| | Shabbir Ahmed rendition of Surah The Forgiver, The Forgiving One(Ghafir)
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| 40:1 | | H.M. Hameed Owner of all praise, Majeed Exalted in Glory, states that |
| 40:2 | | The Revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the Knower |
| 40:3 | | Absolver of actions that cause you to trail behind in humanity, Acceptor of repentance, Stern in grasping, Infinite in Authority - there is no god but He. Unto Him is the destination of all journeying |
| 40:4 | | None but those who are determined to deny the Truth will dispute the Messages of Allah. Let not their thump and thud in the towns impress you |
| 40:5 | | Before their times, the people of Noah and generations after them too banded together in denying the Message. And every nation endeavored to seize its Messenger, and disputed with him with falsehood in order to refute the Truth. But it was I Who seized them, and, behold, how awesome was My grasping |
| 40:6 | | Thus was fulfilled the Word of your Lord concerning the rejecters, and so they are companions of the Fire |
| 40:7 | | Those who understand the Supremacy of their Lord, and even those who come close to it, extol His Glory and praise, and strive to manifest it in the human lives. They have conviction in Him and work to absolve mutual imperfections of one another of the believers in the System, saying, "Our Lord! You embrace all things within your Knowledge and Grace - Absolve then, the imperfections of those who turn to and walk on Your Way, and guard them against the blazing Fire." |
| 40:8 | | "And O Our Lord! Admit them into the Gardens of Eden that you have promised them, along with their parents and their spouses and their descendants as walk aright. Verily, You, only You, are the Almighty, the Wise." |
| 40:9 | | "And guard them against the imprints of their faults, for, anyone whom You guard from the imprints of their faults on that Day, him You have verily taken into Grace. And that, that is the Supreme Triumph." |
| 40:10 | | But, behold, as for those who adamantly deny the Truth, they will be so addressed, "Indeed, greater than your disapproval of yourselves this Day was Allah's disapproval when you were invited to the Faith but you went on denying and screened yourselves off from the Light." (Kufr = Denying the Truth = Ingratitude for guidance = Choosing to live in darkness) |
| 40:11 | | They will say, "Our Lord, twice You have made us die, just as twice You have made us live. But now we confess that we did trail behind in making progress. Is there any way out of this (second death)?" |
| 40:12 | | It will be said to them, "This is your plight because when Allah alone was invoked you denied the Message, and when others (such as your 'holy' men) were included besides Him, you believed. But the Command belongs only to Allah, the Sublime, the Majestic." (39:45) |
| 40:13 | | He it is Who shows you His Signs in the Universe and sends down sustenance for you from the sky. Yet none learns a lesson except those who turn to seek the Truth |
| 40:14 | | Call you, then, upon Allah, sincere in your Faith in Him alone, however hateful this may be to those who deny the Truth (by invoking their 'holy' men besides Him) |
| 40:15 | | Exalted is He in His Attributes, and the Exalter of ranks He is, the Lord of the Throne, Master of the Supreme Control. By His Command has He sent the Revelation to whomever He chose from among His servants, in order that He may warn mankind of the Day of Meeting. (The Day when all of them meet together and meet their Lord. |
| 40:16 | | On the Day when they shall come forth, with nothing of them hidden from Allah. Well, to Whom belongs the Kingdom (as dawned upon you) this Day? To Allah, the One, the Irresistibly Dominating |
| 40:17 | | Today will every 'Self' be rewarded for whatever it has earned - no wrong Today! Verily, Swift is Allah in settling accounts |
| 40:18 | | Hence, warn them of the Day which draws near - when the hearts will throb muffling the voices in the sound boxes. No bosom friend will be there for the violators of human rights, nor shall any mediator be granted audience |
| 40:19 | | He knows the treachery of the eyes, and all that the hearts would conceal. (Treachery of the eyes = See but not observe. Reporting hearsay as eyewitness. Failing to lower the gaze. Not using senses to full potential. Failing to learn from daily observation. Not using vision to develop the Vision. |
| 40:20 | | Allah alone secures all things as the hinges secure the controlled freedom of a swinging door. Whereas those whom they call instead of Him, can secure nothing, for, behold, Allah! He alone is the Hearer, the Seer. (The common rendering here, that Allah judges while others cannot, is linguistically deficient and fails to stand up to reason) |
