S40. SURAH AL-MUMIN (THE BELIEVER)

NAME : In Ayah No.28 the tale of a believer is narrated, who had openly supported Prophet Moosa in the court of Firaun. This reference gives the Surah its name.
TIME OF REVELATION : It is a Meccan Surah. From its topics it appears that it might have been revealed immediately after the Surah Zumar.
CENTRAL THEME: In this Surah those persons have been criticized who have indulged in discussions against the oneness of Allah, and those who were opposing the Prophet.
ORDER OF THE VERSES : Verses Nos. 1 to 3 are the preliminary ayah in which recognition of the sender of this Book has been given.
Ayah Nos.4 to 6 intimate the adverse consequences of those who indulge in unnecessary discussions concerning the divine ayah.
In Verses Nos. 7 to 9 the glad tidings are given to the people of faith that for their salvation angels pray to Allah. There are warning and advice for the disbelievers and the polytheists in ayah Nos. 10 to 22.
In ayah Nos. 23 to 46 the un-argumentative response of Firaun in reply to the message of Prophet Moosa is narrated, and in this connection the message of faith which this brave believer had delivered in the open court of Firaun with exemplary courage has also been presented, and the end of Firaun’s followers has also been stated.
In Ayah Nos. 47 to 55 those people are warned who blindly follow big persons with power, and the people of faith have been encouraged not to take any notice of these people, but that they should go on doing their good work.
Ayah Nos. 56 to 85 present the argument in favour of monotheism in a nice way before those persons who indulge in unnecessary discussion and uncalled for quarrel in the matter of Allah’s religion, and the adverse belief and polytheism is also presented.

40. SURAH AL-MUMIN (THE BELIEVER). Ayat: 85

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. Ha. Meem.1

2. The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.2

3. The forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful.3 There is no god except Him. To Him is the final return.

None but those who disbelieve 4 dispute the revelations of Allah, so let not their going about in the land deceive you. 5

5. The people of Nooh 6 and the factions after them denied (their messengers) before these, and every nation wanted to seize their messenger,7 arguing falsey to refute the truth. Then I seized them, and how stern was My punishment !

6. Thus the word of your Lord, concerning those who disbelieved was fulfilled, that they are people of Fire.8

7. Those (angels) who bear the Arsh 9 (Throne) and all who are round about it, recite the praises of their10 Lord and believe in Him 11 and ask forgiveness for those who believe, (saying):’O Lord! You compass all things in mercy and knowledge. Forgive those who repent and follow your way. Ward off from them the punishment of Hell.12

1.”Ha” and “Meem” are two separate letters of the Arabic alphabet, which are called ‘Huroofe- Muqattia’t’. Which have been explained in Surah Baqarah Note No.1 and Surah Yunus Note No.1.
The hint of ‘Ha’ and ‘Meem’ is at Allah’s being, Hakim ‘(Wise), which is alluded to by the angels in their prayers, and which has been mentioned in the Surah’s ayah No.7.The first letter of Hakim is ‘Ha’ and the last letter is ‘Meem’ as if these letters are the signs of Allah’s recognition, and point to His attribute of ‘Hikmat’ (wisdom).
The six consecutive surahs after this surah also begin with the letters ‘Ha’ and’ Meem “ and in all these surahs is narrated His wisdom or His wise decisions.

2. When this Book has been revealed by a Being who is All-Knowing and when there is no limit to His knowledge, then whatever is stated in this Book must be essentially true and in accordance with realism, and it is a certain thing.

3.The purpose of mentioning these attributes to persuade the slaves to seek forgiveness of their sins from their Lord, who accepts repentance, and avoid indulging in acts of sins for which He gives stern punishment. And they should be hopeful of His favours and bounty, because He is Most Bountiful.

4. That is: those who have adopted a casual attitude instead of a reasonable one concerning Quran and are bent on denying its authenticity, they raise absurd objections against its ayah, and initiate undue discussions.
There is also no dearth of people who instead of trying to understand its teachings try to make it the target of their objections.

5. The Material resources available to the disbelievers and the successful efforts that they make to enjoy life should not mislead you to feel that they are Allah’s favorites, and that He will not punish them for their denial and sins.

6. For explanation please see Surah A’raf Note No.95.

7. That is: Allah’s help is always with His messenger, his enemy cannot harm him in any way, and they were unable to succeed in their conspiracies. Similarly in the case of this messenger also they will have to face defeat.

8. On account of their disbelief they will ultimate go to Hell.

9. Its nature and details are not known to us, and since this pertains to Unseen, we should believe in this without indulging into any kind of discussion.

10. The close angels are always engaged in singing praises of Allah. This should give an idea as to how important and grand is the worship of reciting Allah’s tasbih and singing His praises. The more arrangements are made for it the more our hearts will turn towards Allah, provided that it is not merely a recitation from lips but the hearts are also harmonious with that.

11. Although many realities are known to them, like Allah’s Arsh (Throne),etc., even then a number of realities concerning Allah’s person is and attributes must be still unknown. Therefore, it is also necessary for them to have faith in Allah, and this ayah clarifies that they have faith in Allah.

12. What a blissfully honourable and fortunate are these facts that the angels pray for the people of faith with for their salvation near the Divine Arsh !
It may be noted that the angels do not pray for those who are Muslims merely in name, who are absorbed in sins and evil deeds, but as is clearly stated in the ayah that the angels pray for those who have repented for their sins and followed the path of Allah’s religion, that is those who reformed themselves and followed the path of right guidance.
It needs also to be noted that here the mention is made of praying of the angels and not of their intercession, and this prayer is also for the group of faithful Muslims and not any particular individual The problem of intercession will arise on the Day of Judgment and it will be concerning individuals, and without Allah’s permission none will be able to open his mouth before Allah.

8. ‘Our Lord! Admit them to the Gardens of Eden (Everlasting) which you have promised them, with such of their fathers and their wives and their descendents as are righteous.13 Verily, You, only You, are the Mighty, the Wise.14

9. ‘Protect them from evils. And he whom You will protect from evils on that day will surely earn Your mercy,15 that is the supreme triumph!’

