2147 I take this verse to refer to such men as were originally with the Pagans but afterwards joined Islam, suffered hardships and exile, and fought and struggled in the Cause, with patience and constancy. Their past would be blotted out and forgiven. Men like Khalid ibn al walld were numbered with the foremost heroes of Islam. In that case this verse would be a Madinah verse, though the Surah as a whole is Makkan. Perhaps it would be better to read, with some Commentators, fatanu in the active voice rather than futinu in the passive voice, and translate "after inflicting trials and persecutions (on Muslims)-" Notice the parallelism in construction between this verse and verse 119 below.