| 40:21 | | Have they, then, never traveled in the land and seen the outcome of those who lived before their times? They were mightier than these, and in the impact they left on earth as evident from their ruins. But Allah took them to task for their trailing behind in humanity. And then they had no defender against the Laws of Allah. (30:9) |
| 40:22 | | This - because their Messengers had come to them with all evidence of the Truth, and yet they rejected it. So Allah seized them. Behold, verily, He is Strong, Strict in grasping |
| 40:23 | | Thus indeed, We sent Moses with Our Messages and a clear authority |
| 40:24 | | To Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun (Korah), (the archetypes of tyranny, priesthood, and wealth respectively), but they said, "A spellbinder is he, a liar." (28:6), (29:39) |
| 40:25 | | Now when he brought them the Truth from Our Presence, they said, "Kill the sons of those who have come to believe with him and spare their women!" But the scheme of the rejecters came to naught. (2:49), (7:127) |
| 40:26 | | Pharaoh said, "Leave it up to me to kill Moses and let him call upon his Lord. Behold, I am afraid he will change your religion and your life-style and cause uprising in the land." |
| 40:27 | | Moses replied, "Behold, I have found refuge with my Lord and the Lord of you all from every arrogant one who believes not in a Day of Account (and, hence, in the Law of Requital)." |
| 40:28 | | Now a believing man among Pharaoh's folk who had thus far concealed his Faith, exclaimed, "Would you kill a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah', and brought you all evidence of the Truth from your Lord? If he is a liar, then his lie will fall back upon him (he will soon be exposed). But if he is a man of truth, then some of the punishment he warns you against, will certainly befall you. Verily, Allah does not guide to success any who wastes his 'Self' being a persistent liar |
| 40:29 | | O My people! Yours is the kingdom today, and most eminent are you in the earth. But who will help us against Allah's strike, once it hits us?" Pharaoh said, "I want you to see what I see. And I would never show you but the right way." |
| 40:30 | | Thereupon the believer said, "O My people! Behold, I fear for you the day of disaster that befell prior peoples who banded together (against the Truth) |
| 40:31 | | The condition of Noah's people, and Aad and Thamud, and those who came after them. Allah never intends injustice for His servants |
| 40:32 | | O My people! Behold, I fear for you a Day when you will cry unto one another in distress |
| 40:33 | | A Day when you will turn to flee, having no defender against Allah's Law. And whoever forsakes Allah's Law of guidance, for him there is no guide. (4:88) |
| 40:34 | | And it was to you that Joseph had come with all evidence of the Truth. But, you incessantly cast suspicion on what he had brought. And when he died, you said, 'Never will Allah send a Messenger after him (among you, the Israelites). Thus Allah's Law lets go astray a waster of 'Self' - doubter, given to suspicion |
| 40:35 | | Such who keep opposing Allah's Messages without any authority that ever came unto them (40:56). Strongly disapproved is this attitude in the Court of Allah and in the sight of the believers. Thus Allah's Law sets a seal on every arrogant megalomaniac heart." |
| 40:36 | | (Thus spoke the believer among Pharaoh's folk.) And Pharaoh remarked, "O Haman! Build for me a lofty tower that I may have enough means |
| 40:37 | | The means of access to the Heavens, and look upon the God of Moses. Behold, though, I think him a liar." Thus, goodly seemed to Pharaoh the evil of his own deeds, and so was he barred from the Path. In the end all plotting of Pharaoh led him to nothing but ruin |
| 40:38 | | Still, the man who had believed, went on, "O My people! Follow me. I will show you the right way |
| 40:39 | | My people! The life of this world is but a brief enjoyment. Whereas, behold, the Hereafter, that is the Lasting Home |
| 40:40 | | There whoever has destabilized another person's life, will be repaid the like of it. And whoever has helped others, whether male or female, while believing in the Divine Values, such will enter the Garden wherein they will be blessed with sustenance without measure |
| 40:41 | | O My people! What is my personal benefit that I call you to freedom from grief whereas you invite me to the Fire |
| 40:42 | | You call me to disbelieve in Allah and accept authorities besides Him, a concept that holds no ground before what I know. On the other hand, I invite you to the Almighty, the Consistent Absolver of human faults and imperfections |
