THE FORGIVER【Quran commentary】Surah 40 Ghafir

Commentary By Maulana Wahiduddin khan

1-3. The appellations, the Almighty and All Know…

The appellations, the Almighty and All Knowing (al-‘Aziz and al-‘Alim), have been used here by way of argument in support of the Quran. At the time the Quran was revealed, this was in the nature of a forecast. Today it is an established fact.

The Quran was revealed before the age of science and in the most unfavourable of circumstances. But, exactly according to its claim, it won over its opponents. The polytheists of Arabia, the Jews and the great Roman and Iranian empires?all were its enemies. But, in a very short period, it overcame all of them. This is an event which amply proves that the Quran had been sent by the All-Powerful and Supreme God.

The other quality of the Quran is that it is a book based on facts. Even after the passage of fifteen hundred years, no statement of the Quran has been found to be at variance with the discoveries of science. This is proof of the fact that the Being who revealed it is All Knowing and All Aware. No matter relating either to heaven or earth is hidden from Him. He is uniformly aware of the past, present and future.

This is the very Almighty God who is truly worthy of worship by man. It befits His Power and Knowledge that He should gather all human beings and take stock of their deeds, and then decide everyone’s fate with perfect justice, pardon those who turned towards Him and punish for their misdeeds those who rebelled against Him.

4-6. Here the ‘signs of God’ (ayatullah) means the…

Here the ‘signs of God’ (ayatullah) means the arguments advanced to establish the veracity of the divine mission. Those who are not serious with regard to God, raise irrelevant points in these arguments and thus create doubt in the minds of the people that this call is not a true call but only a flight of imagination on the part of the preacher.

Bickering of this kind constitutes a very great sin. However, in the present world of trial, those who indulge in bickering are given respite only temporarily and for a fixed period. Thereafter, they are destined to face the same miserable fate as was faced by the communities of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud, etc. Those who considered themselves great were belittled, while those who were considered of no account by others were treated as great before God.

7-9. The subjects of God who set themselves the…

The subjects of God who set themselves the task of preaching the pure and unadulterated Truth are always harassed. They are made to feel lowly and small and treated as such wherever they may be. But, at the very time when this treatment is being meted out to them, the heavens and the earth are bearing testimony to their righteousness. The angels who have been charged with managing the affairs of the universe, will look forward to their ultimate glorious reward. Those who were looked down upon by the ignorant in this ephemeral world will be raised to such an exalted position that the angels nearest to God will pray for them.

10-12. God has showered His mercy in the form…

God has showered His mercy in the form of guidance. But, people in general have not accepted it. As a result in the Hereafter, the rejecters of guidance will be completely deprived of God’s grace. In the world, they ignored God’s grace. In the Hereafter, God’s grace will pass them by.

At that time, those who deny the truth will say, ‘O God! You created us from the earth, that is, we were lifeless and you infused life into us. Afterwards, when our lifespan was over, we became lifeless for the second time. Now we have been raised again in the world of the Hereafter. In this way, you have twice given us life and twice given us death. Now, if you give us a third opportunity and send us back into the world, we will admit the Truth and live a life full of righteous deeds.’

But, this request of theirs will not be heard, because they proved that they could not recognise the Truth when it was hidden from their eyes. They were capable of recognising only so-called gods. They did not have the ability to recognise the real invisible God, and such people who are enamoured by outward appearances have no value in the eyes of God.

13-17. There are countless signs in the universe…

There are countless signs in the universe which teach us lessons in symbolic language. One of these is the system of rains. This natural phenomenon is symbolic of God’s inspiration. Just as rains are useful for fertile land and useless for barren land, similarly the inspiration from God brings forth fruit in some but not in others. This ‘rain’ enters the souls of those who have kept their hearts open and makes their existence lush green. On the contrary, those whose hearts are full of the greatness of beings other than God are like barren lands.

