Surah Ghafar
Contents
H.M. [40:1]
The revelation of the Book is from God the almighty, the omniscient, [40:2]
who forgives sins and accepts repentance, is severe in punishment and possessor of power. There is no other deity; that is where destiny leads. [40:3]
No one disputes the signs of God but those who are ungrateful; so don’t be fooled by their comings and goings in town and country. [40:4]
The people of Noah rejected truth before them, as did parties after them. And every people plotted against their messenger, in order to stop him; and they strove to nullify the truth with falsehood. But I stopped them; and how was My chastisement! [40:5]
Thus the sentence of your Lord against the ingrates has been justified, that they are to be inmates of hell. [40:6]
Those who hold the Throne and those who surround it extol praises of their Lord, believing in God and asking forgiveness for those who believe: “Our Lord, You encompass all things by mercy and knowledge; so forgive those who repent and follow Your way; and shelter them from the torment of the blaze. [40:7]
“And admit them, Lord, to the gardens of eternity You promised them, along with those of their parents who were righteous, and their wives and their progeny; for You are the Almighty, supremely wise. [40:8]
“And shelter them from evils. And anyone You shelter from evils on that day, You have granted mercy. And that is the great escape.” [40:9]
Those who scoffed will be summoned, and it will be declared, “The loathing of God is greater than your loathing of yourselves— for you are invited to faith, but you refuse.” [40:10]
They will say, “Our Lord, You have made us die twice and given us life twice. Now we have acknowledged our sins— now is there any way out?” [40:11]
That state of yours is because you scoffed when God was invoked as a unity but you’d believe if partners were associated with God. Now the judgment’s up to God, the exalted, the all-important, [40:12]
who shows you signs of the divine, sending down provision for you from the sky; yet no one takes heed except the repentant. [40:13]
So pray to God with sincere devotion, even if the atheists are averse. [40:14]
Beyond all ranks, the Lord of the Throne casts the spirit by divine command over any servant at will, to herald the day of confrontation, [40:15]
the day they go forth, with nothing about them hidden from God. Whose is the dominion on that day? It belongs to God, the One, the Overwhelming. [40:16]
On that day each soul will be recompensed for what it earned. There will be no injustice on that day; for God will quickly settle accounts. [40:17]
So warn them of a day that is coming, when hearts will be in throats, choking: the unjust will have no friend, and no intercessor who would be heeded. [40:18]
God knows deceptions of the eyes, and what the hearts conceal. [40:19]
And God judges by truth, while those others they pray to don’t determine anything. It is God who is the all-hearing, the all-seeing. [40:20]
Haven’t they traveled on earth and seen how those who were before them ended up? They were more powerful than they in strength and in effect on the earth, but God punished them for their sins, and there was no one to shelter them from God. [40:21]
That is because their messengers had come to them with clarifications but they scoffed; so God took them to task, being powerful, severe in punishment. [40:22]
And We did send Moses with Our signs and clear authority [40:23]
to Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qarun: but they called him a conjuror, a deceiver: [40:24]
so when he came to them with truth from Us, they said, “Kill the sons of those who believe in common with him, while keeping their females alive.” But the plot of the atheists was simply in error: [40:25]
Pharaoh said, “Leave me to kill Moses, call on his Lord as he may; for I fear he may change your creed, or cause corruption to appear in the land.” [40:26]
But Moses said, “I have sought the protection of my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who doesn’t believe in the day of reckoning.” [40:27]
And a man from among Pharaoh’s people, who believed but was concealing his faith, said, “Are you killing a man because he says ‘My Lord is God’ when he has brought you proofs from your Lord? Even if he is a liar, his lie is on him; but if he is telling the truth, some of what he warns you of will happen to you. Indeed, God is not guiding one who is immoral and deceitful. [40:28]
“My people, dominion is yours today, being dominant in the land; but who will save us from the punishment of God when it comes upon us?” Pharaoh said, “I only indicate to you what I see, and I only direct you to the sensible course.” [40:29]
The one who believed said, “O my people, I fear for you the likes of the day of the confederates, [40:30]
“like the state of the people of Noah, and the ‘Ad and the Thamud, and those who came after them. But God does not want injustice for servants. [40:31]
“And furthermore, my people, I fear for you the day of the mutual cry, [40:32]
“the day you will turn and flee; you will have no one to protect you from God; and whoever God leaves astray has no guide at all. [40:33]
“And Joseph already came to you with clear proofs before, yet you never stopped doubting what he brought. Then when he died, you said God would never send another messenger after him. Thus does God leave the immoral skeptic astray, [40:34]
“those who dispute about the signs of God without any authority being granted them. That is deeply detestable to God and to those who believe. Thus does God seal up the heart of everyone who is self-important and overbearing.” [40:35]
Then Pharaoh said, “Haman, build me a castle so that I can reach the means of access; [40:36]
“the means of access to the heavens, so I may behold the God of Moses— though I think he’s a liar.” Thus was the evil of his acts made to seem fair to Pharaoh, and he was denied the access. So the plan of Pharaoh came only to ruin. [40:37]
The one who believed said, “My people, follow me and I will guide you to the path of reason. [40:38]
“My people, this life in the world is only an expedient; for the hereafter is the home of permanence. [40:39]
“If anyone does evil, he will not be repaid but by its like; but whoever does good, male or female, and is a believer, will enter the garden and be supplied there beyond account. [40:40]
