Turning Back To Allah (الإنابة) in the Quran — Key Verses & Related Concepts

ConceptTurning Back To AllahالإنابةSpirituality16Verses10Surahs8Connections#273of 728

Also Known As

FrenchLe retour à Allah
Urduانابت
Bengaliআল্লাহর দিকে প্রত্যাবর্তন
IndonesianInabah

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Revelation

Meccan 15Medinan 1

Domain Mix

Spirituality44%
Theology31%
Cosmology13%
Prophethood13%

Across The Qur’an

Every surah, shaded by how often this concept appears. Unshaded surahs never mention it.

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Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

Showing 12 of 16 verses that mention this concept.

  1. إِنَّ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّـٰهٞ مُّنِيبٞ
    Lo! Abraham was mild, imploring, penitent.
    In context

    Abraham was forbearing, wanting to delay the punishment, praying often to his Lord, calling upon Him, and turning to Him.

  2. قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنۡهُ رِزۡقًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُخَالِفَكُمۡ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنۡهَىٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُۚ إِنۡ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِصۡلَٰحَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُۚ وَمَا تَوۡفِيقِيٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ أُنِيبُ
    He said: O my people! Bethink you: if I am (acting) on a clear proof from my Lord and He sustaineth me with fair sustenance from Him (how can I concede aught to you)? I desire not to do behind your backs that which I ask you not to do. I desire naught save reform so far as I am able. My welfare is only in Allah. In Him I trust and unto Him I turn (repentant).
    In context

    Shu’ayb said to his people: O my people, tell me what will be your position if I am on clear proof and insight from my Lord, and He has given me lawful provision from Him, as well as prophethood? I do not wish to prohibit you from something and go against you and do it myself.

  3. وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۚ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَنۡ أَنَابَ
    Those who disbelieve say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Say: Lo! Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth unto Himself all who turn (unto Him),
    In context

    Those who disbelieved in Allah and His verses say: If only a physical sign was sent down to Muhammad from his Lord proving his truthfulness and then we will believe. Say, O Messenger, to those who suggest this: Allah, through His justice, leaves whoever He will to stray, and through His grace He guides to Himself those who turn towards Him in repentance.

  4. ۞مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ
    Turning unto Him (only); and be careful of your duty unto Him and establish worship, and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him);
    In context

    And return to Him, may He be glorified, by repenting from your sins, be mindful of Him by fulfilling His commands and refraining from His prohibitions, perform prayer with perfection, and do not be from the idolaters who go against nature and ascribe partners with Allah by worshipping them.

  5. وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلنَّاسَ ضُرّٞ دَعَوۡاْ رَبَّهُم مُّنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ إِذَآ أَذَاقَهُم مِّنۡهُ رَحۡمَةً إِذَا فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡهُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ يُشۡرِكُونَ
    And when harm toucheth men they cry unto their Lord, turning to Him in repentance; then, when they have tasted of His mercy, behold! some of them attribute partners to their Lord
    In context

    When the idolaters are afflicted by a difficulty i.e. poverty, drought, they supplicate only to their Lord, may He be glorified, returning to Him humbling themselves and seeking refuge in Him to remove the affliction from them. Then, when He shows them mercy by removing whatever afflicted them, they return to their ways of idolatry by supplicating to others along with Him.

  6. وَإِن جَٰهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞ فَلَا تُطِعۡهُمَاۖ وَصَاحِبۡهُمَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَعۡرُوفٗاۖ وَٱتَّبِعۡ سَبِيلَ مَنۡ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ
    But if they strive with thee to make thee ascribe unto Me as partner that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Consort with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who repenteth unto Me. Then unto Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what ye used to do -
    In context

    And even if your parents strive to incite you upon ascribing partners to Allah according to their ignorant/arbitrary understanding - like what the mother of Sa‘d bin Abī Waqqāṣ did to him - then do not obey them in that, because there is no obedience to the creation in the disobedience to the Creator. Rather, live with them in the world with goodness, maintaining ties and friendship.

