Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:153

"But those who committed evil deeds"—meaning any evil deed whatsoever, due to the generality of the forgiveness and because there is no call for specification.

"then repented thereafter"—meaning after committing them. This is an explicit statement of what the particle "then" (thumma) necessitates.

"and believed"—meaning they busied themselves with faith and what it requires, including righteous deeds by which faith is perfected, and they did not persist in what they had done like the first group. This is a conjunction to "repented," though it is possible that it is a circumstantial clause (hal) by estimating the particle "qad." Regardless, it is—as has been said—an instance of mentioning the specific after the general to show concern for it; for repentance from disbelief is faith itself. Thus, it cannot be said: "How does repentance come after faith?" It is said: Since the intended meaning of faith includes the deeds that enter into it, it occurs after repentance. It is also said: The intended meaning here is the affirmation that Allah, Exalted is He, forgives the one who repents—meaning: then they repented and affirmed that Allah, Exalted is He, forgives whomsoever repents.

"Indeed, your Lord, thereafter"—meaning after the repentance, which is coupled with that without which it is not accepted, which is faith. The pronoun is not referred back to the "evil deeds" because—as some verifiers have stated—there is no need for it after His saying, Exalted is He, "then repented thereafter," nor because it would require the omission of a genitive and a conjunction (i.e., "after committing them and repenting from them"), as there is no meaning for it being "thereafter" other than that.

"is Forgiving"—of their sins, even if they were great and numerous.

"Merciful"—exaggerated in the bestowal of various forms of mercy upon them. The noun connected by the relative pronoun (al-mawsul) is the subject (mubtada’), and the sentence "Indeed, your Lord..." etc., is the predicate. The referent (al-'a'id) is omitted; the estimation according to Abu al-Baqa’ is: "Forgiving to them, Merciful to them." The mention of the title of Lordship (Rububiyyah) while adding it to the pronoun of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is for the sake of honor. It is also said: The address is to the penitent, and the delicacy of that is not hidden either.

In the verse is a notification that even if sins are grave and immense, the pardon and generosity of Allah, Exalted is He, are greater and more sublime. How delicate is the saying of Abu Nuwas—may Allah, Exalted is He, forgive him:

O Lord, if my sins are great in number, I know well that Your pardon is greater. If none but the doer of good hopes in You, Then who shall the sinner flee to and seek refuge with?

Among that which is attributed to Imam al-Shafi’i—may Allah, Exalted is He, be pleased with him:

And when my heart hardened and my paths narrowed, I made the hope in my Lord a ladder to Your pardon. My sin seemed great to me, but when I compared it With Your pardon, my Lord, Your pardon was greater.

And I admire the saying of one of them—and how appropriate this is for the sinner:

I am a sinner, I am a wrongdoer, I am a rebel; He is the Forgiver, He is the Most Merciful, He is the Pardoner. I have balanced three against three, And His attributes shall surely overcome mine.