سورة غافر   


Surah Name: Al-Ghafir Meaning: The Forgiver

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • This Sūrah is also known as Al-Momin, The believer
  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 9
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 85
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 40
  • Rukū / Section 4 contains Āyāt / Parts 10
  • Siparah/ Volume 24

bismillah

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَاءكُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَإِن يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ

Waqala rajulun muminun min ali firAAawna yaktumu eemanahu ataqtuloona rajulan an yaqoola rabbiyya Allahu waqad jaakum bi(a)lbayyinati min rabbikum wain yaku kathiban faAAalayhi kathibuhu wain yaku sadiqan yusibkum baAAdu allathee yaAAidukum inna Allaha la yahdee man huwa musrifun kaththab(un)

And a believing man of the Pharaoh's household, hiding his faith, said: Would you slay a man because he-AS says, my Rabb-SWT is Allah-SWT , and has come to you with evidences from your Rabb-SWT ? If he is an impostor, upon him will be his imposture, but if he is truthful, then shall befall you some of what he threatens you with. Verily Allah-SWT does not guide anyone extravagant or a liar.

(40:28)


يَا قَوْمِ لَكُمُ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ظَاهِرِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَمَن يَنصُرُنَا مِن بَأْسِ اللَّهِ إِنْ جَاءنَا قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَا أُرِيكُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَرَى وَمَا أَهْدِيكُمْ إِلَّا سَبِيلَ الرَّشَادِ

Ya qawmi lakumu almulku alyawma thahireena fee alardi faman yansuruna min basi Allahi in jaana qala firAAawnu ma oreekum illa ma ara wama ahdeekum illa sabeela a(l)rrashad(i)

My people! Yours is the kingdom today, you are being triumphant in the land; but who will succour us against scourge of Allah-SWT comes to us? The Pharaoh said: I show you only what I see; and I guide you to the path of rectitude.

(40:29)


وَقَالَ الَّذِي آمَنَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُم مِّثْلَ يَوْمِ الْأَحْزَابِ

Waqala allathee amana ya qawmi innee akhafu AAalaykum mithla yawmi alahzab(i)

And he who believed said: My people! I fear for you a fate like that of the factions of the old.

(40:30)


مِثْلَ دَأْبِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعِبَادِ

Mithla dabi qawmi noohin waAAadin wathamooda wa(a)llatheena min baAAdihim wama Allahu yureedu thulman lilAAibad(i)

Like the fate of the people of Nuh-AS and ‘Ad-AS and Thamud-AS and those after them; and Allah-SWT does not intend any wrong to His-SWT bondmen.

(40:31)


وَيَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمَ التَّنَادِ

Waya qawmi innee akhafu AAalaykum yawma a(l)ttanad(i)

And, my people! I fear for you a day of Mutual Calling.

(40:32)


يَوْمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدْبِرِينَ مَا لَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

Yawma tuwalloona mudbireena ma lakum mina Allahi min AAasimin waman yudlili Allahu fama lahu min had(in)

A Day whereon you shall turn away retreating; for you there will be no protector from Allah-SWT and he whom Allah-SWT sends astray, for him there is no guide.

(40:33)


وَلَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ يُوسُفُ مِن قَبْلُ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا زِلْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا جَاءكُم بِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلْتُمْ لَن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ رَسُولًا كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُّرْتَابٌ

Walaqad jaakum yoosufu min qablu bi(a)lbayyinati fama ziltum fee shakkin mimma jaakum bihi hatta itha halaka qultum lan yabAAatha Allahu min baAAdihi rasoolan kathalika yudillu Allahu man huwa musrifun murtab(un)

And assuredly earlier there came to you Yusuf-AS with evidences, yet you ceased not to be in doubt concerning what be brought to you, until he died, and you said: Allah-SWT will by no means raise a Messenger-AS after him. Thus does Allah-SWT keeps astray one who is extravagant and a doubter.

