Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السَّيِّيَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِهَا وَامَنُواْ

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ

But those who committed evil deeds and then repented afterwards and believed, verily, your Lord, (O Muhammad, Messenger of Repentance and Prophet of Mercy),

مِن بَعْدِهَا

after that,

after committing that evil action,

لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Abdullah bin Mas`ud was asked about a man committing fornication with a woman and then marrying her, and Ibn Mas`ud recited this Ayah,

وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السَّيِّيَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِهَا وَامَنُواْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

But those who committed evil deeds and then repented afterwards and believed, verily, your Lord after (all) that is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Abdullah recited this Ayah ten times, neither allowing nor disallowing it