Surah 40. Ghafir

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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]

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Quran Text of Verse 28-37وَ قَالَAnd saidرَجُلٌa manمُّؤْمِنٌ ۖۗbelievingمِّنْfromاٰلِ(the) familyفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunیَكْتُمُwho conceal(ed)اِیْمَانَهٗۤhis faithاَتَقْتُلُوْنَWill you killرَجُلًاa manاَنْbecauseیَّقُوْلَhe saysرَبِّیَMy Lordاللّٰهُ(is) Allahوَ قَدْand indeedجَآءَكُمْhe has brought youبِالْبَیِّنٰتِclear proofsمِنْfromرَّبِّكُمْ ؕyour Lordوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّكُhe isكَاذِبًاa liarفَعَلَیْهِthen upon himكَذِبُهٗ ۚ(is) his lieوَ اِنْand ifیَّكُhe isصَادِقًاtruthfulیُّصِبْكُمْ(there) will strike youبَعْضُsome (of)الَّذِیْ(that) whichیَعِدُكُمْ ؕhe threatens youاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیْguideمَنْ(one) whoهُوَ[he]مُسْرِفٌ(is) a transgressorكَذَّابٌ a liar یٰقَوْمِO my people!لَكُمُFor youالْمُلْكُ(is) the kingdomالْیَوْمَtodayظٰهِرِیْنَdominantفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؗthe landفَمَنْbut whoیَّنْصُرُنَاwill help usمِنْۢfromبَاْسِ(the) punishmentاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاِنْifجَآءَنَا ؕit came to usقَالَSaidفِرْعَوْنُFiraunمَاۤNotاُرِیْكُمْI show youاِلَّاexceptمَاۤwhatاَرٰیI seeوَ مَاۤand notاَهْدِیْكُمْI guide youاِلَّاexceptسَبِیْلَ(to the) pathالرَّشَادِ the right وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْۤ(he) whoاٰمَنَbelievedیٰقَوْمِO my people!اِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearعَلَیْكُمْfor youمِّثْلَlikeیَوْمِ(the) dayالْاَحْزَابِۙ(of) the companies مِثْلَLikeدَاْبِ(the) plightقَوْمِ(of the) peopleنُوْحٍ(of) Nuhوَّ عَادٍand Aadوَّ ثَمُوْدَand Thamudوَ الَّذِیْنَand thoseمِنْۢafter themبَعْدِهِمْ ؕafter themوَ مَاdoes notاللّٰهُAllahیُرِیْدُwantظُلْمًاinjusticeلِّلْعِبَادِ for (His) slaves وَ یٰقَوْمِAnd O my people!اِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearعَلَیْكُمْfor youیَوْمَ(the) Dayالتَّنَادِۙ(of) Calling یَوْمَA Dayتُوَلُّوْنَyou will turn backمُدْبِرِیْنَ ۚfleeingمَاnotلَكُمْfor youمِّنَfromاللّٰهِAllahمِنْanyعَاصِمٍ ۚprotectorوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّضْلِلِAllah lets go astrayاللّٰهُAllah lets go astrayفَمَاthen notلَهٗfor himمِنْanyهَادٍ guide 40. Ghafir Page 471وَ لَقَدْAnd indeedجَآءَكُمْcame to youیُوْسُفُYusufمِنْbeforeقَبْلُbeforeبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith clear proofsفَمَاbut notزِلْتُمْyou ceasedفِیْinشَكٍّdoubtمِّمَّاabout whatجَآءَكُمْhe brought to youبِهٖ ؕ[with it]حَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenهَلَكَhe diedقُلْتُمْyou saidلَنْNeverیَّبْعَثَwill Allah raiseاللّٰهُwill Allah raiseمِنْۢafter himبَعْدِهٖafter himرَسُوْلًا ؕa MessengerكَذٰلِكَThusیُضِلُّAllah lets go astrayاللّٰهُAllah lets go astrayمَنْwhoهُوَ[he]مُسْرِفٌ(is) a transgressorمُّرْتَابُۚۖa doubter ِ۟الَّذِیْنَThose whoیُجَادِلُوْنَdisputeفِیْۤconcerningاٰیٰتِ(the) Signsاللّٰهِ(of) Allahبِغَیْرِwithoutسُلْطٰنٍany authorityاَتٰىهُمْ ؕ(having) come to themكَبُرَ(it) is greatlyمَقْتًا(in) hatefulعِنْدَnear Allahاللّٰهِnear Allahوَ عِنْدَand nearالَّذِیْنَthoseاٰمَنُوْا ؕwho believeكَذٰلِكَThusیَطْبَعُAllah sets a sealاللّٰهُAllah sets a sealعَلٰیoverكُلِّeveryقَلْبِheartمُتَكَبِّرٍ(of) an arrogantجَبَّارٍ tyrant وَ قَالَAnd saidفِرْعَوْنُFiraunیٰهَامٰنُO Haman!ابْنِConstructلِیْfor meصَرْحًاa towerلَّعَلِّیْۤthat I mayاَبْلُغُreachالْاَسْبَابَۙthe ways اَسْبَابَ(The) waysالسَّمٰوٰتِ(to) the heavensفَاَطَّلِعَso I may lookاِلٰۤیatاِلٰهِ(the) Godمُوْسٰی(of) Musaوَ اِنِّیْand indeed Iلَاَظُنُّهٗ[I] surely think himكَاذِبًا ؕ(to be) a liarوَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusزُیِّنَwas made fair-seemingلِفِرْعَوْنَto Firaunسُوْٓءُ(the) evilعَمَلِهٖ(of) his deedوَ صُدَّand he was avertedعَنِfromالسَّبِیْلِ ؕthe wayوَ مَاAnd notكَیْدُ(was the) plotفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunاِلَّاexceptفِیْinتَبَابٍ۠ruin

