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 4 (Verses 40:28–40:37): A Believer of Pharaoh’s People

Translation:

وَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤۡمِنٌ ٭ۖ مِّنۡ اٰلِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ یَکۡتُمُ اِیۡمَانَہٗۤ اَتَقۡتُلُوۡنَ رَجُلًا اَنۡ یَّقُوۡلَ رَبِّیَ اللّٰہُ وَ قَدۡ جَآءَکُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ مِنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّکُ کَاذِبًا فَعَلَیۡہِ کَذِبُہٗ ۚ وَ اِنۡ یَّکُ صَادِقًا یُّصِبۡکُمۡ بَعۡضُ الَّذِیۡ یَعِدُکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ ہُوَ مُسۡرِفٌ کَذَّابٌ ﴿۲۸﴾

40:28 And a believing man of Pharaoh’s people, who hid his faith, said: Will you kill a man because he says, My Lord is Allah, and indeed he has brought you clear arguments from your Lord? And if he is a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he is truthful, some of what he threatens you with will afflict you.1 Surely Allah does not guide one who exceeds all bounds, a liar.

یٰقَوۡمِ لَکُمُ الۡمُلۡکُ الۡیَوۡمَ ظٰہِرِیۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ۫ فَمَنۡ یَّنۡصُرُنَا مِنۡۢ بَاۡسِ اللّٰہِ اِنۡ جَآءَنَا ؕ قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ مَاۤ اُرِیۡکُمۡ اِلَّا مَاۤ اَرٰی وَ مَاۤ اَہۡدِیۡکُمۡ اِلَّا سَبِیۡلَ الرَّشَادِ ﴿۲۹﴾

40:29 My people, yours is the kingdom this day, being masters in the land, but who will help us against the punishment of Allah, if it comes to us? Pharaoh said: I only show you what I see and I guide you only to the right way.

وَ قَالَ الَّذِیۡۤ اٰمَنَ یٰقَوۡمِ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّثۡلَ یَوۡمِ الۡاَحۡزَابِ ﴿ۙ۳۰﴾

40:30 And he who believed said: My people, surely I fear for you the like of what befell the parties,

مِثۡلَ دَاۡبِ قَوۡمِ نُوۡحٍ وَّ عَادٍ وَّ ثَمُوۡدَ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ ؕ وَ مَا اللّٰہُ یُرِیۡدُ ظُلۡمًا لِّلۡعِبَادِ ﴿۳۱﴾

40:31 the like of what befell the people of Noah and Ād and Thamūd and those after them.2 And Allah wishes no injustice for (His) servants.

وَ یٰقَوۡمِ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ یَوۡمَ التَّنَادِ ﴿ۙ۳۲﴾

40:32 And, my people, I fear for you the day of Calling out3 —

یَوۡمَ تُوَلُّوۡنَ مُدۡبِرِیۡنَ ۚ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ عَاصِمٍ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّضۡلِلِ اللّٰہُ فَمَا لَہٗ مِنۡ ہَادٍ ﴿۳۳﴾

40:33 the day on which you will turn back retreating, having none to save you from Allah; and whomsoever Allah leaves in error there is no guide for him.

وَ لَقَدۡ جَآءَکُمۡ یُوۡسُفُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ فَمَا زِلۡتُمۡ فِیۡ شَکٍّ مِّمَّا جَآءَکُمۡ بِہٖ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا ہَلَکَ قُلۡتُمۡ لَنۡ یَّبۡعَثَ اللّٰہُ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ رَسُوۡلًا ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یُضِلُّ اللّٰہُ مَنۡ ہُوَ مُسۡرِفٌ مُّرۡتَابُۨ ﴿ۚۖ۳۴﴾

40:34 And Joseph indeed came to you before with clear arguments, but you ever remained in doubt as to what he brought you; until, when he died, you said: Allah will never raise a messenger after him. Thus does Allah leave him in error who exceeds all bounds, a doubter —

الَّذِیۡنَ یُجَادِلُوۡنَ فِیۡۤ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ سُلۡطٰنٍ اَتٰہُمۡ ؕ کَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ وَ عِنۡدَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یَطۡبَعُ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی کُلِّ قَلۡبِ مُتَکَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ ﴿۳۵﴾

40:35 those who dispute concerning the messages of Allah without any authority that has come to them. Greatly hated is it by Allah and by those who believe. Thus does Allah seal every heart, of a proud, insolent one.

وَ قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ یٰہَامٰنُ ابۡنِ لِیۡ صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَبۡلُغُ الۡاَسۡبَابَ ﴿ۙ۳۶﴾

40:36 And Pharaoh said: Hāmān, build for me a tower that I may attain the means of access —

اَسۡبَابَ السَّمٰوٰتِ فَاَطَّلِعَ اِلٰۤی اِلٰہِ مُوۡسٰی وَ اِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّہٗ کَاذِبًا ؕ وَ کَذٰلِکَ زُیِّنَ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوۡٓءُ عَمَلِہٖ وَ صُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِیۡلِ ؕ وَ مَا کَیۡدُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ تَبَابٍ ﴿٪۳۷﴾

40:37 the means of access to the heavens, then reach the God of Moses, and I surely think him to be liar.4 And thus the evil of his deed was made to seem good to Pharaoh, and he was turned aside from the way. And the plot of Pharaoh ended only in ruin.

Commentary:

  1. Some of what they are threatened with, will afflict them, because the mercy of Allah wards off some of the deserved punishment. ↩
  2. There is nothing extraordinary in an Egyptian knowing how certain people on the borders of Arabia perished. ↩
  3. The day of calling out to one another is the day of distress on which one will call out to the other for help, none being able to help himself or another. Every day of distress is the day of calling out, and the description need not be limited to the day of Judgment. ↩
  4. As Moses spoke of the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Pharaoh mocked at the idea by suggesting that he would build a tower to find Moses’ God. ↩

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