God is fully aware of His subjects. Whoever He finds capable, He chooses for the purpose of conveying His message. The main aim of this message is to warn the people of the fast approaching day when they will be presented before the Lord of the Universe, from whom nothing will be hidden and whose judgement will not be influenced by anybody.

18-20. The present world is full of opportunities…

The present world is full of opportunities, which make it possible for man to do whatever he likes. This leads him into a grave misunderstanding. He considers his temporary freedom to be a permanent condition. The fact is that whatever opportunities man has been given here are by way of trial and not on the basis of his deserving them. As soon as the period of testing is over, all the present opportunities will be snatched away from him. At that time, man will come to know that, except for his helplessness, he possesses nothing which will be a support to him.

Man wants to live an unrestricted life. On account of this, he associates beings other than God with the godhead, so that in their names he may be able to justify his misguided actions. But on the Day of Judgement, when reality reveals itself in an unveiled form, he will realize that there was nobody but God who had any powers.

21-22. In the history of the world it has happened…

In the history of the world it has happened frequently that one nation or community rises to great heights, but is then annihilated. One finds that a nation once gave birth to a grand civilization and today that civilization is traceable only through its half buried ruins. A nation which once enjoyed the position of a live entity is today considered worthy of mention only as a matter of historical record.

Such events are a common occurence. But people have attributed them to geological phenomena or to historical revolutions. But the fact is that the fall of nations has always resulted from Divine decisions, which were imposed on the concerned peoples on account of their denial of the Truth. Had we possessed the insight to see the reality behind the events we will find that every event took place through the angels of God, though to all appearances, its causes were of a worldly nature.

23-25. In addition to arguments, the prophets were…

In addition to arguments, the prophets were given miraculous supports which provided ample proof of their having been sent and commissioned by God. But, acceptance of the Truth by a man comes at the cost of negating his own self, which is the most difficult sacrifice for him. It was for this reason alone that Pharaoh and his courtiers did not accept Moses’ prophethood, in spite of very clear arguments in its favour.

While, on the one hand, they started creating the impression among the people that Moses’ claim to prophethood was baseless and his miracles were feats of magic. On the other hand, they decided to more vigorously implement their earlier policy of reducing the population of the Children of Israel, so that Moses should not be able to establish a firm foundation among his own community. But they did not know that they were using these strategies not against Moses but against God, and against God no strategy devised by any human being could be successful.

26-27. ‘He may cause you to change your religion’…

‘He may cause you to change your religion’ here means that he might change the form of religion which had come down to them from their ancestors, so that a new religion might prevail among the people. Pharaoh expressed his intention of slaying Moses, otherwise he might find supporters among the people of his community and, with their help, try to create unrest (fasad)in the country; he wanted him to be killed at the very outset.

The greatest impediment to the acceptance of Truth is man’s overweening pride. In order to elevate himself, he wants to lower the Truth. But the supreme supporter of Truth is God, the Lord of the Universe. In the beginning, the opponents of Truth may apparently suppress it, but God’s support guarantees that finally it will be the Truth which will prevail.

28-29. The true believer mentioned here was a me…

The true believer mentioned here was a member of the royal family of Pharaoh and was probably one of the high-ranking officials of the court. This venerable gentleman had been influenced by Moses’ call to the Unity of God. However, he had kept his faith a secret. But, when he saw that Pharaoh intended to kill Moses, he openly came to his support. He defended Moses in a very wise and effective manner.

This event teaches us that the dawah process is in itself a power which creates its sympathisers and supporters in the camp of dire opponents also, even if the enemy be as tyrannical as Pharaoh.

30-33. Pharaoh had threatened Moses with worl…

Pharaoh had threatened Moses with worldly punishment. In reply to this, the True Believer warned Pharaoh of the punishment of the Hereafter. This is always the method of the preacher of Truth. People fret about worldly affairs, but the preacher is focused on the Hereafter. People talk in terms of the world, while the preacher’s discourse is always about the Hereafter. People consider worldly problems to be the most pressing, while, for the preacher, the most pressing problem is that which is connected with the Hereafter.

