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 6 (Verses 40:51–40:60): Messengers Receive Divine Help
Translation:
اِنَّا لَنَنۡصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ یَوۡمَ یَقُوۡمُ الۡاَشۡہَادُ ﴿ۙ۵۱﴾
40:51 We certainly help Our messengers, and those who believe, in this world’s life and on the day when the witnesses arise1 —
یَوۡمَ لَا یَنۡفَعُ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ مَعۡذِرَتُہُمۡ وَ لَہُمُ اللَّعۡنَۃُ وَ لَہُمۡ سُوۡٓءُ الدَّارِ ﴿۵۲﴾
40:52 the day on which their excuse will not benefit the unjust, and for them is a curse and for them is the evil abode.
وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡہُدٰی وَ اَوۡرَثۡنَا بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ الۡکِتٰبَ ﴿ۙ۵۳﴾
40:53 And We indeed gave Moses the guidance, and We made the Children of Israel inherit the Book —
ہُدًی وَّ ذِکۡرٰی لِاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ ﴿۵۴﴾
40:54 a guidance and a reminder for those who have understanding.
فَاصۡبِرۡ اِنَّ وَعۡدَ اللّٰہِ حَقٌّ وَّ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ وَ سَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّکَ بِالۡعَشِیِّ وَ الۡاِبۡکَارِ ﴿۵۵﴾
40:55 So be patient; surely the promise of Allah is true; and ask protection for your sin2 and celebrate the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یُجَادِلُوۡنَ فِیۡۤ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ سُلۡطٰنٍ اَتٰہُمۡ ۙ اِنۡ فِیۡ صُدُوۡرِہِمۡ اِلَّا کِبۡرٌ مَّا ہُمۡ بِبَالِغِیۡہِ ۚ فَاسۡتَعِذۡ بِاللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡبَصِیۡرُ ﴿۵۶﴾
40:56 Those who dispute about the messages of Allah without any authority having come to them, there is nothing in their hearts but (a desire) to become great, which they will never attain. So seek refuge in Allah. Surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
لَخَلۡقُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ اَکۡبَرُ مِنۡ خَلۡقِ النَّاسِ وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۵۷﴾
40:57 Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind; but most people do not know.3
وَ مَا یَسۡتَوِی الۡاَعۡمٰی وَ الۡبَصِیۡرُ ۬ۙ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ لَا الۡمُسِیۡٓءُ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَتَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۸﴾
40:58 And the blind and the seeing are not alike, nor those who believe and do good and the evildoers. Little mindful are you!
اِنَّ السَّاعَۃَ لَاٰتِیَۃٌ لَّا رَیۡبَ فِیۡہَا وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾
40:59 The Hour is surely coming — there is no doubt in it — but most people do not believe.
وَ قَالَ رَبُّکُمُ ادۡعُوۡنِیۡۤ اَسۡتَجِبۡ لَکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِیۡ سَیَدۡخُلُوۡنَ جَہَنَّمَ دٰخِرِیۡنَ ﴿٪۶۰﴾
40:60 And your Lord says: Pray to Me, I will answer you. Those who disdain My service will surely enter hell, humiliated.
Commentary:
- The emphatic promise that the Prophet will be helped in this life, too, was made at a time when he was being persecuted, and there was not the least indication that his powerful opponents would be vanquished. ↩
- These words, occurring here and in 47:19, do not negative the claim made repeatedly that the Prophet was sinless. Five times the Holy Prophet is described in the Quran as being one who purified others from sin (2:129, 2:151, 3:164, 9:103, 62:2). How could a sinful man purify others from sins? Again, he is repeatedly spoken of as walking in the way of perfect righteousness and entire submission to Allah. In fact, the Quran does not allow us to attribute sin to any prophet: “They do not speak before He speaks, and according to His command they act” (21:27). The words used here (istighfār and dhanb) not only signify asking for forgiveness of sins, but also asking for covering of sin, which is really the seeking of protection against sin. What the Prophet is asked to seek is a protection from the imperfections of human nature, which make a person liable to sin unless he is protected by Allah. (Editor’s Note: It may be the reader of the Quran who is primarily addressed in the words of this verse.) ↩
- Man is insignificant as compared with the vast creation of the heavens and the earth, yet he considers himself so great that he would not bow his head before the great Creator of this vast creation. ↩