10. Those who disbelieve will be informed by proclamation : ‘Allah’s abhorrence of you is greater than your abhorrence of yourselves, when you were called to faith, but did refuse’.16

11. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Twice You have made us die, and twice You have given us life.17 We now confess our sins. Is there no way out of this?,

12. (It will be said to them:) ‘This is (your plight) because when Allah only was invoked, you disbelieved, but when some partner was ascribed to Him you were believing.18 Now the command (Judgment) rests with Allah, the Most High, the Supreme One.’

13. It is He 19 who shows you His signs and sends down for you sustenance from the sky. None takes heed except he who turns to Him.

14. So pray to Allah, making religion pure for Him (only),20 however much the disbelievers may dislike it.21

13. For explanation, please see Surah Ra’d, Note No.55.
The clarification that they should be righteous further shows that this prayer of the angels is for the righteous believers, which manifests their sincerity and love.

14. The mention of Allah’s attributes is for the expression of the fact that the final judgment is in His hands only, and none of His decisions are without wisdom.

15. That is: Have mercy on them so that on the Day of Judgment they may not have to face the adverse consequences, and they may be safe from the sufferings of that day.

16. The disbelievers will hate themselves after entering the Hell for they would realise what a horrible blunder they have committed which has resulted in their receiving this punishment. At that time they would be reminded that in the world when they were invited to accept faith they refused, and at that time Allah’s abhorrence of them was far greater than their hatred of themselves. When they committed a sin which has attracted Allah’s wrath and His abhorrence. then let them face its consequences and suffer for ever.

17. Twice death refers to the death of the first body which is in the mother’s womb at the time when there is no life in it. Since this body has no life in it. it is referred to as this body’s death; and the second death is when the life is taken away from the body in the world. By twice life is meant the life of this world and the secondly the life of the next world after the Day of Resurrection, when the dead will rise from the graves. Surah Baqarah’s ayah No. 28 explains the meaning of this ayah: “You were without life and He gave you life, He will again cause you to die and will bring you to life again. And then to Him will you return.” It may be noted that here the mention is made of only the physical life and physical death. As for the mention of the world of ‘Barzakh’(grave), then the life therein is concerned with the spirit, for the body is destroyed and disappears. Therefore, its nature is not like that of this life which is the result of combination of spirit and body, it is a particular type of spiritual life, in which the spirit is either subjected to punishment or it is let to remain in comfort. Therefore, in this ayah there is no argument for those who deny the punishment in the grave.

18. That is: You had no interest in the oneness of Allah. However you were very much interested in polytheism. This is the condition of the people of evil belief. If pure monotheism is presented before them, they will deny it, or they will pretend that they have not heard the message. But if a misguided person refers to their imagined partners of Allah, then they will at once express their respect and devotion.

19.In the above lines, the consequences of polytheism have been mentioned. Now invitation is being given to accept the message of monotheism.

20. That is: Become the slave of Allah only and invoke Him for removing your sufferings, and worship Him alone.

21. That is: In adopting pure monotheism the dislike of the disbelievers and polytheists should not prevent you. The deal is with Allah and we should fear Him alone.

15. Exalted 22 is the Lord of the Throne 23 (Arsh). He lets the Spirit (revelation) descend at His behest on those of His slaves whom He chooses,24 so that He may warn people of the day of the meeting;

16. The Day when they will come forth 25 (from the graves), nothing of them being hidden from Allah. Whose is the sovereignty this day ? It is Allah’s, the One, the Vanquisher.26

17. This day each soul will be paid back what it has earned. Now wrong will be done this day. Verily, Allah is swift at reckoning.27

18. Warn them of the approaching Day,28 when the hearts will be choking the throats, there will be no friends for the wrong-doers, nor any intercessors will be heard.29

19. He knows the misuse or the eyes 30 and that which the bosoms hide.31

20. Allah judges with truth, while those whom they invoke beside Him judge not at all.32 Verily, Allah is the Hearer and the Seer.33

21. Have they not traveled in the land and seen the end of those who Have gone before them? They were mightier than these in power and (in the) traces (left behind them) in the earth.34 Yet Allah seized them for their sins, and they had no protector from Allah.

22. His rank and His majesticity is most high, therefore, to consider Him on the lines of His creations or creatures is absolutely wrong and it is an unpardonable insult.

23. For explanation, please see Surah A’raf Note No.83.

24. For the explanation of Spirit (Revelation), please see Surah Nahl Note No.3.

25. That is: They will come out of their graves.

26. In the world those who were given the trust of power they considered themselves the real owner of power, and were claiming that the sovereignty and the kingdom were their own; but on the Day of Judgment when this voice was raised as to whose sovereignty was it that day, then these claimants of sovereignty and government will be dead silent, for there will be no power and government with them on that day. All will be present before Allah as helpless slaves. On that occasion the cry will be raised that sovereignty that day is Allah’s alone who is so mighty that all are helpless before Him.
On the Day of Judgment this reality will be clearly manifest that Allah is the real Ruler, but this reality can be seen by men with insight in this world also. That is why Islam demands that one and the only Allah should be accepted as the real Ruler of the world.

27. That is: Do not think that Allah will require some time to reckon the accounts of billions and trillions of the people. Allah is swift at reckoning the accounts. It is not correct to consider Allah on the lines of men. When He creates thousands of lives every day and takes lives of thousands of people daily, and gives sustenance and food to millions and billions of the people daily at the same time, then what is difficult for him to reckon the accounts of billions and trillions of the people. He can attend to limitless people at one and the same time and take their accounts separately at the same time.

28. The hour of the Doomsday is not far off. It will occur very soon.

29. This is the refutation of the false belief that so and so will intercede on their behalf, and their intercession will be certainly accepted. On the basis of this false belief people have become careless about the Hereafter.

30. The misappropriation or the misuse of the eyes is that man may willfully look at things which have been prohibited, for example to look surreptitiously at stranger women, or try to look at the private parts of others secretly, and to see obscene pictures, etc. If man is fearful of Allah, he will save his eyes from looking at things which are forbidden, because he knows that nothing is hidden from Allah, not even the surreptitious glancing of forbidden things.