| 40:43 | | No doubt you invite me to that calling upon which is an exercise in futility in this world and in the Hereafter. In fact unto Allah is our return and they who waste their human potential shall be companions of the Fire |
| 40:44 | | Sometime in the future you will remember what I am saying to you now. I commit my affair to Allah, for, verily, Allah is Seer of His servants." |
| 40:45 | | And Allah protected him from their evil scheming while suffering was to surround Pharaoh's people |
| 40:46 | | The Fire which they had been warned, day-in and day-out and then faced it (as long as they lived in this world.) And on the Day when the Hour dawns, it will be said, "Cast Pharaoh's folk into the toughest penalty." (7:133), (28:42) |
| 40:47 | | And behold! They will dispute with each other in the Fire. The commoners will say to the leaders, "Behold, we were following you. Can you, then, take away some of the Fire from us?" (14:21), (33:67), (34:32), (37:27-29), (38:60) |
| 40:48 | | The leaders will respond, "Behold, we are all in it together. Verily, Allah has judged between His servants." |
| 40:49 | | And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Ask your Lord that He lighten for us one day of this torment." |
| 40:50 | | But (the keepers) will say, "Is it not that your Messengers came to you with all evidence of the Truth?" They will answer, "Yes, indeed." And the keepers will respond, "Pray, then! But the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but futile wandering." |
| 40:51 | | Behold, We verily do help Our Messengers and those who truly attain belief, in this world and also on the Day when the witnesses shall stand up. (On the Resurrection Day the humans will have a newly awakened consciousness within themselves witnessing the Truth) |
| 40:52 | | The Day their excuses will not avail the oppressors, and theirs will be a removal from Divine Grace, and for them is but the home of misery |
| 40:53 | | And indeed such was the history of Moses whom We gave the Guidance and thus made the Children of Israel inherit the Scripture |
| 40:54 | | As a guide and a reminder for people of understanding |
| 40:55 | | Hence, (O Prophet) remain patient in adversity - for, verily, Allah's Promise always comes True. And dispel and guard yourself against the slander and schemes of the alarmists, intended to cause dissension. And extol the Glory and Praise of your Lord night and day, working hard to set up the Divine Order for everyone to behold that He is Praiseworthy. (47:19), (48:2) - 'Zanb' also means sticking a blame or slander behind one's back for character assassination) |
| 40:56 | | They contest the Messages of Allah without possible authoritative evidence, since they have nothing but false pride in their hearts. By self-glorification none shall attain dignity. (7:146), (40:35). Dispel their designs by seeking refuge in Allah's Laws. Behold, He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer |
| 40:57 | | Greater indeed than the creation of the humans is the creation of the heavens and the earth. But most people never know what it implies (That the entire Universe submits to the Divine Laws, hence, should the mankind (29:61)) |
| 40:58 | | But then, the blind of reason and the seer at heart are not equal. And neither are those who attain faith, and help others, equal to those who create imbalance in people's lives. How seldom do you use your mind |
| 40:59 | | Verily, the Hour is surely coming, of this there is no doubt. Yet most people do not believe. (That the Divine Revolution will come on this earth and then in the Cosmos (9:33)) |
| 40:60 | | Your Lord has said, "Call unto Me and I shall respond to you. (Whenever you need guidance, turn to My Laws in the Qur'an and you will find an answer). Verily, those who are too proud to serve Me, will enter Hell, disgraced." |
| 40:61 | | Allah it is Who has made the night for you, so that you might rest therein, and the day to make you see. Behold, Allah is the Lord of Bounty for mankind, but most people are ungrateful (not making proper use of His Bounties and keeping them confined to themselves) |
| 40:62 | | Such is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things. There is no god but He. How can you, then, wander in the wilderness of thought! (29:61) |
| 40:63 | | Thus it is - Wandering indeed are those who contend with the Messages of Allah |
| 40:64 | | Allah it is Who rendered the earth a dwelling place for you and the atmosphere a canopy (to protect you against extremes of heat and cold and against meteorites (21:32)), and formed you - and formed you so well - and provided you with decent things of life. Such is Allah, your Lord. Most Exalted, then, is Allah, the Lord of the Worlds |