34-35. During the life of Joseph, majority of…

During the life of Joseph, majority of the people of Egypt did not accept his prophethood. It was only after his death, when the administrative system of the country began to deteriorate, that the Egyptians came to realise his greatness. Then, they started saying that Joseph’s existence had been a great boon to Egypt. And they said that such a prophet would never come again. Though Joseph was a prophet of God, he was also a human being. This gave people the scope to say, ‘It is not necessary that the feats performed by Joseph were on the basis of his being a prophet. It is quite possible that as a brilliant man, he was able to put up this excellent performance.’ Under the influence of such opinions, the people of Egypt began to have doubts about his prophethood.

However clear and obvious the Truth may be, in this world of trial, it is always possible for a man to find shadows of doubt in it and then deny it. Those who are by nature arrogant and haughty, and those who think that by admitting the Truth, they will lose their greatness, can never overcome their doubts. Rather they nurture and exaggerate these doubts to such an extent that they come to prevail over their minds and souls. Consequently, they are unable to think about the Truth in an unbiased and objective manner. They remain its rejecters till the day they die.

36-37. What Pharaoh said to his minister, Haman…

What Pharaoh said to his minister, Haman, was not said seriously, but by way of a timely stratagem. He saw that the cogent and reasonable words of the true believer were having an effect on the people. So, he wanted to raise a frivolous point in order that Moses’ call should not become the topic of serious discussion but appear rather as a mere triviality.

This verse means that bad deeds (or rejection of the Truth) is often glorified by uttering pleasantries and this is the chief reason that leads man astray. In other words, giving importance to frivolous points rather than to genuine rational arguments; trying to cover up misdeeds by misrepresentation, etc. Those who attempt to trivialize the Truth, which is based on firm rationality, forget that it cannot be negated by raising baseless, trifling points.

38-44. This speech made by the true believer of…

This speech made by the true believer of Pharaoh’s court is very clear. A model sermon, which shows what the mode of address of a preacher should be.

In other words the sentence, ‘I call you towards the Lord of the Universe, whereas you call me towards one who is quite ineffectual both in this world and in the Hereafter.’ This presents the gist of the speech of a true believer. This gives an idea of what was being discussed in Pharaoh’s court. The discussion was on whether God or other man-made deities should be invoked. The true believer said that God is a living and dominant entity. Calling upon Him amounts to calling upon the real God. As opposed to this, he said that their deities were only the creation of their imagination or objects of superstition, and were of no avail either in this world or in the world Hereafter. When they (the deities) have no real existence, how can they confer any real advantage? (Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. IV, p. 80).

45-46. The true believer of Pharaoh’s court was…

The true believer of Pharaoh’s court was not a prophet. But, in spite of his being alone, God saved him from the tyrannical plans of Pharaoh. This shows that even non-prophets – when they support the mission of truth – receive the same divine succour as was always promised by God to the prophets.

Though the final decision about the fate of human beings will be taken on the Day of Judgement, when a man enters the other world after death, it is immediately clear to him as to what he had done in the previous world and what fate he is ordained to face. In this way, at a conscious level, he becomes involved in his final fate immediately after death and, while at a physical level, he will face it on the Day of Judgement, when God’s court is established.

47-50. In these verses a scene from Hell is depic…

In these verses a scene from Hell is depicted. Those who had assumed great positions in this world will forget their so-called greatness in the hereafter. Now, the common people, who were so proud of their heroes, will express their displeasure with them. Those who were not prepared to accept the Truth in this world will now humbly bow down before it. But this submissiveness in the Hereafter will be of no avail to any one.