31. That is: Condition of hearts, intentions, aspirations, desires, wishes, etc.

32. On the Day of Judgment which will be the day when all the judgments will be delivered there will be none besides Allah who will give judgment in the disputes among the people and about their deeds and misdeeds.
Christians believe that Christ will give judgment on the day of Judgment about the acts of the people (see Matthew 25:31 to 46). This is a false belief and this ayah of the Quran is sufficient to repudiate this false belief.

33. This is the argument in favour of this fact that when there is none except Allah who hears and sees everything, then there will be none capable of giving judgment except Allah.

34. That is: Signs or traces of the civilised progress. Points to the community of Thamud, Madyan, etc. whose signs of progress can be seen even today in the form of the ruins of their city.

22. That was because their messengers had come to them with clear signs and they denied them, so Allah seized them. Verily, He is Strong, Severe in punishment.35

23. And verily We sent Moosa with Our signs and clear authority. 36

24. To Firaun, Haman37 and Qaroon,38 but they said: “He is a lying magician.”

25. And when he brought them the truth from ourself, they said: “Put to death the sons of those who uphold faith with him and spare their girls.39 But futile was the plot of the disbelievers.40

26. Firaun said: “Leave me to kill Moosa, then let him invoke his Lord. 41 I fear that he will change your religion,42 and that he will cause mischief in the land.”43

27. And Moosa said: “Verily I have taken refuge in my Lord and your Lord from (the evil of) every proud man who denies the Day of Reckoning.44

28. And a believing man of Firaun’s family, who concealed his faith,45 said: “Would you kill a man because he says ‘My Lord is Allah’, and has brought you clear signs from your Lord ‘? If he is lying, his lie is upon him; and if he is truthful, a part at least of what he threatens will smite you.46 Verily Allah does not guide one who is a transgressor, a liar. 47

35. When this reality has come out in the open that Allah punishes the guilty nations in this world for their crimes, then how can it be correct to think that in the Hereafter there will be salvation for them ? And how can it be correct to presume that however serious crime a man may commit he will not be punished in the Hereafter?

36. For explanation, please see Surah Muminoon, Note No.44.

37. For details please see Surah Qasas Note No.11.

38. For details, please see Surah Qasas Note No.143.

39. Firaun had issued earlier also the command to kill the infant male children of Bani Israil in order to reduce the number of his Bani Israil subjects. The birth of Prophet Moosa had taken place in these circumstances. Again when Firaun felt that there was a danger for him in the message of Prophet Moosa, he issued that order again by which the sons of Bani Israil were to be killed, so that this minority might be suppressed and their number should also fall. This was a severe and prejudiced step taken by Firaun. (For further explanation, please see Surah A’raf. Note No.181).

40.This plot of Firaun also could not succeed. Bani Israil were made to suffer without doubt, but being people of faith and followers of the Prophet they gained Allah’s support, and the people of Firaun were the ones who met with destruction.

41. This is what Firaun told his courtiers. He expressed his desire to kill Prophet Moosa and also taunted that Moosa might invoke his Lord. Thus Firaun tried to ridicule Moosa and his Lord. It gives an idea how proud and vain he had become!

42. Changing religion means change of faith and belief. Firaun’s nation was the worshipper of the stars. They had made stars their gods and goddesses, instead of Allah, and they also used to worship Firaun, who used to claim that he was the reincarnation of the sun god. The message of Prophet Moosa was to believe in monotheism, prophethood, and the Hereafter, and to worship only Allah and to give oneself entirely to the obedience of Allah. This was Allah’s religion, which he was presenting. But how could Firaun tolerate that his community may accept the religion presented by Moosa - Islam -, therefore, he provoked his community against Prophet Moosa.
General commentators have also taken the meaning of changing the religion as changing the belief and faith, and not changing the political system, and the author of Kashshaf has put up this argument from the Quran itself: “They worshipped Firaun and his idols, and the argument in its support is the statement from Allah: and to renounce you and your gods.” -(Surah A’raf -127) (Kashshaf Vol. 3, page 433).
Therefore, the interpretation of the author of the Tafheemul Quran that here by ‘religion’ is meant the system of the government -(Tafheemul Quran Vol.4 page 405), is far fetched. (For further explanation, please see Surah A’raf Note No.180).

43. The message of Prophet Moosa was the message of reform. But Firaun accused him of this false charge that he wants to start disturbances in the land. He thought that the message of Prophet Moosa would create dissent in his community. If one group of men accepts his religion, and another group remains on its own religion, then in the hearts of both the groups sectarian feelings would be created, which would result in disturbances and disorder.
Today also the tendency of the modern godless governments are to think on these lines only. They are not prepared to tolerate any rising Islamic power. They suspect sectarianism in this, and consider it a danger to public order and peace. Even if this danger may be real, the responsibility of this will be on those who are ever ready to oppose the Islamic mission with evil schemes. If this logic of these governments is considered to be right, then there will be no chance of reform in the world. Then what should be done. Should the people be left to go to Hell, and should no efforts be made to save them?

44. Prophet Moosa sought Allah’s refuge to protect him from the evil of the mischief makers, and he surrendered himself to Allah. This is the high example of trust in God.

45. There happened to be a man in the family of Firaun who had believed in Prophet Moosa’s faith, having been influenced by his message. He had been concealing his faith. But when people talked of killing Prophet Moosa, his regard for his prophet and faith stirred and he openly sided with Prophet Moosa in the court of Firaun. He also manifestly presented the message of truth. He adopted such a method in presenting his point which should impress Firaun and his courtiers about its reasonableness .
It may be noted that Islam does not permit that one’s faith be concealed. The very first pillar of Islam is to recite the kalima of witness, i.e. to give witness about the unity of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad, S.A.W. This demands that the acceptance of faith should be expressed and manifested, and the person concerned should be one of the members of the Muslim society. However, if there is danger to life, then it is permitted that a person may hide his faith temporarily.

46. The purpose of what this Muslim said was to prevent Firaun from killing Prophet Moosa. In this connection he said a thing which could be easily understood by them, and it was that Prophet Moosa’s being false in his claim of prophethood has not been proved, so he could not be punished. To kill a person on the basis of mere doubt is a very big and severe step and is improper. If it is presumed that he is lying, then the responsibility of the lie will be on his head, but if he is truthful, then consider what will be the result of their hasty step of killing him. They will be inviting the wrath of Allah and a part of that wrath will overtake them in the form of a very severe punishment, in this very life, about which Prophet Moosa has been warning them.