  7. أَفَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ إِن نَّشَأۡ نَخۡسِفۡ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ أَوۡ نُسۡقِطۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كِسَفٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّكُلِّ عَبۡدٖ مُّنِيبٖ
    Have they not observed what is before them and what is behind them of the sky and the earth? If We will, We can make the earth swallow them, or cause obliteration from the sky to fall on them. Lo! herein surely is a portent for every slave who turneth (to Allah) repentant.
    In context

    Do these rejectors of resurrection not see the earth that is in front of them and the sky that is above them? If I wished the earth beneath their feet to swallow them up, I would have caused it to happen; and if I wished to send down portions/pieces of the punishment from the heavens, I would have done so.

  8. قَالَ لَقَدۡ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبۡغِي بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ وَقَلِيلٞ مَّا هُمۡۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّـٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّۤ رَاكِعٗاۤ وَأَنَابَ۩
    (David) said: He hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe in addition to his ewes, and lo! many partners oppress one another, save such as believe and do good works, and they are few. And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented.
    In context

    Then David judged between them and addressed the claimant, saying: “Your brother has wronged you when he asked you to add your ewe to his ewes. And many partners oppress one another by taking their rights and not being fair, except the believers who do good actions, for they are fair with their partners and do not wrong them. But those attributed with that are few”.

  9. 38:34SadCommand
    وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا سُلَيۡمَٰنَ وَأَلۡقَيۡنَا عَلَىٰ كُرۡسِيِّهِۦ جَسَدٗا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ
    And verily We tried Solomon, and set upon his throne a (mere) body. Then did he repent.
    In context

    And I tested Solomon and put on his chair part of a child, and that was when he swore by Allah that he will sleep with all of his wives and each one of them will bring forth a horseman to strive in Allah’s way. But he did not say in this oath of his: “if Allah wills”. So he slept with all of them, but none of them gave birth except one who gave birth to part of a child.

  10. ۞وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ ضُرّٞ دَعَا رَبَّهُۥ مُنِيبًا إِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٗ مِّنۡهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ مِن قَبۡلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَندَادٗا لِّيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦۚ قُلۡ تَمَتَّعۡ بِكُفۡرِكَ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ
    And when some hurt toucheth man, he crieth unto his Lord, turning unto Him (repentant). Then, when He granteth him a boon from Him he forgetteth that for which he cried unto Him before, and setteth up rivals to Allah that he may beguile (men) from his way. Say (O Muhammad, unto such an one): Take pleasure in thy disbelief a while. Lo! thou art of the owners of the Fire.
    In context

    And when the disbeliever is afflicted by difficulty, such as illness, loss of wealth or fear of drowning, he calls upon his Lord to remove the difficulty which is upon him, turning to Him alone. Then when he grants him a favour by removing the difficulty which afflicted him, he leaves whom he used to beseech before, which is Allah, and he makes for Allah associates which he worships besides Him.

  11. وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَنَبُواْ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ أَن يَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ فَبَشِّرۡ عِبَادِ
    And those who put away false gods lest they should worship them and turn to Allah in repentance, for them there are glad tidings. Therefor give good tidings (O Muhammad) to My bondmen
    In context

    Those who avoid the worship of idols, and anything else that is worshipped besides Allah, and return to Allah in repentance, they will have the good news of Paradise when they pass away, in the grave and on the day of resurrection. So give good news, O Messenger, to My servants.

  12. هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُرِيكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزۡقٗاۚ وَمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ إِلَّا مَن يُنِيبُ
    He it is Who showeth you His portents, and sendeth down for you provision from the sky. None payeth heed save him who turneth (unto Him) repentant.
    In context

    Allah is the one who shows you signs in the horizons and your own selves, to prove to you His power and His oneness, and He sends down for you rainwater from the skies so it becomes a cause for the provision you are given, such as plants, crops and so forth. And nobody takes lessons from the signs of Allah except one who turns to Him, sincerely repenting.

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