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Translation of Verse 28-37

(40:28) Then a man endowed with faith, from Pharaoh's folk, who had kept his faith hidden, said: “Do you kill a person simply because he says: 'My Lord is Allah' even though he brought to you clear Signs from your Lord?⁴⁵ If he is a liar, his lying will recoil upon him;⁴⁶ but if he is truthful, you will be smitten with some of the awesome consequences of which he warns you. Allah does not guide to the Right Way any who exceeds the limits and is an utter liar.⁴⁷

(40:29) My people, today the kingdom is yours, and you are supreme in the land. But if Allah's chastisement were to come upon you, who will come to our help?”⁴⁸ Pharaoh said: “I only counsel what I consider right; I only direct you to the Path of Rectitude.”⁴⁹

(40:30) He who had faith said: “My people, I fear that you will confront a day like that which overtook many parties before you,

(40:31) like the day that overtook the people of Noah and Ad and Thamud, and those who came after them. Allah does not wish to subject His servants to any injustice.⁵⁰

(40:32) My people, I fear that you will encounter a day when there will be much wailing and you will cry out to one another for help,

(40:33) the day when you will turn around to retreat, there will be none to protect you from Allah. He whom Allah lets go astray, none will be able to show him the Right Way.

(40:34) Verily Joseph came to you with Clear Signs before, yet you continued to doubt his Message. Thereafter when he died, you said: 'Allah shall send no Messenger after him.'”⁵¹ Thus Allah leads astray those who transgress the limits and are given to much doubting;

(40:35) those⁵² who contend regarding Allah's Signs without any evidence that might have come to them.⁵³ That is exceedingly loathsome to Allah and to those that believe. Thus does Allah seal the heart of everyone who is proud and high-handed.⁵⁴

(40:36) Pharaoh said: “Haman, build for me a lofty tower that I may scale the highways �

(40:37) the highways to the heavens � and have a look at the God of Moses, although I am certain that Moses is a liar.”⁵⁵ Thus Pharaoh's evil deed was made to seem fair to him, and he was barred from the Right Path. Pharaoh's guile only led him to his own perdition.

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Commentary

45. The Prophet Moses (peace be on him) had shown Clear Signs to the Egyptians, indicating beyond every shadow of doubt that he was God’s Messenger. The man of faith from among Pharaoh’s community pointed to these signs, all of which are discussed in the following Qur’anic passages: al-A’raf 7: 107-8, 117-20 and 130-5, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. Ill, pp. 65-73; Bani Isra’ il 17: 101-2, and Ta Ha 20: 56-73, vol. "V, pp. 77-9 and 196-205; al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 30-51 and al-Naml 27: 10-13, vol. VII, pp. 63-70 and 142-3.

