Al-Ghafūr
The All-Forgiving
Root غ ف ر (gh-f-r). Lane gives ghafarahu as ‘he covered, veiled, concealed, or hid, it’, and calls this the primary signification; forgiveness is the covering of sin. The term maghfira means forgiveness. Ghaffār, found in Qur'an 71:10, means Ever-Forgiving. Similarly, istaghfirū is used in the same verse to mean seek forgiveness. Ghafūr and Ghaffār are both intensive forms of the same root. ‘Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’ (39:53)
The root
غ ف رgh-f-r
Covering. Lane gives ghafarahu as 'he covered, veiled, concealed, or hid, it', and says this is the primary signification; forgiveness is the covering of sin.
- مَغْفِرَةmaghfiraforgiveness
- غَفَّارghaffārEver-Forgiving (71:10)
- اسْتَغْفِرُواistaghfirūseek forgiveness (71:10)
Pronunciation
الْغَفُورُ
al-gha-FOOR
In the Qur'an
۞ قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
39:53 · Sahih International