Ghafir 40:25
The Forgiver · Juz 24 · Page 469
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ مِنۡ عِندِنَا قَالُواْ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَبۡنَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ وَٱسۡتَحۡيُواْ نِسَآءَهُمۡۚ وَمَا كَيۡدُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ ٢٥
And when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, "Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and keep their women alive." But the plan of the disbelievers is not except in error.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 40:24–27
Commentary
Frequent references were made earlier in the text to the warnings given to deniers of pure monotheism and prophethood which brought more opposition and hostility from disbelievers. Naturally, this situation made the Holy Prophet ﷺ sad. It was to comfort him that, in nearly two sections cited above, mentioned there is the story of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and Pharaoh. In this story, there is a lengthy dialogue between the Pharaoh, his people and a righteous elder who, despite being a scion of the House of the Pharaoh, had believed in the faith of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) after having seen the miracles shown at his hands - but, had kept his faith secret until that time. Once this dialogue took place, his faith stood declared automatically and conclusively.
Out of early Tafsir authorities, Muqatil, Suddiyy and Hasan have said that he was a cousin of the Pharaoh and was the same person who, at the time they were talking in the court of Pharaoh about killing Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) in retaliation against the killing of the Copt, had come running from the far side of the city and apprised Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) of the danger and advised him to go out of Egypt. This event has been mentioned in Surah Al-Qasas: وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ (And there came a man running, from the farthest part of the city. - A1-Qasas, 28:20)
The name of this believing member of the House of the Pharaoh has been given as Habib in some sources. But, the truth of the matter is that Habib is the name of the person who has been mentioned in Surah Sin (36:20). The name of this person is شَمعان (Shama'n). Suhaili considers this name as most correct. Others say that his name is Hizgil. Tha'labi has reported the same name from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ .
In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'Of some صِّدِّيقِين (siddiqin: the truthful ones), there is Habib najjar (carpenter) whose incident appears in Surah Ya Sin; the other is the believer from the House of Pharaoh; the third, Abu Bakr (Sayyidna Abu Bakr as۔ ؓ ), and he is the foremost among them.' (Qurtubi)
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40:17
ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡۚ لَا ظُلۡمَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ١٧
This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
40:18
وَأَنذِرۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓزِفَةِ إِذِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ لَدَى ٱلۡحَنَاجِرِ كَٰظِمِينَۚ مَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ مِنۡ حَمِيمٖ وَلَا شَفِيعٖ يُطَاعُ ١٨
And warn them, [O Muḥammad], of the Approaching Day, when hearts are at the throats, filled [with distress]. For the wrongdoers there will be no devoted friend and no intercessor [who is] obeyed.
40:19
يَعۡلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلۡأَعۡيُنِ وَمَا تُخۡفِي ٱلصُّدُورُ ١٩
He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal.
40:20
وَٱللَّهُ يَقۡضِي بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَقۡضُونَ بِشَيۡءٍۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ ٢٠
And Allāh judges with truth, while those they invoke1 besides Him judge not with anything. Indeed, Allāh - He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
1 translator’s note
- In worship. ↩
40:21
۞ أَوَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَانُواْ هُمۡ أَشَدَّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةٗ وَءَاثَارٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٖ ٢١
Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allāh seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allāh any protector.
40:22
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَانَت تَّأۡتِيهِمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَكَفَرُواْ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّهُۥ قَوِيّٞ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٢٢
That was because their messengers were coming to them with clear proofs, but they disbelieved, so Allāh seized them. Indeed, He is Powerful and severe in punishment.
40:23
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٍ ٢٣
And We did certainly send Moses with Our signs and a clear authority1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., evidences from Allāh. ↩
40:24
إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَقَٰرُونَ فَقَالُواْ سَٰحِرٞ كَذَّابٞ ٢٤
To Pharaoh, Hāmān and Qārūn, but they said, "[He is] a magician and a liar."
40:25
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ مِنۡ عِندِنَا قَالُواْ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَبۡنَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ وَٱسۡتَحۡيُواْ نِسَآءَهُمۡۚ وَمَا كَيۡدُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ ٢٥
And when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, "Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and keep their women alive." But the plan of the disbelievers is not except in error.