فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the 'words' in the verse are expressions of repentance that Adam directed to his Lord; Adam received and accepted these words from Allah, and through this acceptance Allah also accepted his repentance. In the narrations, the content of these words is transmitted as Adam's words to Allah such as 'You created me with Your hands, You breathed Your spirit into me, may Your mercy overcome Your wrath—if I repent and reform, will You return me to Paradise?' or as the supplication 'There is no deity except You...'. Taberî also explains the words 'al-tawwâb' (the Ever-Returning) and 'al-rahîm' (the Ever-Merciful) as Allah making the blessing of repentance a sustenance for His servant and passing over His punishment with forgiveness.
فمعنى ذلك إذا: فلقى الله آدم كلمات توبة فتلقاها آدم من ربه وأخذها عنه تائبا فتاب الله عليه بقيله إياها وقبوله إياها من ربه
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the mention of the heavens, earth, and mountains in the verse is because they are the heaviest and strongest things in terms of bearing the trust; these three elements were specifically chosen because they are most suited to bear such burdens.
خص الأشياء الثلاثة بالذكر لأنها أشد الأمور وأحملها للأثقال
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, the meaning of the expression 'words' refers, according to Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Said ibn Jubayr, Dahhak, and Mujahid, to the verse 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves...' Various other narrations are also transmitted regarding the content of the 'words': the intercession sought through 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' written at the foot of the Throne, weeping-modesty-supplication, or remorse and seeking forgiveness. Kurtubî lists these views and also transmits Ibn Atiyya's interpretation that this requires that Adam spoke nothing other than the well-known supplication for forgiveness.
فقال أبن عباس والحسن وسعيد أبن جبير والضحاك ومجاهد هي قوله : ربنا ظلمنا أنفسنا وإن لم تغفر لنا وت
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, in the interpretation of the 'words', it is narrated that Adam confessed his sin and with the intention of repentance asked his Lord 'If I repent, will You return me to Paradise?' and upon this Allah gave the answer 'Yes'. Furthermore, it is mentioned that these words are invocative phrases that Adam uttered addressing his Lord who created him and breathed His spirit into him; in another narration it is transmitted that these words are supplications in the form 'O Allah, there is no deity except You, I glorify You, I have wronged myself, forgive me/have mercy upon me/accept my repentance'. It is noted that some of these narrations have broken chains of transmission (inqitâ').
قال أرأيت يارب إن تبت وأصلحت قال الله إذا أدخلك الجنة فهي الكلمات
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the words that Adam received from his Lord are divine teachings that he accepted and adopted, acting upon them accordingly; in the reading of Ibn Kesîr, the 'words' are read as the repentance words that reached Adam and that he spoke (such as the verse 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves' or supplications like 'Glory be to You...'). Furthermore, a narration transmitted from Ibn Abbas relates a dialogue in which Adam asks Allah and Allah answers 'Yes'. The text also explains why the phrase 'fa tâba alayhi' is connected with the letter 'fa' (so/thus), clarifying that repentance includes confession of sin, remorse, and firm resolve not to return, and notes that Eve's omission is due to her being subordinate to Adam.
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله تعالى عنهما قال: يا رب ألم تخلقني بيدك، قال: بلى، قال: يا رب ألم تنفخ في الروح من روحك، قال: بلى، قال: يا رب ألم تسبق رحمتك غضبك، قال: بلى
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî all relate the 'words' to Adam's repentance, and they transmit the content of these words largely from a common pool of narrations (Adam's question 'You created me with Your hands, You breathed Your spirit into me... if I repent, will You return me to Paradise?' and Allah's answer 'Yes', or invocations in the form of 'There is no deity except You/Glory be to You', or the verse 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves'). All of them base the topic primarily on the foundation of narration and transmit, citing the views of the Companions and Successors (Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan al-Basrî, Said ibn Jubayr, etc.). Ar-Râzî is outside this commonality since he is concerned with a different verse.
Differences
While Taberî transmits foundational narrations in an early-phase, transmission-focused tafsir method, supporting them through word analysis (talaqqa), Kurtubî expands this transmission corpus and diversifies it, presenting a pluralistic approach by listing numerous different narrations (the writing on the Throne, intercession sought, weeping-modesty, seeking forgiveness, etc.) and also transmitting Ibn Atiyya's critical interpretation. Ibn Kesîr, when presenting narrations, engages in chain-of-transmission criticism from the perspective of hadith methodology, noting that some narrations have broken chains, thereby adopting a more cautious and critical stance. Beydâvî, by contrast, provides an explanation based on reading differences (the reading of Ibn Kesîr), offering a language and grammar-centered reading, and further analyzes the function of the letter 'fa' and the elements of repentance (confession, remorse, resolve), thus presenting a more rhetoric/jurisprudent-weighted interpretation. Ar-Râzî's view, on the other hand, belongs entirely to a different verse (the verse of trust) and provides an explanation based on language and rhetoric; it does not rely on narration.
Historical context
Taberî (early period, III/IX-X centuries) collects fundamental transmissions through a narration-focused tafsir method. Kurtubî (VII/XIII century) expands this narration corpus and presents a compiler's attitude offering different views together. Ibn Kesîr (VIII/XIV century), by contrast, subjects narrations to chain-of-transmission criticism using the developed criteria of hadith science, thereby creating a more sound classification of narrations; this shows the increasing importance given to the soundness of narration in the tafsir tradition. Beydâvî (VII/XIII century), in a period when jurisprudent tafsir and the science of Quranic readings had become more systematic, combines narration with reading differences and grammar analysis, thus following a more analytical method. Consequently, while the narration-based approach is preserved over time, language/grammar and hadith criticism tools become more prominently deployed; a single interpretation was not fixed, and diversity and critical evaluation increased as the period progressed.
Modern connection
This verse presents an example of a servant who has committed an error turning to his Lord with sincere remorse; repentance that contains confession and firm resolve; in our time too, an individual's acceptance of his own mistakes and effort at renewal through constructive self-criticism, and a restorative attitude in family and social relationships, holds value. The exegetes' careful evaluation of narrations can remind us of the importance of a cautious and investigative approach in reaching knowledge; this also forms a prudent example regarding the harmonious relationship between learning and faith. Moreover, the transmission of different interpretations together with respect can be inspiring in our time as well, in terms of approaching various views with tolerance and establishing dialogue.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar