God desires to make clear to you and to guide you in the ways of those before you and to turn [in forgiveness] toward you; God is Knowing Wise. When He told the Prophet ﷺ and his community the stories of those from past communities and what they did and how they were dealt with they looked to what would be done with them since there were among them those who also did the impermissible. So they said “If only we knew in what way [God] will deal with us. Will it be abasement metamorphosis35 punishment or whatḍ” So God most high said and to guide you in the ways of those before you We will inform you of that which we did with them and to turn [in forgiveness] toward you. As for you I turn [in forgiveness] to you and as for those who came before you I have already destroyed them utterly. It is said that God desires to make clear to you by unveiling His secrets to you so that what was hidden from others will be made manifest to you. It is said that God desires to make clear to you His singularity in bring- ing things into existence and originating new things-no one else has any part in this. And to guide you in the ways of those before you: the path of the prophets and the friends. This [guidance] is entrusting [everything to God] being content and surrendering completely to the [divine] decree and judgment. It is said: And to turn [in forgiveness] toward you that is He accepts your repentance after having created it and then repays you according to what He has created for you in your repentance.
