But verily thy Lord,- to those who do wrong in ignorance, but who thereafter repent and make amends,- thy Lord, after all this, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. An-Nahl 16:119 ⧉
Tafsir:
When feelings of arrogance and prejudice add up to evil, the individual in question will not be ready to steer clear of it, though many arguments may be advanced to prove his actions wrong. But there is another kind of evil which arises due to stupidity. A man sometimes errs due to his lack of knowledge or to his being dominated by his own desires. Such a man generally exhibits no bravado. When his mistake is made clear by argument, he immediately turns back and sets himself on the right path once again. There is no question of pardon for the first category of people. But as for the second category, there is the good news that God will extend His grace to them because He is truly merciful on this subject.