51-55. There is firm assurance of God’s help…

There is firm assurance of God’s help to prophets and their followers. But entitlement to this help is achieved only after the exercise of patience. Patience has been given so much importance, so that those who uphold the Truth may be fully established as champions of the Truth and tyrants may be proved to be such. In order to reach the stage where this distinction becomes clear, the upholders of Truth have to exercise patience unilaterally. The patience they exercise makes them entitled to God’s help in this world and, by virtue of this very quality, they become entitled to be God’s witnesses against transgressors on the Day of Judgement.

The Book which comes from God comes only for providing guidance to human beings. But this guidance is useful only to those who are wise, i.e. those who are not bound by certain untoward considerations; those who keep themselves free of complexes; those who test matters on the basis of rationality and not on any other basis. Those who, unlike the former, indulge in an irrational interpretation of God’s guidance are transgressors, while those who treat the guidance of God as a matter of logic are the ones who have achieved success.

56. The Truth is so obvious and so rational…

The Truth is so obvious and so rational that it is not difficult for anybody to understand it. But, whenever Truth reveals itself, it does so through a ‘human being’. So, the admission of Truth practically becomes synonymous with the acceptance of the conveyer of the Truth. This is why those who have a superiority complex are not prepared to accept the Truth.

Such people fear that the moment they accept the Truth, they will lose their superiority in favour of the bearer of Truth. On account of this mentality, they become its opponents. But, God has ordained that, in His world, such people will never succeed.

57-59. The grandeur of the Universe is an ind…

The grandeur of the Universe is an indicator of the greatness of its Creator. This greatness is so immense that the resurrection and re-creation of a man is comparatively a very easy task.

And then, when one casts a glance upon human society, the advent of the world of the Hereafter seems like a moral necessity. There are some in society who have the insight to see the reality, while there are others who are totally blind to it. Similarly, there are some who in every case observe the principles of justice, while there are others who move away from the path of justice and adopt oppressive methods. The moral sense of man says that the final fate of these two types of human beings should not be identical.

If all these things are taken into consideration, it would appear that the coming of the Hereafter is a rational possibility as well as a moral necessity.

60-63. The alternation of night and day and…

The alternation of night and day and the existence of other life-sustaining processes on earth is too perfect and too great to have been brought into existence by any human being, or even by all God’s creatures put together. This is a clear argument which urges that the Creator is the only one who is worthy of being worshipped. Man should bow down only before Him and entertain hopes solely of Him.

But, all too frequently, human beings are unable to establish any real relationship of worship and prayer with the Creator of the Universe because of being involved with someone or something other than God. Some are engaged in the worship of living or dead personalities, while others are totally occupied with themselves. Time and again, God reveals arguments which contradict such wrongful practices, but man ignores them, hiding behind false justification.

All such behaviour amounts to a lack of appreciation for the Creator of the Universe, and those who degrade Him will find no place for themselves except in hell.

64-65. The earth has been endowed with count…

The earth has been endowed with countless physical resources. This has enabled human beings to build their civilization in the world. Similarly, the atmosphere which envelopes the earth has such favourable arrangements, in which slightest of disturbance would make the whole system of human life go topsy-turvy. Then, the sublime constitution of man makes him the most superior creature in the world. So, who can be worthy of man’s devotion and worship except the Creator who has created it all?

This verse invokes a true subject of God to ‘call upon Him, giving Him sincere devotion’. It means that any form of obeisance and worship should be for the One and only God.

66-68. These verses point to the phenomena of…

These verses point to the phenomena of nature which exist so that man may reflect. In other words, these phenomena exist so that man may give them deep consideration and may uncover their hidden meaning.

The conversion of lifeless matter into living objects; the development of the human being in a gradual manner; man’s passing through the stages of youth to old age; death of man, sometimes in old age and sometimes at a young age are events that introduce us to the various attributes of the Creator. It is revealed by these events that the Being who brought this universe into existence is the All Powerful and Wise God. He is Supreme and Dominant.