47. This is a hint at the deniers of Prophet Moosa, that those who dare to cross the natural and moral limits, and persist in their doubts in spite of the Divine Messenger’s manifesting open signs from Allah, such people remain deprived of the blessing and right guidance from Allah. MMMMMM S. 40 Dawatul Quran
“A Day when you will turn to flee, with none to protect you from Allah; and he whom Allah leaves in error, for him there is no guide.(AL-Quran)

29. O my people! Yours is the kingdom today, you being the masters in the land. But who would save us from the wrath of Allah should it reach us?48’Firaun said: “I do not show you except what I see, nor do I guide you except to the right path.”49

30. And he who believed 50 said: “O my people! Verily, I fear for you a fate like that of the factions (of old);

31. “A plight like that of Nooh’s people, and A’d and Thamud, and those after them,51 and Allah does not intend to wrong His slaves.

32. “And, O my people! Verily, I fear for a Day of Summoning.52

33. “A Day when you will turn to flee, with none to protect you from Allah;53 and he whom Allah leaves in error, for him there is no guide.

34. ”Before this Yusuf had come to you with clear signs, but you never ceased to doubt them; until when he died you said: Allah will not send any messenger after him.’54 Thus Allah leaves in error who are transgressors, in-doubt.”

35. Those who dispute Allah’s revelations without any authority that has reached them,55 (their conduct) is greatly abhorred 56 by Allah and those who believe. Thus Allah seals up the heart of every arrogant tyrunt.57

36. And Firaun said: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the paths,

48. That is: Do not be proud of power and kingdom. The punishment from Allah can overtake You, before which you will be totally helpless.

49. Firaun intervened and said that his opinion that Moosa be killed is a well thought out opinion and that they should have confidence in him that he was leading them rightly. Firaun intervened because he was afraid that the speech of that Muslim might influence his courtiers in favour of Prophet Moosa.

50. After the intervention of Firaun, the believing man continued his speech and talked further.

51. From this it becomes clear that the Divine punishment which be fell the communities of Nooh, A’d, Thamud, and also the punishment that overtook the communities of Prophet Loot and Shuaib were known to the people of that time as historical events.

52. The Day of Summoning or the Day of Cry means the Day of Resurrection, when on a single shout all the dead will rise from their graves. It is stated in Surah Qaf: “ “And listen, the day when the crier will cry from a near place, the Day when the people will hear the dreadful sound with truth, that day will be the day of emerging (from the graves).” -(Surah Qaf: 41 -42). “Yaum-at-Tanad” means the day when all people will be called to rise and present themselves before Allah for accounting for their acts.

53. Seeing the horrifying scene of the Doomsday the guilty will try to run helter skelter, but they will be caught by the angels and there will be none to save them from the punishment of Allah.

54. In the character and teachings of Prophet Yusuf as the interpretations of dreams by him, there were clear signs of his being a messenger from Allah, but the Pharaohs and their people were in doubt about that, till he departed from this world and they did not realise that they did not appreciate him; and when they did not appreciate him they thought that Allah would not send another messenger for them; but Allah sent Prophet Moosa to give them a chance to reform, therefore, they should appreciate him, but they are thinking of killing him!

55. That is: A proof which might have reached them through any divine revelation, meaning thereby either the teaching of a Prophet or the writing in a divine Book. There is no such argument with them which they can present to rebut revelation or the ayah of the Quran. They are starting discussions on the basis of mere guesses and conjecture.

56. Those who start such discussions and dispute are not only abhorred by Allah but people of faith also hate them. This is the praise-worthy attribute of the people of faith. But there is no dearth of Muslims in the present times who themselves take objection to some teachings of the Quran and start baseless discussions.

57. ‘Mutakabbir’ means he who thinks himself to be greater than Allah, and ‘Jabbar’ means he who forces others to follow his dictates and tyrannizes them. Such people generally lose the natural capacity of accepting the truth, however clear and unambiguous it may appear before them. This happens according to the rule laid down by Allah concerning straying, and this has been termed as sealing the hearts.

37. “The paths of the heavens, and may look upon the God of Moosa,58 though verily I think him a liar.” And thus the foul deed of Firaun was made to seem fair to him, and he was debarred from the (right) path.59 And the plot of Firaun ended but in ruin.60

38. And he who believed said: “O my people! 61 Follow me, I am showing you the path of right guidance.

39. “O my people! verily, this life of the world is but a passing comfort, and verily, the Hereafter, that is the enduring home.

40. “Whosoever does an evil deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, and whosoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and a believer, such people will enter the Paradise, where they will be given nourishment without measure.”

41. “And O my people! how is it that I invite you to salvation and you invite me to the Fire?62

42. “You invite me to deny Allah and set up with Him partners, of whom I have no knowledge (of their being partners)63 while I invite you to the Mighty, the Forgiver.64

43. “Indeed he whom you call me to invoke is not worthy either in this world nor in the Hereafter,65 and our return will be to Allah and the transgressor 66 will be the people of the Fire.

58. Thus Firaun ridiculed Prophet Moosa’s message, and insulted his Lord, by which his pride and arrogance were manifested clearly.
It is not correct to think that Firaun had actually ordered Haman to construct a highrise building or tower from where he could have a glimpse of Prophet Moosa’s God. When there were very high mountains, where was the necessity of building any high rise edifices ? Every word of Firaun’s speech smacks or sarcasm and taunt.

59. That is: His evil deed became fair to him on account of his wrong interpretation, Man’s nature does not get ready to act in an evil manner unless man provides the ground for it by false arguments, and then the evil act becomes fair in his eyes.
And then he is deceived by Satan. Then Satan builds such ideological obstructions that it is not possible for him to come to the right path.

60. ‘That is: Those were the shenanigans and tricks of Firaun which he was using against Prophet Moosa, but nothing worked for him and in the end they became the active causes of his destruction.

