040. The Forgiver – Al-Ghaafir

Ha Mim.

The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knowing,

The Forgiver of the faults and the Acceptor of repentance, Severe to punish, Lord of bounty; there is no god but He; to Him is the eventual coming.

None dispute concerning the communications of Allah but those who disbelieve, therefore let not their going to and fro in the cities deceive you.

The people of Nuh and the parties after them rejected (prophets) before them, and every nation purposed against their apostle to destroy him, and they disputed by means of the falsehood that they might thereby render null the truth, therefore I destroyed them; how was then My retribution!

And thus did the word of your Lord prove true against those who disbelieved that they are the inmates of the fire.

Those who bear the power and those around Him celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe: Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore grant protection to those who turn (to Thee) and follow Thy way, and save them from the punishment of the hell:

Our Lord! and make them enter the gardens of perpetuity which Thou hast promised to them and those who do good of their fathers and their wives and their offspring, surely Thou are the Mighty, the Wise.

And keep them from evil deeds, and whom Thou keepest from evil deeds this day, indeed Thou hast mercy on him, and that is the mighty achievement.

Surely those who disbelieve shall be cried out to: Certainly Allah’s hatred (of you) when you were called upon to the faith and you rejected, is much greater than your hatred of yourselves.

They shall say: Our Lord! twice didst Thou make us subject to death, and twice hast Thou given us life, so we do confess our faults; is there then a way to get out?

That is because when Allah alone was called upon, you disbelieved, and when associates were given to Him, you believed; so judgment belongs to Allah, the High, the Great.

He it is Who shows you His signs and sends down for you sustenance from heaven, and none minds but he who turns (to Him) again and again.

Therefore call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, though the unbelievers are averse:

Possessor of the highest rank, Lord of power: He makes the inspiration to light by His command upon whom He pleases of His servants, that he may warn (men) of the day of meeting.

(Of) the day when they shall come forth, nothing concerning them remains hidden to Allah. To whom belongs the kingdom this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all).

This day every soul shall be rewarded for what it has earned; no injustice (shall be done) this day; surely Allah is quick in reckoning.

And warn them of the day that draws near, when hearts shall rise up to the throats, grieving inwardly; the unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed.

He knows the stealthy looks and that which the breasts conceal.

And Allah judges with the truth; and those whom they call upon besides Him cannot judge aught; surely Allah is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those who were before them? Mightier than these were they in strength– and in fortifications in the land, but Allah destroyed them for their sins; and there was not for them any defender against Allah.

That was because there came to them their apostles with clear arguments, but they rejected (them), therefore Allah destroyed them; surely He is Strong, Severe in retribution.

And certainly We sent Musa with Our communications and clear authority,

To Firon and Haman and Qaroun, but they said: A lying magician.

So when he brought to them the truth from Us, they said: Slay the sons of those who believe with him and keep their women alive; and the struggle of the unbelievers will only come to a state of perdition.

And Firon said: Let me alone that I may slay Musa and let him call upon his Lord; surely I fear that he will change your religion or that he will make mischief to appear in the land.

And Musa said: Surely I take refuge with my Lord and– your Lord from every proud one who does not believe in the day of reckoning.

And a believing man of Firon’s people who hid his faith said: What! will you slay a man because he says: My Lord is Allah, and indeed he has brought to you clear arguments from your Lord? And if he be a liar, on him will be his lie, and if he be truthful, there will befall you some of that which he threatens you (with); surely Allah does not guide him who is extravagant, a liar:

O my people! yours is the kingdom this day, being masters in the land, but who will help us against the punishment of Allah if it come to us? Firon said: I do not show you aught but that which I see (myself), and I do not make you follow any but the right way.

And he who believed said: O my people! surely I fear for you the like of what befell the parties:

The like of what befell the people of Nuh and Ad and Samood and those after them, and Allah does not desire injustice for (His) servants;

And, O my people! I fear for you the day of calling out,

The day on which you will turn back retreating; there shall be no savior for you from Allah, and whomsoever Allah causes to err, there is no guide for him:

And certainly Yusuf came to you before with clear arguments, but you ever remained in doubt as to what he brought; until when he died, you said: Allah will never raise an apostle after him. Thus does Allah cause him to err who is extravagant, a doubter

Those who dispute concerning the communications of Allah without any authority that He has given them; greatly hated is it by Allah and by-those who believe. Thus does Allah set a seal over the heart of every proud, haughty one.

And Firon said: O Haman! build for me a tower that I may attain the means of access,

The means of access to the heavens, then reach the god of Musa, and I surely think him to be a liar. And thus the evil of his deed was made fairseeming to Firon, and he was turned away from the way; and the struggle of Firon was not (to end) in aught but destruction.

