Surah 40. Ghafir

And Pharaoh said, 'Let me kill Moses, and let him call upon his Lord! I truly fear that he may change your traditions or cause mischief in the land.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Said Pharaoh: "Leave me to slay Moses; and let him Call on his Lord! What I fear is lest he should change your religion or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!" ^{4393 4394}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is an episode that occurs when Moses, invested with his mission, confronts Pharaoh in his Court and preaches to him: see xx. 49 and following verses; also xx. 57, 63.

Some of Pharaoh's people did afterwards give up the worship of Pharaoh and of the Egyptian gods and believed "in the Lord of Aaron and Moses" and in fact suffered martyrdom for the Faith of Unity: xx. 70-73.

Moses replied, 'I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant person who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Moses said: "I have indeed called upon my Lord and your Lord (for protection) from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of Account!" ⁴³⁹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The whole point of the Gospel of Unity which Moses preached was that the God of Moses and the God of Pharaoh, of Israel and Egypt, the Lord of all the Worlds, was One,-Allah, the only True God. See xx. 49-50 and notes 2572 and 2573.

A believing man from Pharaoh's people, who was hiding his faith, argued, 'Will you kill a man¹ 'only' for saying: 'My Lord is Allah,' while he has in fact come to you with clear proofs from your Lord? If he is a liar, it will be to his own loss. But if he is truthful, then you will be afflicted with some of what he is threatening you with. Surely Allah does not guide whoever is a transgressor, a total liar.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Moses (ﷺ).

A believer a man from among the people of Pharaoh who had concealed his faith said: "Will ye slay a man because he says `My Lord is Allah'? When he has indeed come to you with Clear (Signs) from your Lord? And if he be a liar on him is (the sin of) his lie: but if he is telling the Truth then will fall on you something of the (calamity) of which he warns you: truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies! ^{4396 4397 4398}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There is nothing to justify the identification of this man with the man mentioned in xxviii. 20, who warned Moses long before Moses had received his mission. On the contrary, in this passage, the man is evidently speaking after Moses had received his mission, preached to Pharaoh, and got a certain amount of success, for which Pharaoh and his people were trying, to seek his life. Moses had evidently already brought his Clear Signs.

A commonsense view is put before them by an Egyptian who loves his own people and does not wish them to perish in sin. "Will you kill this man for calling on Allah? Have you not seen his character and behaviour? Do you not see the 'Clear Signs' about him that bespeak his credentials? Suppose for a moment that he is a liar and pretender: he will suffer for his falsehood, but why should you turn against Allah? But suppose that he is really inspired by Allah to tell you the truth and warn you against evil, what will be your fate when Allah's Wrath descends? For it must descend if he is a true Messenger sent by Allah."

This is with reference to the "Clear signs". 'They are Signs of Allah's guidance, for Allah would never guide a man who exceeds the bounds of truth and tells you lies! Such a man is bound to be found out!'

O my people! Authority belongs to you today, reigning supreme in the land. But who would help us against the torment of Allah, if it were to befall us?' Pharaoh assured 'his people', 'I am telling you only what I believe, and I am leading you only to the way of guidance.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"O my people! yours is the dominion this day: ye have the upper hand in the land: but who will help us from the Punishment of Allah should it befall us?" Pharaoh said: "I but point out to you that which I see (myself); nor do I guide you but to the Path of Right!" ^{4399 4400}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'Do not be puffed up with arrogance because the power is in your hands at present! Do you deserve it? Will it last? If you are sinning and drawing upon yourselves Allah's Punishment, is there anything that can shield you from it?'

Pharaoh's egotism and arrogance come out. 'I can see and understand everything. As I see things, so do I direct you. The Path which I see must be right, and you must follow it.'

And the man who believed cautioned, 'O my people! I truly fear for you the doom of 'earlier' enemy forces-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then said the man who believed: "O my People! truly I do fear for you something like the Day (of disaster) of the Confederates (in sin)! ^{4401 4402}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He appeals to past history. "Have you not heard of people who lived before you?-like the generations of Noah, the 'Ad, the Thamud, and many more-who held together in sin against Allah's Preachers, but were wiped out for their sins?"

Cf. xxxviii. 11-13, and n. 4158, also xi. 5, and n. 4361.

like the fate of the people of Noah, 'Ȃd, Thamûd, and those after them. For Allah would never will to wrong 'His' servants.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Something like the fate of the people of Noah the `Ad and the Thamud and those who came after them: but Allah never wishes injustice to His Servants. ⁴⁴⁰³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'All these disasters happened in history, and they will happen again to you if you do not give up evil. Do not for a moment think that Allah is unjust. It is you who are deliberately preparing the disasters by your conduct.'

O my people! I truly fear for you the Day all will be crying out 'to each other'-

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And O my People! I fear for you a Day when there will be mutual calling (and wailing) ⁴⁴⁰⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This Day may refer to the Day of Judgment, of which three features are here referred to. (1) People may wail and call to each other, but no one can help another: each one will have his own judgment to face; (2) the wicked will then be driven to Hell from the Judgment-Seat; and (3) there will be no one to help, guide, or intercede, because the grace and guidance of Allah had already been rejected. But the words are perfectly general, and are applicable to all stages at which the Wrath of Allah is manifest.

the Day you will 'try in vain to' turn your backs and run away, with no one to protect you from Allah. And whoever Allah leaves to stray will be left with no guide.