61. The believing man did not rest merely with expressing the truth in the court of Firaun, but he also came out before the people of his community and presented the message of truth to them.

62. How simple and appealing to heart was the message of this believing man. In his soulful voice he presented the message of the Hereafter before his community and told them that every person should first try to make provision for his own salvation in the next world.

63. That is: When there is none in my knowledge as a partner of Allah, do you want me to accept it without any proof? From this statement of the man who was a believer, it appears that the nation of Firaun was polytheistic and used to worship false gods and goddesses.

64. That is: I call upon you to accept that God who is the Greatest Being and who has everyone under His control; and He is also so kind to His slaves that if they give up their evil acts, He will forgive them and accept their repentance.

65. That is: It is futile to invoke the imagined partners of Allah for relieving you of your distress, for they neither hear your invocation nor can they relieve you of your troubles. Nor will they be able to recommend you for salvation in the Hereafter.

66. This has been explained in Note No.47

44. “So you will remember what I say to you.67 I entrust my affair to Allah. 68 Verily Allah is Seer of His slaves.”

45. So Allah saved 69 him from the evils which they plotted and a dreadful punishment encompassed Firaun’s people.70

46. The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening; and on the Doomsday (it will be said): “Let the people of Firaun be subjected to stern punishment.”71

47. And when they will be wrangling in the Hell, the weak ones will say to the proud: We have been your followers, will you now ward off from us a part of our punishment?”

48. Those who were proud, will say: ‘All of us are now in Hell. Surely, Allah has already given His judgment about His slaves.’72

49. And those in the Fire will say to the guards of Hell: ‘Pray to your Lord to relieve our punishment for one day.

50. They will say: “Did not your messengers come to you with clear arguments?” They will say: “Yes.” They will say: “Then you pray.”73 But vain shall be the prayers of the disbelievers.74

51. Verily We help 75 Our messengers, and those who believe, in the life of the world, and will help them on the Day the witnesses will rise (to testily).76

67. That is: On the Day of Resurrection you will feel sorry as to why you did not listen to the gentleman who was inviting you to believe in Allah and to save yourselves from the punishment in the Hereafter. Whoever would not heed the advice of the missionaries of truth will remember on the Day of Judgment that such and such a person was inviting them to accept the message of truth but they did not listen to his advice.

68. If Firaun wants to punish me for my truthfulness or if the community wants to subject me hardships, I do not care, I have put my trust in Allah. He will help me reach my destiny: success.

69. These tyrants could not do any harm to him. He had surrendered himself to Allah, who kept him safe from the evils of these wrongdoers.
Generally in presenting message of truth dangers seem to beset the path of the missionary, but if he is not afraid of these dangers and presents the message of truth putting his trust in Allah, then the dangers appear to be false, and only those troubles confront him which were decreed by Allah.

70. That is: When the time of the appearance of the result came, Firaun and his people were encompassed by the Divine punishment and the people of faith were completely saved from it.

71. In this ayah two punishments have been mentioned for the people of Firaun: one is that which they receive morning and evening and the second which they will receive in the Hereafter. The first punishment is being given to their spirits in the world of Barzakh, and that is the punishment of fire. As for the second punishment, it is the punishment in the second world when they will be revived and they will be tasting it with their bodies and spirits. This punishment will be much more severe than that of the world of Barzakh.
By morning and evening are meant the morning and evening of the world of Barzakh, and idiomatically morning and evening are used to connote permanently. For example in Surah Maryam in the ayah No.62, it is stated that the people of Paradise will get, their food morning and evening. The words ‘Aal-e-Firaun’ include Firaun, his wrongdoing family, which were ruling Egypt, his army and his followers. From this verse and other ayah of the Quran it is clearly proved that in the world of Barzakh the spirits of disbelievers receive punishment, as can be seen in the Surah Anfal: “And if you could only see when the angels take the souls of disbelievers, smiting their faces and their backs, and (saying): “Taste the punishment of burning!”’ -(Surah Al-Anfal -50).
We do not see any signs of punishment on the bodies of the dead. It is this state which has been termed as the punishment of the grave in the hadith. But indulging in the wordy discussion people deny the punishment of the grave and say that it is not proved by Quran, although the punishment in the world of Barzakh is proved from Quran. And in the hadith it has been termed as the punishment of the grave because by looking at the grave man’s mind at once can turn to the world of Barzakh, and psychologically grave is a place which inspires serious thinking.
The punishment of the grave does not mean that the body which has been interred into the grave is subjected to punishment because the physical body decays and mixes with the dust, and those who are drowned in the rivers or the sea, their bodies are eaten by the fishes, and they have no graves.The army of Firaun was also drowned in the ocean and the graves of them have also not taken place. But Quran says that they receive punishment morning and evening. Similarly the dead whose graves are not made and they are cremated, will they escape the punishment of the grave ? The answer to all these questions is that the punishment is inflicted on the souls and not on the dead bodies, and this happens in the world of Barzakh, whether a person’s grave is made
A hadith says: “Ibn Umar narrates that the Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, stated: ‘When a man dies, he is shown his final destination morning and evening; if he is of the Paradise, he is shown a glimpse of the paradise, and if he is of the Hell he is shown a glimpse of the Hell; and then he is told that his final destination in the Hereafter is that.” -(Muslim. Kitabut Taubah, Bukhari Kitabuz zuhd). And in various traditions this prayer of the Prophet has been narrated: “I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the grave.” -(Bukhari Kitabud Dawat).
Allama Ibn Katheer, explaining the said ayat, states: “Their souls are exposed to fire morning and evening, and this act continues till the Day of Resurrection. Then when the Day of Judgment will occur, their souls will enter the Hellfire with their bodies. That is why it is said: “such punishment as will be more severe in being painful and greater in penalty. And this ayah is a great basis for the argument which the Sunnis present in support of their claim of there being punishment in the grave.” - (Tafseer Ibn Katheer Vol.4 p.8l ).
It is not correct to think that the statement of the ayah that the people of Firaun will be shown the Fire does not necessarily mean that it is not punishment. If that be true then what is the sense in subjecting them to this act morning and evening? Supposing that they are presented merely before the fire and are not made to burn in the fire, even then they will be suffering from this torture and that will also be a form of punishment, although according to the meaning of the Arabic idiom presenting before the fire means burning in the fire. Accordingly the author of Kashshaf has given the same meaning for it: “Exposure to fire or presenting before the fire means burning in fire. It is said that Imam had exposed the prisoners to the sword (or presented them before the sword), when he had subjected them to death (by being beheaded)” ( Tafseer Kashshaf Vol.3Page 430).
As for the question: Why the punishment before the reckoning, it has been answered in Surah Zumar note No.60. On this occasion that note should also be kept in view.