If man learns a real lesson from these facts, he will spontaneously opine that it is the one and only God who deserves to be worshipped. This picture of the Universe implicitly contradicts all the false gods set up by man instead of the real God.

69-76. Who were the ones who were happy with…

Who were the ones who were happy with untruth and indulged in false pride? These were men who held great stature in their times. They attained some worldly elevation, which alongwith their material possessions made them arrogant and vain. Their success in worldly matters had developed in them a false impression that they were the ones who had attained success, though in actual fact they were the truly deprived people.

As the high ranking men of a society become the rejecters of the Truth, the common people also follow them and start denying the Truth. In these verses, a scene of the world Hereafter has been described, when these people will be cast into Hell to be punished for their arrogant behaviour. Their overweening pride would have ultimately dragged them to such low levels that they will find no way to uplift themselves from their position.

77. God has made a promise that He will help…

God has made a promise that He will help the preachers of Truth and defeat its opponents. But the fulfilment of this promise takes place after the adoption of the way of patience. The preacher has to put up with the harassment and provocative behaviour of the other party unilaterally, until, in accordance with God’s methods, the time for the fulfilment of His promise arrives. The real punishment of the opponents of the Truth is that which is awarded to them in the Hereafter. However, in the present world also, they are given a foretaste of what is to come, although this is not necessarily done in every case.

78. Events in the lives of the previous prophets…

Events in the lives of the previous prophets have been described in the Quran, not as historical records, but by way of admonition. So, these descriptions of prophets in the Quran are restricted to whatever is deemed necessary (by God) for the purpose of admonition.

The real mission of a prophet is only to convey the message of God to the people, with all due respect to the requirements of propriety. As far as miracles are concerned, it is entirely at God’s discretion whether they are demonstrated or not.

Miracles were shown mostly to communities who were destined by God to be destroyed on account of their arrogance. So, as a last measure, by way of fulfilling the conditions of fully conveying the divine message fortified by reasoned arguments, they were also shown miracles . But the case of the community of the last Prophet of God was different. A major part of this community was finally destined to be believers. They were the people who were potentially capable of becoming the first group in history who admitted the Truth simply on the strength of arguments and, in exercise of their free will, surrendered themselves to it.

79-82. Man needs many things for the upkeep…

Man needs many things for the upkeep of his existence and the development of human civilization, such as food, mounts, different types of industries, means of transportation etc. All these things exist in plenty in the present world. God has created the physical world in such a way that it is subservient and capable of being used by man for meeting his requirements.

All these things are, so to say, signs from God. Though this declaration is in indirect language, it is in man’s interest to understand it, because when God resorts to direct communication, it will mark the end of the period allowed for the performance of good or bad deeds and not the beginning.

83-85. Knowledge is of two kinds. One is that…

Knowledge is of two kinds. One is that which enables human beings to make worldly progress. The other is that which shows the path leading to success in the Hereafter. Those who possess worldly knowledge immediately receive the substantial benefits of this knowledge in the shape of worldly progress. Whereas the result of the knowledge of the Hereafter is not immediately visible in a tangible form. That is why the possessor of this knowledge comes to be degraded by worldly people.

This difference creates a superiority complex in those who are in possession of worldly knowledge. So, when prophets appeared among such people, they considered themselves superior and the prophets inferior. So much so, that they started ridiculing the prophets. But God caused them to be destroyed in spite of all their powers and superior development. Now their remains are to be found either in the form of ruins lying above or interred deep in the earth. In this way, God Almighty has set a historical example for human beings – that the secret of permanent success lies in the knowledge of the Hereafter and not in worldly knowledge.

The prophets were initially rejected by their communities. The prophets had all the force of argument on their side, but these communities were not prepared to accept their credo. Finally, God made them aware of the reality in the language of punishment. Only then did they bow down before the truth. But this was of no avail, because only that admission of truth is desirable and useful which is arrived at on the basis of arguments. Any such admission which is made after seeing the divine punishment is worthless.