Quran Universe
7:161

وَإِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسۡكُنُواْ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَ وَكُلُواْ مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٞ وَٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡبَابَ سُجَّدٗا نَّغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ خَطِيٓـَٰٔتِكُمۡۚ سَنَزِيدُ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Waith qeela lahumu oskunoo hathihi alqaryata wakuloo minha haythu shitum waqooloo hittatun waodkhuloo albaba sujjadan naghfir lakum khateeatikum sanazeedu almuhsineena

And [mention, O Muhammad], when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens,' and enter the gate bowing humbly; We will [then] forgive you your sins. We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. قِيلَit was said
  3. لَهُمُto them
  4. ٱسۡكُنُواْLive
  5. هَٰذِهِ(in) this
  6. ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَcity
  7. وَكُلُواْand eat
  8. مِنۡهَاfrom it
  9. حَيۡثُwherever
  10. شِئۡتُمۡyou wish
  11. وَقُولُواْand say
  12. حِطَّةٞRepentance
  13. وَٱدۡخُلُواْand enter
  14. ٱلۡبَابَthe gate
  15. سُجَّدٗاprostrating
  16. نَّغۡفِرۡWe will forgive
  17. لَكُمۡfor you
  18. خَطِيٓـَٰٔتِكُمۡۚyour sins
  19. سَنَزِيدُWe will increase (reward)
  20. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ(of) the good-doers
Al-A'raf · 7:161Makkah

Enter humbly, ask forgiveness, and it is yours.

A simple instruction at the gate of the city

The instruction
dwell and eatwherever you wish
say: forgive usrelieve our burdens
enter bowingwith humility
then
forgivenessand more for the good
How to enter a blessing
with pridewe earned this
with humilityforgive us, our Lord

The Children of Israel were told to settle in the city, eat freely, and enter the gate humbly, asking forgiveness. Allah promised to forgive them and increase the doers of good. Ibn Kathir notes this was revealed in Makkah and also discussed in Surat Al-Baqarah.

You get the keys to a new apartment, or walk into the first day of a new job. The moment you cross the threshold is a chance. Walk in saying astaghfirullah and alhamdulillah, not just I made it.

A new start is something I earned.

Every new door is to be entered humbly, asking Allah's forgiveness.

Try this

The next time you enter your home today, say astaghfirullah once as you step in.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:160)

And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We revealed to Musa when his people asked him for water (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick," and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs, each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them the manna and the quail (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you." They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves (160)And (remember) when it was said to them: "Dwell in this town (Jerusalem) and eat therefrom wherever you wish, and say, '(O Allah) forgive our sins'; and enter the gate prostrating (bowing with humility). We shall forgive you your wrongdoings. We shall increase (the reward) for the good-doers. (161)But those among them who did wrong, changed the word that had been told to them. So We sent on them a torment from the heaven in return for their wrongdoings (162)

We discussed these Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in Al-Madinah, while these Ayat were revealed in Makkah. We also mentioned the difference between the two narrations, and thus we do not need to repeat it here, all thanks are due to Allah and all the favors are from Him.