72. By the proud is meant those religious chiefs and leaders who were astray themselves and were also misleading others in the matter of beliefs, and acts. And by the weak people are meant those persons who were under their influence and were their followers. These people will quarrel with their leaders and religious chiefs in the Hell and would say that they were put in the Hell for following them, and that they should at least remove a part of their punishment to give them some relief. The proud people will reply that they themselves were receiving punishment, how could they reduce their punishment, and Allah has already given His judgment and subjected them to internal punishment. Thus they will express their helplessness. Quran is placing before the world this helplessness in this life itself, so that everyone should realise his own responsibility and may not go after the stray and misguided religious leaders.

73. In the Hell the disbelievers will receive punishment continuously without break. There will not be a single moment when they will be able to take a breath of satisfaction. Therefore, they will request the angels, who will be working as guards of the Hell, to pray to Allah to reduce their punishment at least by one day. But they will receive a hopeless answer. They will give the excuse that the Divine messengers had ingly conveyed to them the message of Allah, but they still persisted to disbelieve, and no recommendation can be made in support of the disbelievers, therefore, they should themselves pray to God.

74. That is: Whatever prayer these disbelievers may make to Allah, it will not be answered.

75. Allah always helps His messengers and the people of faith in opposition to the disbelievers. A clear example of this is the escape of Prophets Moosa and Haroon and Bani Israil from Firaun and safely crossing the sea, when Firaun and his army were drowned in it. Allah’s help had been appearing in varied forms for the Divine messengers and the people of faith. Prophets Nooh, Hood and Saleh and other prophets (peace be upon all of them)and many people of faith were saved from the Divine punishment, which descended upon their communities on account of their disbelief, and which destroyed them. After that power was attained by the people of faith. Similarly Allah’s help had appeared in the form of sword also. Accordingly Prophet Dawood defeated Jaloot (Goliath) and gained victory over his disbelieving community. Prophet Sulaiman was victorious against quite a number of disbelieving nations, and he was the ruler of a kingdom, which had no parallel in the world. In this ayah the glad tidings of the Divine help which is hidden, became evident after a few years in the Battle of Badr, and a further proof of it was supplied in the victory of Makkah, till finally the whole of Arabia was brought under the Muslim rule. There should be no misunderstanding in the case of Prophet Eesa (Jesus). It was Allah’s help only which helped him to come out safely from the grip of the enemy and his being lifted to the heaven. All the schemes of the enemies were unsuccessful. Although his followers had a long history of trials and tribulations, his message continued to spread. The power of his enemy, Jews, was broken by Allah through the agency of Romans and ultimately power was gained by the followers of Prophet Eesa.

76. That is: When the Day of Resurrection will occur, Allah will hold His court and the messengers of Allah will stand up to give witness, at that time Allah’s help, at its best, will be for the support of the messengers and the people of faith; and their stand will be declared right and they will come out successful in that court.

52. The day when no excuse will help the evildoers;77 and theirs is the curse, and theirs the ill abode.

53. And verily We gave Moosa the guidance, and We caused the Bani Israil to inherit the Book! 78

54. A guidance and a reminder for men of understanding

55. So have patience, Allah’s promise is true. And ask forgiveness for your fault,79 and recite His praise (tasbih) morning and evening.

56. Verily, those who dispute concerning the revelations of Allah without any authority having come to them, there is nothing in their breasts except pride (of their own greatness), which they will never attain.80 So take refuge in Allah.81 Verily, He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.

57. Surely the creation of the heaven and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most men do not know.82

58. The blind and the seeing are not alike,83 nor are those that believe and do good acts and the evildoer. Little do you think !

59. Verily, the Hour of Doomsday is sure to come, yet most men do not believe.

60. And your Lord has said: “Pray to Me and I will hear your prayer. Verily those who scorn worship,84 they will enter Hell, disgraced.

77. By wrong doers is meant disbelieves who had deviated from truth and justice and were doing wrong to their own selves. No excuse from them will be entertained, as Allah’s message was convincingly conveyed to them.

78. That is: Made them inheritors of the Torah.

79. The Divine messenger is also a slave of Allah. And it is appropriate to his position that he should consider himself negligent and seek pardon of his Lord, irrespective of the fact whether his negligence or defects are known to him or not. It increases a sense of obedience to the Lord and the slave becomes more deserving of His mercy. Therefore, the prophet, S.A.W. was directed to seek Allah’s forgiveness for negligence and through him these instructions are given to the people of faith.
A prophet does not commit a sin knowingly. He presents the best model of good conduct for the people by his own virtuous acts. Trustworthiness, truth, God’s fear and purity of character are the essential characteristics of prophethood, which in Islamic terminology is called the ‘Ismat-e-Anbiya’(innocence of prophet). But sometimes in performing their prophetic duties slight errors are committed by them, which are at once pointed out by the divine revelations, and they are instantly warned. A few such errors or acts of forgetfulness were committed by the Prophet, S.A.W., for which the Quran has unambiguously informed him. Besides these if any other errors were committed by him, then it is not known to us and this is a matter between him and his Lord, and there is no need to indulge into any discussion about them, as it will be fruitless.
Some commentators have interpreted the directive for seeking forgiveness for sins as a command meant only for the ummah, given through the Prophet. But this interpretation is not correct because in the Surah Muhammad the Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, has been directed to seek forgiveness for his own and believers’ sins: “And seek forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of men and women of faith.” - (Muhammad: 19)

80. When a command of his Lord comes to him, man, being a slave, should unhesitatingly obey the command, but those who are proud indulge in unnecessary discussions, but they cannot attain that greatness for which they feel so proud. Very soon they experience disgrace.