(40:34)


الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ

Allatheena yujadiloona fee ayati Allahi bighayri sultanin atahum kabura maqtan AAinda Allahi waAAinda allatheena amanoo kathalika yatbaAAu Allahu AAala kulli qalbi mutakabbirin jabber(in)

Those who wrangle concerning the Signs of Allah-SWT without any authority that has come to them. It is greatly abhorrent to Allah-SWT and to those who believe. Thus Allah-SWT seals up the heart of every stiff-necked highhanded person.

(40:35)


وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ

Waqala firAAawnu ya hamanu ibni lee sarhan laAAallee ablughu alasbab(a)

And the Pharaoh said: Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the roads.

(40:36)


أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا وَكَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِي تَبَابٍ

Asbaba a(l)ssamawati faattaliAAa ila ilahi moosa wainnee laathunnuhu kathiban wakathalika zuyyina lifirAAawna sooo AAamalihi wasudda AAani a(l)ssabeeli wama kaydu firAAawna illa fee tabab(in)

The roads of the heavens so that I may mount up to the Rabb-SWT of Musa, and surely I believe him to be a liar. And thus fair seeming to the Pharaoh was made the evil of his work, and he was hindered from the Path. And the plot of the Pharaoh ended only in perdition.

(40:37)


In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

A secret believer from the Pharaoh's folk spoke out: "Do you intend killing a man, just because he  believes in Allah-SWT as his Rabb-SWT and also proves with manifest evidence that He-SWT is your Rabb-SWT too? If it is presumed that he is lying about Allah-SWT , it is by no means a minor crime and he will have to bear the consequences and will surely be punished by Allah-SWT Himself. On the other hand, if he is telling the truth, where will you stand? If you persist on denial, the calamities he promises upon defiance are bound to befall you, as it is certain that Allah-SWT does not guide trespassers and liars. And if he is a liar, he will never succeed. But if he is the true Prophet-AS, and you are transgressing and false in your religion you will never succeed in killing him as the oppressors never achieve their goal. Today our sovereignty and power is acknowledged by the whole world, but if we are struck by Allah-SWT ’s doom, everything will be wrecked and no one will be able to help us against Him-SWT .

 

The Pharaoh frowned at this sermon and reiterated that he was showing his nation the course of action most beneficial to them. The covert believer added that the path Pharaoh was talking about was adopted by the preceding nations, who consequently fell prey to Allah-SWT's wrath. He feared that the Pharaoh and his followers might qualify for a similar fate as met by Nuh-AS‘s people or the 'Ad and Thamud-and many more. Although Allah-SWT does not like to wrong any of His-SWT creations, yet the wreckage of the earlier nations had been the outcome of their own decisions, quite similar to what the Pharaoh was bent upon. He further said that he was deeply concerned for his people with regard to the Day of Reckoning when everyone will be screaming and yelling. No efforts to escape to safety, nor Any   planning nor strategy will avail them. His words were falling on deaf ears, he knew, as Allah-SWT always leads a crooked heart astray. This was nothing new. Prophet Yusuf-AS had been sent unto their ancestors who did not believe his words and remained victims of doubt. After he passed away the people said good riddance, so why would Allah-SWT send any more Prophets-AS unto them? They were pretty sure that no Prophet-AS would be sent to them in future.

 

Such wayward thoughts haunt only the shameless, the impudent and the incredulous as a Divine punishment. The believers are aggrieved about those who dispute and deny Allah-SWT's Commands and the Prophetic Message. At the same time, their mindless attitude is a grave crime with Allah-SWT .

 

To Annoy the Aulia’-RUA also leads to Digression


The gravity of denial is multiplied if the deniers tease the believers and the Aulia’-RUA.  Allah-SWT seals the hearts of such arrogant and rebellious lot where after they can never attain guidance. The Pharaoh had no answer to the logical reasoning of the believer. So he turned to Haman and directed him to construct a building tall enough to touch the sky, so that he could climb on top and peep into the heavens at the Rabb-SWT of Musa--AS and see how He-SWT looked like, as he did not believe him. According to the Commentators, the construction did start but the building collapsed at certain height. All these evil plans were fair seeming to the Pharaoh, for when Allah-SWT is annoyed, one begins to appreciate evil. This is a Divine punishment impeding guidance, as in case of the Pharaoh.

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