Surah The Forgiver [Ghafir] in English

HA MIM.

The revelation of this Book is from God the all-mighty and all-knowing,

Forgiver of trespasses, acceptor of repentance, severe of retribution, lord of power. There is no god but He. Towards Him is your destination.

Only the unbelievers dispute the revelations of God. So do not let their activities in the land deceive you.

The people of Noah had denied before them, and many factions after them. Every nation has intrigued against its apostle and afflicted him, and argued with false arguments to condemn the truth. Then I seized them. How was then My retribution!

In this way the sentence of your Lord against the infidels that they would be the inmates of Hell, was justified.

The bearers of the Throne, and those around it, sing the praises of their Lord and believe in Him, and seek forgiveness for those who believe: \"O our Lord, Your mercy and knowledge embrace everything; so forgive those who turn to You in repentance and follow Your path; and preserve them from the torment of Hell.

Admit them, O Lord, to the garden of Eden which You promised them, and those of their fathers, spouses and progeny who are upright. You are truly all-mighty and all-wise.

Protect them from evil; and whosoever You preserve from evil on that Day shall have surely received Your mercy. This will be the great triumph.\"

Those who disbelieve will certainly be told: \"God's displeasure was greater than your disgust of your selves when you were called to belief and refused to believe.\"

They say: \"O Lord, twice You made us die, and twice You made us live. We admit our sins. Is there still a way out for us?\"

This has come upon you because when God alone was invoked you disbelieved; but when partners were associated with Him, you believed. But judgement belongs to God, the all-high and supreme.

It is He who shows you His signs, and sends you food from the heavens. Yet none takes a warning except him who turns to Him.

So call on God with exclusive obedience, howsoever the unbelievers may dislike it.

Most exalted of position, Lord of power, He directs inspiration by His command to any of His creatures as He will, to warn (men) of the Day of Meeting,

The day when they will come out (of their graves), with nothing of them hidden from God. Whose then will be the kingdom? -- God's, the one, the omnipotent.

Each soul will be recompensed that Day for what it had earned. There will be no depriving on that Day. Surely God is swift at reckoning.

Warn them of the coming day inevitable, when hearts would jump to the throats, filling them with anguish. The sinners will have neither friend nor intercessor whose (word) will be heeded.

Known to Him is the treachery of the eye, and what the breasts conceal.

God decides with justice. But those they call apart from Him can not adjudge in the least. Verily God is all-hearing, all-perceiving.

Have they not travelled on the earth that they could see what happened to those before them? They were greater in strength than they, and have left behind them traces on the earth. Yet they were seized by God for their sins, and had none to protect them against God.

This was so because their apostles came with clear proofs to them, but they refused to believe. So they were seized by God. Surely God is powerful, unrelenting in retribution.

We sent Moses with Our signs and clear authority

To Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun. But they said: \"He is only a deceiving sorcerer.\"

And when he brought the truth to them from Us, they said: \"Slay the sons of those who believe with him, and spare their women.\" But the unbelievers' stratagem is bound to fail.

\"Let me kill Moses,\" the Pharaoh said, \"and let him call to his Lord. I fear that he will change your faith and spread corruption in the land.\"

Moses said: \"I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every insolent imposter who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.\"

A believer from the House of Pharaoh who had kept his faith to himself, said: \"Will you kill a man because he says: 'My Lord is God,' when he has brought clear signs from his Lord to you? If he is a liar his lie will recoil back on him; but in case he speaks the truth, then what he predicts will befall you. Surely God does not show the way to the shameful liar.

O my people, authority is yours today being the most powerful in the land; but who will save us from the scourge of God if it fall upon us?\" \"I show you,\" said the Pharaoh, \"only what I see (is right), and guide you but to the right path.\"

But the man of belief said: \"O my people, what I fear for you is the like of what befell the communities (of old).

Like the people of Noah, 'Ad and Thamud, and those that came after them. God does not want to be unjust to His creatures.

O my people, what I fear for you is the day of gathering, crying and calling,

The day you will turn your backs and flee, with none to defend you against God. Whoever God allows to go astray has none to show him the way.

Joseph had indeed come to you before with clear proofs, but you did not cease to doubt what he had brought until he died, when you said: 'God will not send a prophet after him.' That is how God leads the waster, the sceptic astray.

Those who dispute God's revelations, with no authority having come to them, (are) greatly odious in the sight of God, and the sight of those who believe. That is how God seals every proud and perverse heart.\"

The Pharaoh said: \"O Haman, build me a lofty tower that I may perhaps find the means

Of reaching the tracts of heaven and look at the god of Moses, though I think that he is a liar.\" Thus were the evil deeds of Pharaoh made to look attractive to him, and he was hindered from the path. So the stratagem of Pharaoh was bound to perish.

The man who believed said: \"O my people, follow me; I will guide you to the right path.

O people, the life of this world is ephemeral; but enduring is the abode of the Hereafter.