81. That is: You should seek refuge from the evil of such people in Allah.

82.That is: He who has created the heavens and the earth, for such a Being creating man is not a difficult task, creation of the sky and the earth is far more difficult. But many people do not know this evident thing.
In modern times, Science has made wonderful discoveries about the universe. In view of these discoveries, it is difficult to estimate the vastness of the universe, because in the milky way we see innumerable stars, and there are quite a number of such milky ways located at a distance of limitless light years from our universe. So for the Being who has created such a vast universe and fixed it in a firm system, nothing is difficult. He can revive the dead persons, and He can re-create the universe.

83. Blind is he who cannot see the reality, and the seer is he who sees the reality. How can the condition of the two be alike and same?

84. ‘Dua’ (prayer) means to invoke, to call, to pray and to request. Here all these meanings are meant. Allah alone should be invoked, and prayer should also be made to Him, because only He can answer the prayer or the call and meet our needs.
This ayah further clarifies that this invocation and prayer is worship, therefore, these acts should be reserved for Allah only. And if any other person is invoked or called in this way or prayed to in this manner, then it would amount to his worship of that person, and would be a deviation from the worship of Allah. In the hadith it is stated that the Prophet, S.A.W., has on the basis of this ayah termed ‘Dua’(prayer, invocation) as worship: “Dua (Invocation): it is worship.” (Tirmizi .Kitabut Tafseer).
Therefore, our lips should utter words like ‘O Allah’, ‘O Lord’, ‘O Rahman’ or ‘O Rahim’. There is no dearth of Muslims in the present times who are found uttering ‘O Ali’, ‘O Ghauth’ 310 (Abdul Qadir Jilani), ‘O Khwaja’. They indulge in polytheism. For further explanation, see Surah Baqarah Note Nos. 247, 248. m m m m m m S. 40 Dawatul Quran
It is He who created you from dust, then from a life germ, and then a clot of blood, then brings you forth as a child, then (lets you) reach manhood, and then grow into old age, though some of you die before so that you may reach an appointed term, and so that you may understand. (AL-Quran) Dawatul Quran S. 40

61. It is Allah who made for you the night to rest in and the day full of light.85 Allah is bountiful to men, but most men do not give thanks.

62. Such is Allah, your Lord,86 Creator of all things. There is no god but Him. How then can you turn away from Him?87

63. Thus are they made to turn away who deny the revelations of Allah.88

64. It is Allah who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place 89 and the sky for a canopy.90 He has shaped you and has given you comely shapes,91 and has provided you with good things.92 Such is Allah, your Lord. Then blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

65. He is the Living One.93 There is no god but Him, So pray to Him, making religion pure for Him (alone). Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!

66. Say: “I am forbidden to worship those whom you invoke besides Allah, since there have come to me clear proofs from my Lord, and I am commanded to surrender to the Lord of the Worlds.”94

67. It is He who created you from dust,95 then from a life germ,96 and then a clot of blood,97 then brings you forth as a child, 98 then (lets you) reach manhood, and then grow into old age,99 though some of you die before 100 so that you may reach an appointed term,101 and so that you may understand.102

68. It is He who gives life and death. When He decides a thing, He merely says: “Be” and it is.

85. So that in the light of the day efforts to earn the livelihood may be made.

86. He, who has made this arrangement for your nourishment, is your Master.

87. That is: He who is the Master and the Creator, He alone is worthy of worship, but you are influenced by satan and deny such an obvious reality.

88. Means the past disbelieving communities and nations.

89. That is: He made the earth such that it could not be destabilized or disturbed, so that you could walk on it conveniently and live comfortably.

90. In connection with the heavens, please see Surah Inshiqaq Note No.1.

91. Man was given the best shape and form compared to other living creatures.

92. What filthy things are available for the animals to eat, and some animals live in filth only, but man gets such clean, pure and good things to eat. What a big favour of Allah is for mankind!

93. That is: He it is who is ever living and will ever live. As for His creatures, they will live as long as He has willed.

94. To surrender to Allah means to determine to live in total obedience to Allah and to strive for His pleasure only. A person who takes such a decision after due consideration, he worships Allah and only Allah, for when Allah has forbidden him to worship any other being, then how can he indulge in such a dangerous and evil work ? Obedience to Allah and worship of any other being than Allah cannot go together.

95. For explanation please see Surah Hajj Note No.7.

96. For explanation please see Surah Hajj Note No.8.

97. For explanation please see Surah Hajj Note No.9.

98. For explanation please see Surah Hajj Note No.13.

99. For explanation please see Surah Hajj Notes Nos. 14 and 16.

100. That is: Some one before youth and some one before the old age.

101. That is: The limit of age which is fixed for him, he should reach up to that limit. In other words a man dies only when he completes the time allotted to him for living, by Allah.

102. You are made to pass through these stages of creation and thereafter of the childhood, youth and old age, so that you may reflect and ponder and with the help of your intelligence may recognize your Lord.

69. Did you not see those who dispute 103 concerning the revelations of Allah, how they are turning away?104

70. Those who denied the Book and the message with which We sent Our messengers 105 Soon they will know.106

71. When 107 shackles (yoke) will be round their necks, and also chains (with which) they will be dragged.

72. Through boiling water; and then they will be thrown into the Fire.

73. They will then be asked: “Where are those whom you set up as gods.

74. “Besides Allah?” They will reply: “They have failed us. We used not to pray to any thing before.108 Thus Allah will let the disbelievers go astray.109

75. This is because you exulted in the earth without right,110 and because you led wanton life.

76. Enter the gates of Hell and stay therein for ever. Evil is the home of the arrogant!

77. So Have patience, (O Prophet !). Allah’s promise is true; 111 whether We let you witness a part of that (punishment) with which We promise them or cause you to die before it is fulfilled, to Us they will all return.112

78. (O Prophet ! ) We had sent other messengers before you; of some We have already narrated the chronicle to you, of others We have told you nothing.113 It was not for any messenger to bring a sing (miracle)except by Allah’s leave.114 When Allah’s commandment 115 comes, the judgment will be delivered; and the followers of venity will be lost.