And he who believed said: O my people! follow me, I will guide you to the right course;

O my people! this life of the world is only a (passing) enjoyment, and surely the hereafter is the abode to settle;

Whoever does an evil, he shall not be recompensed (with aught) but the like of it, and whoever does good, whether male or female, and he is a believer, these shall enter the garden, in which they shall be given sustenance without measure.

And, O my people! how is it that I call you to salvation and you call me to the fire?

You call on me that I should disbelieve in Allah and associate with Him that of which I have no knowledge, and I call you to the Mighty, the most Forgiving;

No doubt that what you call me to has no title to be called to in this world, nor in the hereafter, and that our turning back is to Allah, and that the extravagant are the inmates of the fire;

So you shall remember what I say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah, Surely Allah sees the servants.

So Allah protected him from the evil (consequences) of what they planned, and the most evil punishment overtook Firon’s people:

The fire; they shall be brought before it (every) morning and evening and on the day when the hour shall come to pass: Make Firon’s people enter the severest chastisement.

And when they shall contend one with another in the fire, then the weak shall say to those who were proud: Surely we were your followers; will you then avert from us a portion of the fire?

Those who were proud shall say: Surely we are all in it: surely Allah has judged between the servants.

And those who are in the fire shall say to the keepers of hell: Call upon your Lord that He may lighten to us one day of the punishment.

They shall say: Did not your apostles come to you with clear arguments? They shall say: Yea. They shall say: Then call. And the call of the unbelievers is only in error.

Most surely We help Our apostles, and those who believe, in this world’s life and on the day when the witnesses shall stand

The day on which their excuse shall not benefit the unjust, and for them is curse and for them is the evil abode.

And certainly We gave Musa the guidance, and We made the children of Israel inherit the Book,

A guidance and a reminder to the men of understanding.

Therefore be patient; surely the promise of Allah is true; and ask protection for your fault and sing the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.

Surely (as for) those who dispute about the communications of Allah without any authority that has come to them, there is naught in their breasts but (a desire) to become great which they shall never attain to; Therefore seek refuge in Allah, surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Certainly the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of the men, but most people do not know

And the blind and the seeing are not alike, nor those who believe and do good and the evil-doer; little is it that you are mindful.

Most surely the hour is coming, there is no doubt therein, but most people do not believe.

And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you; surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter hell abased.

Allah is He Who made for you the night that you may rest therein and the day to see; most surely Allah is Gracious to men, but most men do not give thanks.

That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of everything; there is no Allah but He; whence are you then turned away?

Thus were turned away those who denied the communications of Allah.

Allah is He Who made the earth a resting-place for you and the heaven a canopy, and He formed you, then made goodly your forms, and He provided you with goodly things; that is Allah, your Lord; blessed then is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

He is the Living, there is no god but He, therefore call on Him, being sincere to Him in obedience; (all) praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Say: I am forbidden to serve those whom you call upon besides Allah when clear arguments have come to me from my Lord, and I am commanded that I should submit to the Lord of the worlds.

He it is Who created you from dust, then from a small lifegerm, then from a clot, then He brings you forth as a child, then that you may attain your maturity, then that you may be old– and of you there are some who are caused to die before– and that you may reach an appointed term, and that you may understand.

He it is Who gives life and brings death, so when He decrees an affair, He only says to it: Be, and it is.

Have you not seen those who dispute with respect to the communications of Allah: how are they turned away?

Those who reject the Book and that with which We have sent Our Apostle; but they shall soon come to know,

When the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged

Into boiling water, then in the fire shall they be burned;

Then shall it be said to them: Where is that which you used to set up

Besides Allah? They shall say: They are gone away from us, nay, we used not to call upon anything before. Thus does Allah confound the unbelievers.

That is because you exulted in the land unjustly and because you behaved insolently.

Enter the gates of hell to abide therein, evil then is the abode of the proud.

So be patient, surely the promise of Allah is true. So should We make you see part of what We threaten them with, or should We cause you to die, to Us shall they be returned.

And certainly We sent apostles before you: there are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you, and it was not meet for an apostle that he should bring a sign except with Allah’s permission, but when the command of Allah came, judgment was given with truth, and those who treated (it) as a lie were lost.

Allah is He Who made the cattle for you that you may ride on some of them, and some of them you eat.

And there are advantages for you in them, and that you may attain thereon a want which is in your breasts, and upon them and upon the ships you are borne.

And He shows you His signs: which then of Allah’s signs will you deny?

Have they not then journeyed in the land and seen how was the end of those before them? They were more (in numbers) than these and greater in strength and in fortifications in the land, but what they earned did not avail them.

Then when their apostles came to them with clear arguments, they exulted in what they had with them of knowledge, and there beset them that which they used to mock.

But when they saw Our punishment, they said: We believe in Allah alone and we deny what we used to associate with Him.

But their belief was not going to profit them when they had seen Our punishment; (this is) Allah’s law, which has indeed obtained in the matter of His servants, and there the unbelievers are lost.