And it is the connotation of every declaration where we say...

And it is the connotation of every declaration where we say that a certain action is al-wajib (obligatory) for Allah. Obviously, the verse is focused not on a servant's repentance, but on Allah's returning with mercy towards that servant, although in this process it inevitably throws light on matters related to the servant's repentance. Allah's returning (with all its conditions) cannot remain separate from the servant's repentance (with all its conditions fulfilled).

This topic, that the verse is meant to describe Allah's returning, does not require further explanation. Secondly, it covers all types of repentance, whether the servant repents from polytheism and disbelief and returns to the true faith, or from sin and disobedience and returns to obedience (if he is already a believer). The Qur'an calls both aspects as repentance. Allah says: Those who bear the throne and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe: ''Our 'Lord!

Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore grant forgiveness to those who turn (to Thee) and follow Thy way … (40:7). Here, the words, 'those who turn (to Thee)', mean, those who believe, because previously it has.

been said: and ask forgiveness for those who believe Thus belief has been called; at-tawbah (repentance), In' another :verse, Allah says (referring to: some believers): then He turned to them (mercifully) that they might turn (to Him) (9:118) The generality found in the next verse And repentance is not for those..., proves that repentance, as envisaged in these verses, covers repentance from polytheism and disbelief as well as from sin and disobedience because the verse comments on situations of disbelievers and believers both.

Accordingly, the clause "those who do evil in ignorance", encompasses both the believers and the disbelievers; a disbeliever is included, like a disobeying believer among "those who do evil in ignorance". How? It is because disbelief is an action of heart and 'doing evil' covers deeds of heart too like those of other organs; or because disbelief always brings evil actions in its wake.

Therefore, "those who do evil in ignorance", refers to a disbeliever, as well as to a disobeying believer - provided they are not willfully obstinate in their disbelief for sin. As for the words, ''in ignorance", obviously ignorance, per se, is opposite of knowledge.