Mercy and forgiveness
Al-Ghafūr ٱلْغَفُور
The Ever-Forgiving: He covers sins and then does not expose their doer.
91 āyāt · 38 sūrahs · root غ ف ر
Why Allah uses this name
Ibn Kathīr notes that maghfirah is covering as well as pardon; the name typically arrives immediately after a warning, so that fear is not left without a door out.
Take this with you
No warning in the Qurʾān is meant to end in despair. Turn back while the door is named.
'Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins' (39:53).
Qurʾān 39:53
Where it appears in the Qur'an
Counted from the muṣḥaf text as served by the Quran.com API. A few occurrences describe someone other than Allah; read the āyah in place to see which.
2. Sūrat Al-Baqarah البقرة
8 āyahs
āyah 173, 182, 192, 199, 218, 225, 226, 235
3. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān آل عمران
4 āyahs
āyah 31, 89, 129, 155
4. Sūrat An-Nisāʾ النساء
10 āyahs
āyah 23, 25, 43, 96, 99, 100, 106, 110, 129, 152
5. Sūrat Al-Māʾidah المائدة
6 āyahs
āyah 3, 34, 39, 74, 98, 101
6. Sūrat Al-Anʿām الأنعام
3 āyahs
āyah 54, 145, 165
7. Sūrat Al-Aʿrāf الأعراف
2 āyahs
āyah 153, 167
8. Sūrat Al-Anfāl الأنفال
2 āyahs
āyah 69, 70
9. Sūrat At-Tawbah التوبة
5 āyahs
āyah 5, 27, 91, 99, 102
10. Sūrat Yūnus يونس
1 āyah
āyah 107
11. Sūrat Hūd هود
1 āyah
āyah 41
12. Sūrat Yūsuf يوسف
2 āyahs
āyah 53, 98
14. Sūrat Ibrāhīm إبراهيم
1 āyah
āyah 36
15. Sūrat Al-Ḥijr الحجر
1 āyah
āyah 49
16. Sūrat An-Naḥl النحل
4 āyahs
āyah 18, 110, 115, 119
17. Sūrat Al-Isrāʾ الإسراء
2 āyahs
āyah 25, 44
18. Sūrat Al-Kahf الكهف
1 āyah
āyah 58
22. Sūrat Al-Ḥajj الحج
1 āyah
āyah 60
24. Sūrat An-Nūr النور
4 āyahs
āyah 5, 22, 33, 62
25. Sūrat Al-Furqān الفرقان
2 āyahs
āyah 6, 70
27. Sūrat An-Naml النمل
1 āyah
āyah 11
28. Sūrat Al-Qaṣaṣ القصص
1 āyah
āyah 16
33. Sūrat Al-Aḥzāb الأحزاب
5 āyahs
āyah 5, 24, 50, 59, 73
34. Sūrat Sabaʾ سبأ
2 āyahs
āyah 2, 15
35. Sūrat Fāṭir فاطر
4 āyahs
āyah 28, 30, 34, 41
39. Sūrat Az-Zumar الزمر
1 āyah
āyah 53
41. Sūrat Fuṣṣilat فصلت
1 āyah
āyah 32
42. Sūrat Ash-Shūrā الشورى
2 āyahs
āyah 5, 23
46. Sūrat Al-Aḥqāf الأحقاف
1 āyah
āyah 8
48. Sūrat Al-Fatḥ الفتح
1 āyah
āyah 14
49. Sūrat Al-Ḥujurāt الحجرات
2 āyahs
āyah 5, 14
57. Sūrat Al-Ḥadīd الحديد
1 āyah
āyah 28
58. Sūrat Al-Mujādilah المجادلة
2 āyahs
āyah 2, 12
60. Sūrat Al-Mumtaḥanah الممتحنة
2 āyahs
āyah 7, 12
64. Sūrat At-Taghābun التغابن
1 āyah
āyah 14
66. Sūrat At-Taḥrīm التحريم
1 āyah
āyah 1
67. Sūrat Al-Mulk الملك
1 āyah
āyah 2
73. Sūrat Al-Muzzammil المزمل
1 āyah
āyah 20
85. Sūrat Al-Burūj البروج
1 āyah
āyah 14
Names it closes āyāt with
The Qur'an often seals an āyah with two names together. These are the pairings this name appears in most.
Names close to this one
Ar-Raḥmān ٱلرَّحْمَٰن
The Exceedingly Merciful: mercy as an overwhelming, essential attribute reaching all creation.
Ar-Raḥīm ٱلرَّحِيم
The Bestower of Mercy: that same mercy in continuous action, and specifically toward the believers.
Al-Ghaffār ٱلْغَفَّار
The Repeatedly Forgiving: forgiveness given again and again to the one who keeps returning.
Al-Laṭīf ٱللَّطِيف
The Subtle and Gentle: He reaches the finest hidden thing, and arranges good by means you never see.
Al-Ḥalīm ٱلْحَلِيم
The Forbearing: He does not hasten punishment, though He has full power to.
Ash-Shakūr ٱلشَّكُور
The Most Appreciative: He multiplies the reward of a small deed and never lets it go unnoticed.
Al-Wadūd ٱلْوَدُود
The Most Loving: He loves His believing servants and is loved by them.
Al-Barr ٱلْبَرّ
The Source of Goodness: kind and generous in dealing, whose goodness reaches His servants continuously.