Quran Universe
61:12

يَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلۡكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ وَمَسَٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةٗ فِي جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٖۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

Yaghfir lakum thunoobakum wayudkhilkum jannatin tajree min tahtiha alanharu wamasakina tayyibatan fee jannati AAadnin thalika alfawzu alAAatheemu

He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.

Word by word
  1. يَغۡفِرۡHe will forgive
  2. لَكُمۡfor you
  3. ذُنُوبَكُمۡyour sins
  4. وَيُدۡخِلۡكُمۡand admit you
  5. جَنَّـٰتٖ(in) Gardens
  6. تَجۡرِيflow
  7. مِنfrom
  8. تَحۡتِهَاunderneath it
  9. ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُthe rivers
  10. وَمَسَٰكِنَand dwellings
  11. طَيِّبَةٗpleasant
  12. فِيin
  13. جَنَّـٰتِGardens
  14. عَدۡنٖۚ(of) Eternity
  15. ذَٰلِكَThat
  16. ٱلۡفَوۡزُ(is) the success
  17. ٱلۡعَظِيمُthe great
As-Saf · 61:12Madinah

The return: forgiveness, gardens, and a home that lasts.

What Allah gives back in the trade

Allah's side
forgivenessyour sins wiped
gardensrivers flowing beneath
pleasant homesin gardens of Eden
that is
the great successthe real win
What success means
winning herehouse, title, savings
the great successforgiven, and home

Ibn Kathir explains: if you do what Allah commanded, He forgives your sins and gives you gardens with rivers, exalted homes and high positions. The verse names it the great success.

You scroll past a friend's new house, a promotion post, a wedding. Success looks like that on a screen. Allah defines it differently: being forgiven, and a home that never needs a mortgage.

Success is what people around me can see and admire.

The great success is being forgiven and given a lasting home with Allah.

Try this

Before bed, ask Allah for forgiveness for one specific thing, by name.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 61:10)

O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment (10)That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know (11)(If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in 'Adn (Eternal) Paradise; that is indeed the great success (12)And also (He will give you) another (blessing) which you love, help from Allah and a near victory. And give glad tidings to the believers (13)

The Trade that saves One from the Painful Torment

We mentioned a Hadith from 'Abdullah bin Salam in that the Companions wanted to ask the Prophet of Allah ﷺ about the best actions with Allah the Exalted and Most Honored, so they could practice them. Allah the Exalted sent down this Surah, including this Ayah,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ 

(O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment?)

Allah then explained this great trade that will never fail, the trade that will earn one what he wishes and saves him from what he dislikes. Allah the Exalted said,

تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!) this is better than the trade of this life and striving hard for it and amassing it. Allah the Exalted said,

يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

(He will forgive you your sins,) meaning, 'if you fulfill what I commanded you and guided you to, then I will forgive your sins and admit you into the Gardens of Paradise. In them, you will have exalted residences and high postitions.' This is why Allah the Exalted said,

وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

(and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in 'Adn (Eternal) Paradise; that is indeed the great success.)

Allah said,

وَأُخْرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَا ۖ

(And also another (blessing) which you love,) meaning, 'I will grant you more favors that you like,'

نَصْرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ ۗ 

(help from Allah and a near victory.) meaning, if you fight in Allah's cause and support His religion, He will grant you victory. Allah the Exalted said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ

(O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.)(47:7), and,

وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ 

(Verily, Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly, Allah is All Strong, All-Wise.)(22:40) Allah's statement,

وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ

(and a near victory.) means, it will come sooner, and this is the increased favor that is earned in this life and continues, becoming the delight of the Hereafter. It is for those who obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and support Allah and His religion. Allah said;

وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And give glad tidings to the believers.)