Surah Ghafir 40:21-27 - Quran Translation Commentary

Islamicstudies.info Tafheem.net

Tafsir Maariful Quran

Quran Translation and Commentary by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Shafi. Translation by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim. Revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Quran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri

41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah

Surah 40. Ghafir

Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-27 [3], 28-37 [4], 38-50 [5], 51-60 [6], 61-68 [7], 69-78 [8], 79-85 [9]

Quran Text of Verse 21-27اَوَ لَمْDo notیَسِیْرُوْاthey travelفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthفَیَنْظُرُوْاand seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَانُوْاwereمِنْbefore them قَبْلِهِمْ ؕbefore themكَانُوْاThey wereهُمْ[they]اَشَدَّsuperiorمِنْهُمْto themقُوَّةً(in) strengthوَّ اٰثَارًاand (in) impressionsفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landفَاَخَذَهُمُbut Allah seized themاللّٰهُbut Allah seized them بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ؕfor their sinsوَ مَاand notكَانَwasلَهُمْfor themمِّنَagainstاللّٰهِAllahمِنْanyوَّاقٍ protector ذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمْ(was) because [they]كَانَتْused to come to themتَّاْتِیْهِمْused to come to themرُسُلُهُمْtheir Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith clear proofsفَكَفَرُوْاbut they disbelievedفَاَخَذَهُمُSo Allah seized them اللّٰهُ ؕSo Allah seized themاِنَّهٗIndeed, Heقَوِیٌّ(is) All-Strongشَدِیْدُsevereالْعِقَابِ (in) punishment وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمُوْسٰیMusaبِاٰیٰتِنَاwith Our Signsوَ سُلْطٰنٍand an authorityمُّبِیْنٍۙclear اِلٰیToفِرْعَوْنَFiraunوَ هَامٰنَHamanوَ قَارُوْنَand Qarunفَقَالُوْاbut they saidسٰحِرٌA magicianكَذَّابٌ a liar فَلَمَّاThen whenجَآءَهُمْhe brought to themبِالْحَقِّthe truthمِنْfromعِنْدِنَاUsقَالُواthey saidاقْتُلُوْۤاKillاَبْنَآءَ(the) sonsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveمَعَهٗwith himوَ اسْتَحْیُوْاand let live نِسَآءَهُمْ ؕtheir womenوَ مَاAnd notكَیْدُ(is the) plotالْكٰفِرِیْنَ(of) the disbelieversاِلَّاbutفِیْinضَلٰلٍ error 40. Ghafir Page 470وَ قَالَAnd saidفِرْعَوْنُFiraunذَرُوْنِیْۤLeave meاَقْتُلْ(so that) I killمُوْسٰیMusaوَ لْیَدْعُand let him call رَبَّهٗ ۚhis LordاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearاَنْthatیُّبَدِّلَhe will changeدِیْنَكُمْyour religionاَوْorاَنْthatیُّظْهِرَhe may cause to appearفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landالْفَسَادَ the corruption وَ قَالَAnd saidمُوْسٰۤیMusaاِنِّیْIndeed Iعُذْتُ[I] seek refugeبِرَبِّیْin my Lordوَ رَبِّكُمْand your Lordمِّنْfromكُلِّeveryمُتَكَبِّرٍarrogant oneلَّاnotیُؤْمِنُwho believesبِیَوْمِ(in the) Dayالْحِسَابِ۠(of) the Account

Translation of Verse 21-27

(40:21) Have they not traveled through the earth and seen how was the fate of those who used to be before them? They were stronger than these in power and in traces left on the earth, but Allah seized them because of their sins. There was no one to save them from Allah

(40:22) That was because messengers used to come to them with clear signs, but they disbelieved. Then, Allah seized them. Surely, He is Strong, severe in punishment

(40:23) Indeed We sent Mūsā with Our signs and a manifest proof

(40:24) to Pharaoh and Hāmān and Qārūn, but they said, “He is a sorcerer, a liar.”

(40:25) And when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, “Kill the sons of those who have accepted faith with him, and spare the lives of their women.” But the plot of the disbelievers is nothing but a failure

(40:26) And Pharaoh said, “Let me kill Mūsā, and let him call his Lord. I am afraid that he will change your religion or he will cause havoc to appear in the land.”

(40:27) And Mūsā said, “I have sought protection of my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant man who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.”

Commentary

Verse:21 Commentary - - - Verse:22 Commentary - - - Verse:23 Commentary - - - Verse:24 Commentary Commentary

Frequent references were made earlier in the text to the warnings given to deniers of pure monotheism and prophethood which brought more opposition and hostility from disbelievers. Naturally, this situation made the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sad. It was to comfort him that, in nearly two sections cited above, mentioned there is the story of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and Pharaoh. In this story, there is a lengthy dialogue between the Pharaoh, his people and a righteous elder who, despite being a scion of the House of the Pharaoh, had believed in the faith of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) after having seen the miracles shown at his hands - but, had kept his faith secret until that time. Once this dialogue took place, his faith stood declared automatically and conclusively.

Out of early Tafsir authorities, Muqatil, Suddiyy and Hasan have said that he was a cousin of the Pharaoh and was the same person who, at the time they were talking in the court of Pharaoh about killing Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) in retaliation against the killing of the Copt, had come running from the far side of the city and apprised Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) of the danger and advised him to go out of Egypt. This event has been mentioned in Surah Al-Qasas: وَجَاءَ رَ‌جُلٌ مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ (And there came a man running, from the farthest part of the city. - A1-Qasas, 28:20)

The name of this believing member of the House of the Pharaoh has been given as Habib in some sources. But, the truth of the matter is that Habib is the name of the person who has been mentioned in Surah Sin (36:20). The name of this person is شَمعان (Shama'n). Suhaili considers this name as most correct. Others say that his name is Hizgil. Tha'labi has reported the same name from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ .

In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'Of some صِّدِّيقِين (siddiqin: the truthful ones), there is Habib najjar (carpenter) whose incident appears in Surah Ya Sin; the other is the believer from the House of Pharaoh; the third, Abu Bakr (Sayyidna Abu Bakr as۔ ؓ ), and he is the foremost among them.' (Qurtubi) Verse:25 Commentary - - - Verse:26 Commentary - - - Verse:27 Commentary - - -