| 40:65 | | He is the Ever-Living. There is no god but He. Call, then, unto Him alone, sincere for the Faith. (Be sincere in establishing His System of Life letting everyone behold that) all Praise indeed belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds |
| 40:66 | | Say, "I am forbidden to obey whom you call upon instead of Allah, since all evidence of the Truth has come to me from my Lord and I am commanded to surrender to the Lord of the Worlds |
| 40:67 | | He it is Who created you from dust, then from the gametes, then from an embryo, and then He brings you forth as an infant. And then you attain full strength and afterward you grow old - though some of you die earlier. All this He ordains so that you reach a term appointed, and along the way, develop your insight. (22:5) |
| 40:68 | | He it is Who grants life and causes death. The moment He decrees a thing, He says to it only "Be!" and it is |
| 40:69 | | Have you, then, seen those who contend against Allah's Revelations, and, hence, sway like errant winds? |
| 40:70 | | - Those who deny the Book and thus the Message with which We sent all Our Messengers. But, in time they will come to know (what it was that they had denied) |
| 40:71 | | When they shall have shackles of their own making around their necks, and are dragged in chains of their restricted thinking |
| 40:72 | | Into the hot fluid (since they were floating from desire to desire), and, then, they become sparks of the Fire of their own making |
| 40:73 | | And now, they will be asked, "Where are those whom you made partners |
| 40:74 | | - Besides Allah?" They will groan, "They have left us groping in the dark. Nay, rather, we were calling upon what existed not." This is how Allah lets go astray those who choose to live in darkness by denying the Truth and thus remaining ungrateful to Guidance. ('Kafirin' = Deniers of the Truth = Those who choose to remain in darkness = Those who are ungrateful for the Divine Guidance = Those who conceal the Truth) |
| 40:75 | | This is because in your life on the earth you used to take delight in what was not True, and roamed about haughtily with your false doctrines |
| 40:76 | | Enter you the gates of Hell to abide therein. What a miserable abode for the arrogant |
| 40:77 | | Then, (O Prophet) remain patient, for, verily, Allah's Promise always comes True. Whether We let you witness some of what We promise them, or whether We cause you to die, still unto Us they will be brought back. (10:46), (23:95), (43:42) |
| 40:78 | | Yes indeed, We sent Messengers before you. Some of them We have mentioned to you, and some of them We have not mentioned to you. And none of the Messengers was given the authority to bring a Message or a Sign but by Allah's leave. But when (the period of respite was over and) the Command of Allah came, the matter was decided in truth and justice. And there and then perished the upholders of falsehood |
| 40:79 | | (Those who ask for miracles, must know that Allah has placed Signs in the Universe, for example) Allah it is Who has made for you the quadrupeds, that you may ride some of them and from some you derive food |
| 40:80 | | And you find yet other benefits from them. And that through them you may fulfill your heart-felt needs (of travel, food and milk, labor and battle) - and that you may be carried on them (on the land) as upon the ship (in the sea) |
| 40:81 | | And thus He shows you His Wonders! Then which of the Wonders of Allah will you deny |
| 40:82 | | Have they not, then, journeyed about the earth and seen what happened in the end to those who lived before them? They were more numerous than these, and greater in power than these are, and stronger in the impact they left upon earth. But all that they ever achieved availed them not, and it failed to make them truly rich |
| 40:83 | | For when their Messengers came to them with all evidence of the Truth, they took delight in the knowledge they possessed. And the very thing they used to mock came on to pay a visit to them. (They took pride in their knowledge and skill and ridiculed the warnings of the Messengers that wrong Systems crash down however smartly they might be run) |
| 40:84 | | And then, as they saw Our Strike, they cried, "We believe in Allah, the One God only and reject all that we used to associate with Him." (We will dismiss false 'authorities' and submit to the Divine System of Life) |
| 40:85 | | But their proclamation of Faith could not help them, once they saw Our Blow. This is the Law of Allah that has always applied to His servants. And so, there and then, lost were the rejecters of the changeless Divine Laws |