“Moreover, my people, what is the matter with me that I invite you to salvation while you invite me to hellfire? [40:41]
“You invite me to deny God, or associate with God what I have no knowledge of; but I invite you to the Almighty, the Forgiving. [40:42]
“Without a doubt the one to whom you invite me hasn’t a prayer in the world or the hereafter; and no doubt our destiny is return to God; and the immoral ones will be those who inhabit the fire. [40:43]
“So you’ll remember what I say to you. Now I commit my concern to God, for God observes all mortals.” [40:44]
So God preserved him from the evils they plotted, while the calamity of the agony encompassed Pharaoh’s people; [40:45]
the fire, to which they’re exposed day and night; and the day that time stops, let the people of Pharaoh plunge into the most intense agony. [40:46]
Then lo—they will debate in the fire, with the powerless saying to those who had aggrandized themselves, “We were your followers, so aren’t you to substitute for us in the fire in part?” [40:47]
Those who had aggrandized themselves will say, “We are all in it; for God has judged among mortals.” [40:48]
Those who are in the fire will say to the keepers of hell, “Pray to your Lord to relieve the agony for us for a day.” [40:49]
They will say, “Didn’t your messengers come to you with clear proofs?” They will say, “Yes.” They will say, “Then pray.” But the prayer of scoffers is only in confusion. [40:50]
We will help Our messengers and those who believe, to be sure, in the life of the world and on the day the witnesses stand, [40:51]
the day when the excuse of tyrants will be of no avail to them, and they will be accursed and have a miserable abode. [40:52]
We gave Moses the guidance, and bequeathed the scripture to the offspring of Israel, [40:53]
as guidance and reminder for those endowed with reason. [40:54]
So be patient, for the promise of God is true; and seek forgiveness for your sins and celebrate the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning. [40:55]
As for those who dispute about the signs of God without any authority being given to them, all that is on their minds is greatness they’ll never attain. So seek refuge in God, for God is the all-hearing, the all-seeing. [40:56]
The constitution of the heavens and the earth is certainly greater than the constitution of humanity, and yet most people do not realize. [40:57]
And the blind and the seeing are not the same, nor are those who believe and do good works and those who do harm. Little do you heed. [40:58]
For the end of time is surely coming, without a doubt, and yet most people do not believe. [40:59]
But your Lord says, “Call on Me, and I will answer you. As for those too self-important to serve Me, they will enter hell abjectly.” [40:60]
God is the one who made the night for you, so you could rest therein; and the day, allowing sight: for God is gracious to humanity, but most people are not grateful. [40:61]
That is God for you, your Lord, creator of all things; there is no other deity. So how are you deceived? [40:62]
Thus are deceived those who dispute the signs of God. [40:63]
God is the one who made the earth for you as an abode with the sky as a roof, and formed you, then refined your forms, and provided you with goods. That is God for you, your Lord; so blessed be God, Lord of the universe, [40:64]
the Living; there is no other deity, so pray to God with sincere devotion. Praise be to God, Lord of the universe. [40:65]
Say, “I was forbidden to worship those to whom you pray besides God when the evidences from my Lord came to me, and I was directed to acquiesce to the Lord of the universe.” [40:66]
That is who made you from dust, then from a drop, then from a clot, then brings you forth as an infant, then provides for you to reach your maturity, then provides for you to become old —though some of you die earlier— providing for you to reach a definite term, and for you to understand. [40:67]
That is who gives life and causes death; and having decided a matter, God merely says to it “Be,” and it is. [40:68]
Haven’t you seen those who dispute about the signs of God? How are they diverted? [40:69]
Those who reject the Book and what We sent Our messengers with, they will know: [40:70]
When the yokes are on their necks, and the chains, they’ll be dragged [40:71]
through boiling water, then burned in the fire; [40:72]
then it will be said to them, “Where is that which you used to deify [40:73]
“instead of God?” They will say, “They have abandoned us. No, we weren’t actually praying to anything before.” That is how God leaves atheists astray. [40:74]
“That is because you used to enjoy happiness on earth without justice, and because you were conceited. [40:75]
“Enter the gates of hell, to abide in it; and wretched the abode of the arrogant!” [40:76]
So be patient, for the promise of God is true. Whether We actually show you some of what We promise them, or We take your soul, you will be returned to Us. [40:77]
We have certainly sent messengers before you; some of them We told you about, and some of them We have not told you of. But it was not for any messenger to bring a sign except by God’s permission. Then when the order of God arrived, judgment was made justly by truth, and the prattlers perished then and there. [40:78]
God is the one who made domestic animals for you, so you could ride some of them, and eat some of them [40:79]
—and they have other uses for you— that you may fulfill a need in your hearts through them; and you are carried on them, and on ships. [40:80]
And God shows you signs of the divine: now which signs of God do you deny? [40:81]
Haven’t they traveled the earth and seen how those before them ended up? They have been more numerous than these, and more powerful in strength and in their effects on the earth, but what they had achieved did not profit them. [40:82]
Then when their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they were happy with what science they already had, even as they were surrounded by what they’d been ridiculing. [40:83]
Then when they saw Our force, they said, “We believe in God as One, and we reject what we used to associate with God.” [40:84]
But their belief on seeing Our force did not profit them, according to the custom of God already in effect among mortals. And here the scoffers were lost. [40:85]