentance.

Allah’s command regarding forgiveness is clear in another verse:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ ما دُونَ ذلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ (النساء:48)
Translation: Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives whatever is less than that for whom He wills.

Reflecting on the context and meanings of this verse reveals that it is the most hopeful verse for the servants. Let us look at how Allah instills hope in His sinful servants:
• Firstly, Allah addresses His Prophet ﷺ to inform His followers, calling them lovingly with the words “O My servants!” He reminds them not to fear or despair, even if they have sinned. After all, they are His servants; He is their Creator and Master, and there is no one else to fear.
• After reminding them of their disobedience and the extent of their sins, Allah reassures them, preventing them from losing hope, and clearly tells them that no matter how many sins they have committed, they should not despair of Allah’s mercy.
• Allah reassures the sinners with emphasis, telling them that He forgives all their sins. He reminds them that He is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful, and no one but Him can forgive in such a manner.
When we realize that Allah is so forgiving and merciful, and that He forgives all the sins of the sinners, we must also remember two important things:
• The first is that not losing hope in Allah’s mercy does not mean that we continue to sin deliberately, ignoring His commandments, and transgressing His limits. Remember that while Allah is most forgiving, He also punishes severely.

The second point is that minor sins are automatically erased through good deeds, but for major sins, repentance is necessary, as the above-mentioned verse also implies repentance. Without repentance, major sins are not forgiven, and the conditions for the acceptance of repentance are as follows: firstly, one must express regret over the sin; secondly, one must abandon the sin in obedience to Allah; and thirdly, one must make a promise to Allah to avoid the sin in the future. If the sin relates to the rights of others, returning the rights is also a condition of repentance.

The final point I want to mention before concluding the article is that it is not only this verse that gives hope to sinners; a believer should have faith that true peace and comfort lie in the religion of Allah. Allah’s word is full of hope. To save our lives from despair and disbelief, we should read the Qur’an with understanding and act upon it correctly. Some scholars have identified other verses, besides the aforementioned verse from Surah Az-Zumar, as the most hopeful. These verses undoubtedly provide hope for the believers, especially sinners, regarding Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. However, the verse from Surah Az-Zumar seems to be the most hopeful. As for the difference of opinion among scholars about the next most hopeful verse, some consider verses 32 and 33 from Surah Fatir, verse 22 from Surah An-Nur, verses 33 from Surah Ghafir, 49 from Surah Al-Hijr, 82 from Surah Al-An’am, 156 from Surah Al-A’raf, 6 from Surah Ar-Ra’d, 48 from Surah Ta-Ha, 47 from Surah Al-Ahzab, 5 from Surah Adh-Duha, 30 from Surah Ash-Shura, 110 from Surah An-Nisa, verses 11 and 19 from Surah Muhammad, and 102 from Surah At-Tawbah as hopeful verses.

May Allah forgive our sins and grant us the highest rank in Jannah al-Firdaus through His mercy. Ameen.