46. This man of faith pointed out that even if Pharaoh and his courtiers considered the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) to be a liar, and this despite incontestable signs to the contrary, they should still nonetheless spare him. This because there was the possibility that Moses might be true. In that case their actions against Moses would incur God’s wrath. So, even if they considered Moses a liar, they should nonetheless not harm him. For if Moses was indeed ascribing any falsehood to God, God would duly chastise him. Almost the same point was made by the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) himself in his exchange with Pharaoh: ‘But if you do not believe what I say, leave me alone’ (al-Dukhan 44: 21.) It should also be noted that at the outset of his address this person —a believer from among Pharaoh's community — did not identify himself as a believer. Rather, he spoke as a member of Pharaoh’s community and spoke in terms of their interests. However, when he learned that Pharaoh and his courtiers were bent upon rejecting the truth, he disclosed his faith.

(See verses 38ff, below.)

47. This is open to two meanings. In all probability, the believer in question made an ambivalent statement so as to avoid disclosing his real intent. In essence, he stated that a person cannot be both truthful and liar at the same time. It was common knowledge that the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) was a pious person, known for his excellent demeanor and noble character. Hence, his claim to be God’s Messenger could not be false. It would be hard to believe that a person with such excellent moral qualities would invent a falsehood. Alternatively, the verse might mean that if Moses’ opponents were to exceed all reasonable limits, justifying their assassination plan by fabricating false accusations against him, God would nonetheless never let them succeed.

48. The believer from among the Pharaonic community counselled his people not to incur God’s displeasure by being thankless to Him and especially since it was He Who had bestowed His favors upon them.

49. Pharaoh’s response reveals that he was unaware that this particular “courtier had inwardly accepted faith. Therefore, he showed no displeasure at the advice he gave. However, Pharaoh did make it clear that while he had listened to the advice, he was not prepared to change his mind.

50. That is, God has no hostility towards His servants so that He will arbitrarily destroy them. Rather, He afflicts them with punishment only when they transgress all limits and when inflicting them with Divine scourge becomes an inexorable requirement of justice and equity.

51. The unbelievers’ error combined with their adamancy were quite inordinate. Before Moses (peace be on him) the Prophet Joseph (peace be on him) had been sent to them and they recognized him to be a paragon of moral excellence. They further acknowledged that he had rightly interpreted the dream of the then sovereign and that this had saved them from the terrible devastations of the seven-year famine. They also conceded that during Joseph’s time they enjoyed peace, justice, prosperity — and well-being as never before in Egypt's history. While fully recognizing all his merits, they still did not profess faith in Joseph (peace be on him) as long as he lived. Then, after he died, they mourned him, saying that; none like him would to be born again. In other words, not believing in Joseph (peace be on him) despite their recognition of his extraordinary. qualities provided them with an easy pretext to reject all later Prophets. In essence, what all this means is that they were not prepared to embrace; true guidance.

52. It appears that God adds this as an observation to the opinion expressed by the believer belonging to Pharaoh’s community.

53. God ‘leads astray’ only those who display the following traits: (i) Those who exceed all limits of wickedness. Such people are so enamored of iniquity that they show no inclination to improve their moral conduct.

(ii) Those who are disposed to entertain doubts about Prophets. They distrust them no matter how overwhelmingly persuasive the signs are that they produce to corroborate the truths of monotheism and the Hereafter.

{iii) Those who, rather than reflect on the Word of God rationally, are prone to presenting all kinds of silly objections to the same. In essence, the arguments of such people are neither supported by rational proof nor by any authoritative evidence derived from the Scriptures. Their whole argument from beginning to end is rooted in obstinacy and adamancy.

Wherever there is a group of people displaying these three major faults, God hurls them into the pit of error from which none has the power to pull them out.

54, No one’s heart is sealed arbitrarily. It is only the arrogant and overbearing whose hearts are sealed. Puffed up with vain pride such -people find it beneath their dignity to submit themselves to the truth.

This trait is combined with an attitude of overbearingness made manifest in their high-handedness towards others. As a result, they find it hard to follow the restrictions placed upon them by the Law.

55. Pharaoh made this statement while addressing his vizier, Haman, during the course of the believer’s speech. The manner of the statement indicates that Pharaoh did not pay heed to the believer’s speech, considering it unworthy of serious attention. He therefore, arrogantly turned his face away from him, sarcastically asking Haman to erect a tall building so that he might climb it and find out the truth as to God’s whereabouts. (For further details see al-Qasas 28, nn. 52-4, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VII, pp. 220-2.)