  - Mustafa Khattab

A day when ye shall turn your backs and flee: no defender shall ye have from Allah: any whom Allah leaves to stray there is none to guide...

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph already came to you¹ earlier with clear proofs, yet you never ceased to doubt what he came to you with. When he died you said, 'Allah will never send a messenger after him.' This is how Allah leaves every transgressor and doubter to stray-

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, your ancestors, because Joseph (ﷺ) died over 400 hundred years before Moses (ﷺ).

"And to you there came Joseph in times gone by with Clear Signs but ye ceased not to doubt of the (mission) for which he had come: at length when he died ye said: `No apostle will Allah send after him.' Thus doth Allah leave to stray such as transgress and live in doubt ^{4405 4406}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So far he has been speaking of general religious tradition. Now, as an Egyptian, addressing Egyptians, he refers to the mission of Joseph in Egypt, for which see the whole of Sura xii. Joseph was not born in Egypt, nor was he an Egyptian. With what wonderful incidents he came into Egypt! What difficulties did he not surmount among his own brothers first, and in the Egyptian family which afterwards adopted him! How injustice, spite, and forgetfullness on the part of others, yet wove a spell round him and made him a ruler and saviour of Egypt in times of famine! How he preached to prisoners in prison, the wife of 'Aziz in her household, to the Egyptian ladies in their banquet, and to the Court of Pharaoh generally. The Egyptians profited by the material gains which came to them through him, but as a nation remained sceptical of his spiritual truths for many generations after him.

The interval between Joseph and Moses was about one to three centuries, a very short period for the memory of a learned nation like the Egyptians. And yet they as a nation ignored his spiritual work, and afterwards even persecuted Israel in Egypt until Moses delivered them. They actually saw the benefits conferred by Joseph, but did not realise that Allah's Kingdom works continuously even though men ignore it.

those who dispute Allah's signs with no proof given to them. How despicable is that for Allah and the believers! This is how Allah seals the heart of every arrogant tyrant.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"(Such) as dispute about the Signs of Allah without any authority that hath reached them. Grievous and odious (is such conduct) in the sight of Allah and of the Believers. Thus doth Allah seal up every heart of arrogant and obstinate transgressors." ⁴⁴⁰⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See the last note. The arrogant transgressors having closed their hearts to the Message of Allah and to every appeal made to them, it followed by Allah's Law that their hearts were sealed up to any fresh influences for good. Cf. vii. 100; also ii. 7, and n. 31.

Pharaoh ordered, 'O Haman! Build me a high tower so I may reach the pathways

  - Mustafa Khattab

Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty palace that I may attain the ways and means ⁴⁴⁰⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxviii. 38, and n. 3371. There are two points to be noted here. (1) Pharaoh, in the arrogance of his materialism, thinks of the Kingdom of Heaven like a kingdom on earth; he thinks of spiritual things in terms of palaces and ladders: notice that the word asbab (ways and means) is emphasised by repetition (2) His sarcasm turns Moses and Allah to ridicule, and he frankly states that 'for his part he thinks Moses is a liar', though other men less lofty than he (Pharaoh) may he deceived by the Clear Signs of Moses.

leading up to the heavens and look for the God of Moses, although I am sure he is a liar.'¹ And so Pharaoh's evil deeds were made so appealing to him that he was hindered from the 'Right' Way. But the plotting of Pharaoh was only in vain.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See 28:38.

"The ways and means of (reaching) the heavens and that I may mount up to the Allah of Moses; but as far as I am concerned I think (Moses) is a liar!" Thus was made alluring in Pharaoh's eyes the evil of his deeds and he was hindered from the Path; and the plot of Pharaoh led to nothing but perdition (for him). ^{4409 4410}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Pharaoh's speech shows how his own egotism and haughty arrogance brought him to this pass, that even the evil which he did seemed alluring in his own eyes! His heart was indeed sealed, and his arrogance prevented him from seeing the right path. (With the Kufi Qiraat I read sudda in the passive voice).

Pharaoh had plotted to slay Moses (xi. 26) and to kill the Children of Israel (xl. 25). The plot recoiled on his own head and on the head of his people who joined in the plot; for they were all drowned in the Red Sea.

And the man who believed urged, 'O my people! Follow me, 'and' I will lead you to the Way of Guidance.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The man who believed said further: "O my People! follow me: I will lead you to the Path of Right. ⁴⁴¹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Note the contrast between the earnest beseeching tone of the Believer here and the hectoring tone of Pharaoh in using similar words in xi. 29 above.

O my people! This worldly life is only 'a fleeting' enjoyment, whereas the Hereafter is truly the home of settlement.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) convenience: it is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last. ⁴⁴¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Faith makes him see the contrast between vanities, even though they may glitter temporarily, and the eternal Good that is destined for man.

Whoever does an evil deed will only be paid back with its equivalent. And whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, they will enter Paradise, where they will be provided for without limit.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed whether man or woman and is a believer such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure. ⁴⁴¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 212. This sustenance will not only last. It will be a most liberal reward, far above any merits of the recipient.