Quran Universe
39:17

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَنَبُواْ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ أَن يَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ فَبَشِّرۡ عِبَادِ

Waallatheena ijtanaboo alttaghoota an yaAAbudooha waanaboo ila Allahi lahumu albushra fabashshir AAibadi

But those who have avoided Taghut, lest they worship it, and turned back to Allah - for them are good tidings. So give good tidings to My servants

Word by word
  1. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those who
  2. ٱجۡتَنَبُواْavoid
  3. ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَthe false gods
  4. أَنlest
  5. يَعۡبُدُوهَاthey worship them
  6. وَأَنَابُوٓاْand turn
  7. إِلَىto
  8. ٱللَّهِAllah
  9. لَهُمُfor them
  10. ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ(are) glad tidings
  11. فَبَشِّرۡSo give glad tidings
  12. عِبَادِ(to) My slaves
Az-Zumar · 39:17Makkah

Good news for those who walked away from false gods.

Turning away and turning back

Two moves
Taghutanything worshipped besides Him
avoided
turning to Allahback to Ar-Rahman
brings
glad tidingshere and after
What it takes
just avoid wronghalf the move
avoid and returnstep away, step toward

Ibn Kathir reports it was said to be about Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, Abu Dharr and Salman al-Farisi, men who left idol worship and searched for the truth. The correct view, he says, is that it covers everyone like them.

You quit the thing that was ruling your evenings: the game, the feed, the late nights. But an empty hour fills up again fast. Leaving is half. Turning to Him is the other half.

Giving up a bad thing is enough.

The good news is for those who leave false masters and also turn back to Allah.

Try this

Take one hour you used to spend on a habit you dropped, and give ten minutes of it to Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Those who avoid At-Taghut by not worshipping them and turn to Allah, for them are glad tidings; so announce the good news to My servants (17)Those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof, those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding (18)

Good News for the Righteous

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, narrating from his father:

وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا

(Those who avoid At-Taghut by not worshipping them) was revealed concerning Zayd bin 'Amr bin Nufayl and Abu Dharr and Salman Al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with them. The correct view is that it includes them and all others who avoided worshipping idols and turned to the worship of Ar-Rahman. These are the people for whom there is good news in this world and in the Hereafter. Then Allah says:

فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ - الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ

(so announce the good news to My servants – those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof,) meaning, those who understand it and act in accordance with it. This is like the Words of Allah, may He be exalted, to Musa, peace be upon him, when He gave him the Tawrah:

فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا

(Hold unto these with firmness, and enjoin your people to take the better therein)(7:145).

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ 

(those are whom Allah has guided) means, those who are described in this manner are the ones whom Allah has guided in this world and the Hereafter.

وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

(and those are men of understanding.) means, they possess sound reasoning and an upright nature.