آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿۲۸۵﴾ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿۲۸۶﴾
﴾285﴿ Aamanar-Rasoolu bimaaa unzila ilaihi mir-Rabbihee walmu'minoon; kullun aamana billaahi wa Malaaa'ikathihee wa Kutubhihee wa Rusulihee laa nufarriqu baina ahadim-mir-Rusulih wa qaaloo sami'naa wa ata'naa ghufraanaka Rabbanaa wa ilaikal-maseer
﴾286﴿ Laa yukalliful-laahu nafsan illaa wus'ahaa; lahaa maa kasabat wa 'alaihaa maktasabat; Rabbanaa laa tu'aakhiznaaa in naseenaaa aw akhtaanaa; Rabbanaa wa laa tahmil-'alainaaa isran kamaa hamaltahoo 'alal-lazeena min qablinaa; Rabbanaa wa laa tuhammilnaa maa laa taaqata lanaa bih; wa'fu 'annaa waghfir lanaa warhamnaa; Anta mawlaanaa fansurnaa 'alal qawmil kaafireen
﴾285﴿ The Messenger (May Allah bless him and give him peace) has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. Each one has believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. They say, “We do not make any distinction between any of His messengers.” And they said, “We have heard and we obey. We seek Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.”
﴾286﴿ Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. It will have [the reward of] what good it has earned, and it will bear [the punishment of] what evil it has committed.
Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake.
Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.
Our Lord, do not impose on us what we cannot bear.
Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us.
You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people.
[285] In this verse, the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him peace) is affirmed, along with his confirmation of the entire Surah and the whole Qur'an. The phrase "the believers" primarily refers to the noble Companions, and then to all the believers. The phrase "Each one has believed" details the components of their faith. The statement "We have heard and we obey" indicates that acceptance and action must accompany faith. The word "Your forgiveness" points to their acknowledgment of their own shortcomings.
[286] This verse refers to both striving (jihad) and spending (in the path of Allah).
“Allah does not burden” – refers to two kinds of responsibility:
1. Takwīnī (natural decree), such as illnesses and calamities.
2. Tashrī‘ī (religious obligations), which include commands such as jihad and spending for the cause of Allah.
“It will have [the reward] of what it has earned, and upon it [the burden] of what it has committed” – points to recompense after actions. Though good deeds are duties, their reward is made easy, while sins, though sometimes simple, bring severe punishment. That’s why “earned” (كَسَبَتْ) is used in a lighter form for good, and “committed” (اكْتَسَبَتْ) in a heavier form for sin.
“If we forget or make a mistake” – One meaning is: if we neglect one of Your rulings or fall into a forbidden act unintentionally. The second meaning, which is more widely accepted, also includes human error and forgetfulness.
“A burden like that which You laid upon those before us” – refers to heavy commands, like those given to previous nations, especially related to disbelief and misguidance. The word ‘isr’ implies such weighty burdens like shirk and kufr, which are not forgiven without repentance. So the prayer is to keep us protected from such burdens.
“What we cannot bear” – refers to trials and tribulations that come along the path of truth and invitation to it.
“Pardon us…” – ‘ʿAfw’ means Allah waives His right to punish. ‘Maghfirah’ is covering the sin and shielding it from people. ‘Rahmah’ (mercy) refers to protection from future sin.
“So help us…” – whether in debate, confrontation, or actual combat, against the disbelievers who oppose the purpose of this Surah and challenge the people of truth.