103. They raise undue objections and initiate unnecessary discussions concerning Allah’s revelations.

104. That is: They are completely under the magic spell of Satan. He has turned them away from the right path and is making them go astray.

105. Those teachings which the Divine messengers had brought with them.

106. That is: That time is not far off when they will realise that what they had denied was the very truth.

107. Means the Doomsday.

108. That is: Those whose names we were reciting and whom we were invoking for relieving us of our troubles had no godly existence. Then they will become nonplussed and will deny that they were not invoking these false gods. Thus they will express total unconcern with their gods.

109. That is: Will let them go astray having been perplexed.

110. Such a severe punishment is being given to you because when such good things of life were available to you in the world by the grace of God, instead of giving Him thanks you exulted and felt proud, and opposed truth, although you should have bowed down before Him.

111. That is: Allah’s promise that the nation which will deny the Divine messenger will ultimately be destroyed.

112. For explanation please see Surah Yunus Note No.75.
It may be noted that a large number of members of the Prophet’s nation gradually accepted his faith, and for this reason no punishment of this kind descended on it, as was done in the case of the past nations, but the disbelievers in Arabia were made to bite the dust at the sword wielding hands of the Muslims.

113. In the Quran the names of the Prophets which have been mentioned clearly are: Adam, Nooh, Hood, Saleh, Idris, Ibrahim, Loot, Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqoob, Yusuf, Ayoob, Shuaib, Moosa, Haroon, Yunus, Dawood, Sulaiman, Ilyas, Alyasa, Dhul-Kifl, Zakaria, Yahya, Eesa, Muhammad (Peace be upon them all). Of these prophets, many of them are Rasool (messengers). Compared to a prophet, a Rasool has a speciality. He is sent to a nation or community with a message, while a prophet receives revelations but is assigned some specific work, for example Prophet Adam was a prophet, whose task was to guide his own children, for at that time no nation was brought into existence to whom he could be sent as a messenger. Similarly Khidhr, whose name is not given in the Quran, but hadith mentions it had the specific prophetic task of lifting the veil from certain mysteries in the world for another prophet. It may be borne in mind that every messenger is a prophet, but every prophet is not a messenger as is understood in the Islamic terminology.
Mostly Quran has mentioned the names of those prophets who had their own histories, and for conveying the message convincingly narration of their cases only would have been useful. But Quran clarifies that besides them also other prophets were sent, who came in different countries in different times. It is necessary to have faith in all these prophets. As for their number, no specific number has been mentioned in the Quran nor in any authentic hadith. In those traditions in which the number of the prophets has been mentioned, they have not satisfied the searching investigation for authenticity. The well known hadith in this connection is reported to have been narrated by Abu Zar (R), which Ibn Mardaviyah has reported in his Tafseer, that the Prophet, S.A.W., has stated that there were in all one lakh twenty-four thousand prophets, out of which three hundred and thirteen were messengers (Rasool). But one of the narrators of this hadith is Ibrahim bin Hasham, about whom well known critics have expressed their doubts, and Ibn Jozi has listed it among the invented traditions. (See Tafseer Ibn Katheer Vol.1. page 586).

114. Here ayah (sign) means miracle, and to work a miracle or perform a miracle is not within the power of a prophet. When Allah’s wisdom demands, He causes some miracle to be performed by a prophet.

115. Here commandment means the final decree or judgment. Dawatul Quran 315 S. 40

79. It is Allah who has provided you with cattle, that you may ride on some and eat of the flesh of others,

80. And there are (many) benefits 116 for you from them, and (they have been created) so that you may satisfy through them a desire in your heart.117 And upon the boats you are borne.118

81. And He is showing you His signs. So which of His signs will you deny ?119

82. Have they not travelled in the land and seen what were the consequences for those who have gone before them?120 They were more ! numerous than these and greaterin power, and in monuments lefts behind; yet all that they earned was of no use to them.

83. When their messengers brought them clear signs they exulted in the knowledge they possessed.121 And that punishment at which they mocked encompassed them.

84. Then when they saw Our punishment, they said: “We believe in Allah, His oneness and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him.”122

85. But the faith that they professed when they saw our punishment,123 then that could not be or use to them. This is Allah’s tradition which was in force for His slaves. And then the disbelievers were lost (destroyed).

116. For example from these cattle you get milk, butter, and their skin, wool and bones are used for other purposes.

117. That is: So that you may use them for carrying your burdens, and this is such an important need that you can yourself feel its importance. And it is a fact that before the machines came into use the cattle were used for carrying burdens and transportation. The work of tilling the fields and irrigation are also taken from the cattle.

118. That is: You are being borne by the cattle as well as by the boats.

119. That is: Are not these cattle, that are so useful to you, and these boats which carry you on the watery surface, signs of the fact that they are the provision for your nourishment and growth made by Allah. Seeing these clear signs of His being the Lord, how can you deny His being the real Lord of the worlds and the one and only Master?

120. Hints at those destroyed nations whose history and ruins can be seen and moral lessons derived from them.

121. That is: The defective knowledge of religion that they had, and the smattering of information about the worldly subjects and technology that they possessed, went to their head and they became vain. They did not appreciate the real knowledge which was gained from the revelation from God and the instruction about which was being given by the messenger of the time.
The present times are known to be the times of science and technology, and today’s man considers the modern knowledge and technology as the answer to all his problems, and is proud on account of them, even this worldly knowledge does not throw light on those realities which are revealed by the prophetic knowledge. The knowledge which is considered as a symbol of progress cannot reach beyond the boundaries of this world. This knowledge does not tell us what is the purpose of this life, nor does it inform us as to what happens to man after he is dead. Nor does it satisfy the spiritual needs of man. If this sense is awakened in man, he will proceed to seek that knowledge which solves all these problems and he will become an appreciator and respecter of the Quran, which is the treasure of knowledge and information.

122. When Allah’s punishment came, they forgot their idols, gods and goddesses. At that time they admitted Allah to be the only Being worthy of worship and the Lord, and rejected His associated partners invented by them.

123. After seeing the punishment the respite to act is terminated and the time for test is over. At that time accepting faith is useless. Only that faith or belief is genuine which is held before seeing the punishment or before the death.