English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 40: Al-Mumin — The Believer (Revealed at Makkah: 9 sections, 85 verses)

Section 1 (Verses 40:1–40:9): Protection of the Faithful

Translation:

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

حٰمٓ ۚ﴿۱﴾

40:1 Beneficent God!1

تَنۡزِیۡلُ الۡکِتٰبِ مِنَ اللّٰہِ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡعَلِیۡمِ ۙ﴿۲﴾

40:2 The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knowing,

غَافِرِ الذَّنۡۢبِ وَ قَابِلِ التَّوۡبِ شَدِیۡدِ الۡعِقَابِ ۙ ذِی الطَّوۡلِ ؕ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ اِلَیۡہِ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۳﴾

40:3 Forgiver of sin and Acceptor of repentance, Severe to punish, Lord of bounty.2 There is no God but He; to Him is the eventual coming.

مَا یُجَادِلُ فِیۡۤ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا فَلَا یَغۡرُرۡکَ تَقَلُّبُہُمۡ فِی الۡبِلَادِ ﴿۴﴾

40:4 None dispute concerning the messages of Allah but those who disbelieve, so do not let their control in the land deceive you.

کَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَہُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوۡحٍ وَّ الۡاَحۡزَابُ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ ۪ وَ ہَمَّتۡ کُلُّ اُمَّۃٍۭ بِرَسُوۡلِہِمۡ لِیَاۡخُذُوۡہُ وَ جٰدَلُوۡا بِالۡبَاطِلِ لِیُدۡحِضُوۡا بِہِ الۡحَقَّ فَاَخَذۡتُہُمۡ ۟ فَکَیۡفَ کَانَ عِقَابِ ﴿۵﴾

40:5 Before them the people of Noah and the parties after them rejected (prophets), and every nation purposed against its messenger to destroy him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute thereby the truth, so I seized them; how (terrible) was then My retribution!

وَ کَذٰلِکَ حَقَّتۡ کَلِمَتُ رَبِّکَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اَنَّہُمۡ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ ۘ﴿ؔ۶﴾

40:6 And thus did the word of your Lord prove true against those who disbelieve, that they are the companions of the Fire.

اَلَّذِیۡنَ یَحۡمِلُوۡنَ الۡعَرۡشَ وَ مَنۡ حَوۡلَہٗ یُسَبِّحُوۡنَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ وَ یَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ رَّحۡمَۃً وَّ عِلۡمًا فَاغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِیۡنَ تَابُوۡا وَ اتَّبَعُوۡا سَبِیۡلَکَ وَ قِہِمۡ عَذَابَ الۡجَحِیۡمِ ﴿۷﴾

40:7 Those who bear the Throne of Power and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe:3 Our Lord, You embrace all things in mercy and knowledge,4 so protect those who turn (to You) and follow Your way, and save them from the punishment of hell.

رَبَّنَا وَ اَدۡخِلۡہُمۡ جَنّٰتِ عَدۡنِۣ الَّتِیۡ وَعَدۡتَّہُمۡ وَ مَنۡ صَلَحَ مِنۡ اٰبَآئِہِمۡ وَ اَزۡوَاجِہِمۡ وَ ذُرِّیّٰتِہِمۡ ؕ اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ۙ﴿۸﴾

40:8 Our Lord, make them enter the Gardens of perpetuity, which You have promised them and such of their fathers and their wives and their offspring as are good.5 Surely You are the Mighty, the Wise;

وَ قِہِمُ السَّیِّاٰتِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ تَقِ السَّیِّاٰتِ یَوۡمَئِذٍ فَقَدۡ رَحِمۡتَہٗ ؕ وَ ذٰلِکَ ہُوَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِیۡمُ ٪﴿۹﴾

40:9 and guard them from evil, and whom You guard from evil this day, You have indeed mercy on him. And that is the mighty achievement.

Commentary:

  1. This verse consists of the two letters ḥā and mīm. These may stand for the Divine name Al-Raḥmān, i.e. the Beneficent. They may also be abbreviations for Ḥamīd (Praised) and Majīd (Glorious), or for Ḥayy (the Living) and Qayyūm (the Self-subsisting), or for Raḥmān (Beneficent) and Raḥīm (Merciful). ↩
  2. Of the four attributes, the first two and the last refer to Divine forgive­ness, mercy and bounty, while only one refers to punishment of evil, and thus the attribute of mercy preponderates even when punishment is spoken of. ↩
  3. Those who bear the ‘arsh or the Throne of Power are not the bearers of any material thing; see 7:54 footnote 2, for ‘arsh. Generally the words are ex­plained as meaning angels, but may refer to bearers of Divine messages, i.e., the prophets, while those around it are the faithful who, walking in the footsteps of the prophets, carry the Divine message to the world. See also 69:17 footnote. ↩
  4. Here we are told that Divine mercy is as comprehensive as Divine knowledge, and they both extend over all things. ↩
  5. The wives and offspring of the faithful, those of them who do good, are here mentioned as entering paradise along with them. ↩

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