Whoever does evil will be requited in accordance with it; but whoever does right, whether man or woman, and is a believer, will enter Paradise, where they will have provision in abundance.

O my people, what is wrong with me that I am calling you to preservation, while you invite me to the Fire!

You are asking me to disbelieve in God, and to associate with Him that of which I have no knowledge, yet I invite you to the all-mighty, all-forgiving.

What you are calling me to is surely not worth the calling in this world or in the next, because our returning is to God; and because the transgressors will be inmates of Hell.

You will remember what I say in time to come; I submit my case to the judgement of God. Surely God keeps an eye on His creatures.\"

So God preserved him from the evil they were planning; and a dreadful doom encompassed the people of Pharaoh:

Fire, to which they are exposed morning and evening. The day the Hour is proclaimed (it will be said:) \"Admit the people of Pharaoh to the severest punishment,\"

As they will noisily argue in the Fire, the weaker ones will say to the arrogant: \"We were your followers, so will you take over some of our share of the fire?\"

The arrogant will answer: \"All of us are in it. Surely God has judged between His creatures.\"

Those in the Fire will say to the warders of Hell: \"Ask your Lord to reduce the punishment by a day for us.\"

They will say: \"Did not your apostles come to you with clear proofs?\" They will answer: \"Indeed, they did.\" \"Then pray,\" will (the warders) say. But the praying of unbelievers will be all in vain.

We will certainly help Our messengers and those who believe, in this world, and on the day the witnesses take their stand,

The day upon which their excuses will not benefit the evil-doers, and the condemnation and evil abode will be theirs.

Verily We showed Moses the way, and bequeathed the Book to the children of Israel,

A guidance and reminder for men of wisdom.

So persevere; the promise of God is true; and seek forgiveness for your sins, and chant the praises of your Lord evening and morning.

Verily those who argue in the matter of God's revelations, without authority having reached them, have nothing but pride in their hearts, and they will not achieve their end. So take refuge in God: Surely He is all-hearing and all-seeing.

The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed of greater magnitude than the creation of mankind; but most men do not understand.

The blind and the seeing are surely not alike, nor those who believe and act rightly and those who do evil. Little do you reflect!

The Hour will certainly come; there is no mystery about it; but most men do not believe.

Your Lord has said: \"Call to Me that I may answer your call. Surely those who disdain worshipping Me will enter Hell, disgraced.\"

It is God who made the night for you to rest, the day to make things visible. Indeed God is gracious to men, but most men are not grateful.

He is God your Lord, creator of everything. There is no god but He. How then do you turn away (from Him)?

Only they are turned away thus who deny the signs of God.

It is God who made the earth a dwelling for you, and the sky a vaulted roof, who fashioned you and gave you excellent form and provided you with clean and wholesome things. He is God, your Lord. So blessed be God, the Lord of all the worlds.

He is the living. There is no god but He. Therefore pray to Him with obedience all-exclusive. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

Say: \"I am forbidden to worship those you call apart from God, since clear signs have come to me from my Lord, and I am commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds.\"

It is He who created you from dust, then a drop of semen, then the embryo; afterwards He brings you forth as a child; then you attain the age of manhood, and then reach old age. But some of you die before you reach the appointed term that you may haply understand.

It is He who gives you life and death. When He creates a thing, He has only to say: \"Be,\" and it is.

Have you not seen how those who dispute the signs of God are turned away?

Those who deny the Book and what We have sent down with Our apostles, will soon come to know

When, with (iron) collars and chains around their necks, they will be dragged

Through boiling water, and then burnt in the Fire.

They will then be asked: \"Where are they you took as partners

Apart from God?\" They will answer: \"They have left us in the lurch and fled. In fact it was nothing that we prayed to before.\" That is how God sends the unbelievers astray.

\"This is so because you went about exulting wrongfully in the land,\" (will they be told), \"and you were insolent.

So enter the gates of Hell to abide in it for ever.\" How evil the abode of the arrogant!

So you persevere with patience (in your mission). The promise of God is true. Whether We show you some of the punishment We have promised them, or gather you up in death, they have to come back to Us.

Surely We have sent apostles before you, some of whose account We have related to you, and that of some We have not told you. But no apostle was given a miracle unless God dispensed. But when the decree of God comes the sentence is passed with justice; and the lovers of vice and vanity will then come to grief.

It is God who made the cattle for you so that some you ride and some you eat.

There are advantages for you in them, so that you may satisfy your needs through them, and may be borne upon them and on ships.

He shows His signs. How many of God's signs will you then deny?

Have they not travelled in the land and seen how was the end of those before them who were far more numerous than they and more strong, and have left behind them traces on the earth. And yet nothing of what they did profited them.

For when Our apostles came to them with clear proofs, they boasted and exulted at the knowledge they possessed; but what they used to mock recoiled back on them,

So that when they saw Our might, they said: \"We believe in God the one and single, and reject those we associated (with Him).\" --