Surah The Forgiver [Ghafir] in English

Ha'. Mim.

This Book is a revelation from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing;

the Forgiver of sins, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in retribution, the Bountiful. There is no god but He. To Him are all destined to return.

None but the unbelievers dispute regarding the Signs of Allah. So let not their strutting about in the land delude you.

Before them the people of Noah also gave the lie (to Messengers), and so did many parties after them. Each nation sallied forth against its Messenger to seize him, and they disputed with false arguments seeking therewith to repudiate the Truth. Then I seized them; and behold, how woeful was My retribution!

Thus has the decree of your Lord become due against the unbelievers. They are destined for the Fire.

The angels that bear the Throne and those that are around to extol your Lord's glory with His praise, they believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for the believers, saying: “Our Lord! You encompass everything with Your Mercy and Knowledge. So forgive those that repent and follow Your Path, and guard them against the chastisement of Hell.

Our Lord, admit them to the everlasting Gardens You have promised them and those of their fathers and spouses and progeny that were righteous. Surely You alone are Most Mighty, Most Wise;

and guard them against all ills. He whom You guard against ills on that Day, to him You have surely been Most Merciful. That is the great triumph.”

It will be announced to the unbelievers (on the Day of Resurrection): “Surely Allah's abhorrence of you when you were called to believe but you disbelieved was greater than is your abhorrence of yourselves today.”

They will say: “Our Lord, twice have You caused us to die and twice have You given us life. We have now confessed our sins. Is there, then, any way out?”

(They will be told): “(The cause of your present state is that) when Allah alone was invoked, you disbelieved; and when others instead of Him were invoked, you believed. Today all judgement lies with Allah, the Most High, the All-Great.”

He it is Who shows you His Signs and sends down provision for you from the sky. Yet none takes heed except he who constantly turns to Allah.

So call upon Allah, consecrating all your devotion to Him, howsoever much the unbelievers may dislike it.

Exalted in Rank, Lord of the Throne: He causes the spirit to descend on whomsoever of His servants He pleases so as to warn them of the Day of Encounter;

the Day when they will emerge and nothing of them shall be hidden from Allah. (On that Day they will be asked): “Whose is the kingdom today?” (The whole world will cry out): “It is Allah's, the One, the Overpowering.”

(It will then be said): “Today shall everyone be fully recompensed for his deeds. None shall be wronged today. Surely Allah is Swift in Reckoning.”

(O Prophet), then warn them of the Day that has drawn near, the Day when hearts full of suppressed grief will leap up to the throats and the wrong-doers shall neither have any sincere friend nor intercessor whose word will be heeded.

He knows even the most stealthy glance of the eyes and all the secrets that hearts conceal.

Allah will judge with justice, whereas those whom they call upon beside Him cannot judge at all. Surely Allah -- and He alone -- is All- Hearing, All-Seeing.

Have they not journeyed in the land that they might observe the end of those who came before them? They were even greater in strength than they and left behind more splendid traces in the land. Then Allah seized them because of their sins and they had none who could protect them from Allah.

They came to this end because their Messengers would come to them with Clear Signs and yet they would refuse to believe. So Allah seized them. He is indeed Strong, Terrible in Retribution.

Verily We sent Moses with Our Signs and a clear authority

to Pharaoh and Haman and Korah. They said: “(He is) a sorcerer, an utter liar.”

When Moses brought them the Truth from Us they said: “Kill the sons of all the believers who have joined him, but spare the women.” The guile of the unbelievers always ends in vain.

One day Pharaoh said: “Let me go and kill Moses; then let him invoke his Lord. I fear that he will change your religion or cause disruption in the land.”

Moses said: “I have taken refuge with my Lord and your Lord from everyone who waxes arrogant and does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.”

Then a man endowed with faith, from Pharaoh's folk, who had kept his faith hidden, said: “Do you kill a person simply because he says: 'My Lord is Allah' even though he brought to you clear Signs from your Lord? If he is a liar, his lying will recoil upon him; but if he is truthful, you will be smitten with some of the awesome consequences of which he warns you. Allah does not guide to the Right Way any who exceeds the limits and is an utter liar.

My people, today the kingdom is yours, and you are supreme in the land. But if Allah's chastisement were to come upon you, who will come to our help?” Pharaoh said: “I only counsel what I consider right; I only direct you to the Path of Rectitude.”

He who had faith said: “My people, I fear that you will confront a day like that which overtook many parties before you,

like the day that overtook the people of Noah and Ad and Thamud, and those who came after them. Allah does not wish to subject His servants to any injustice.

My people, I fear that you will encounter a day when there will be much wailing and you will cry out to one another for help,

the day when you will turn around to retreat, there will be none to protect you from Allah. He whom Allah lets go astray, none will be able to show him the Right Way.

Verily Joseph came to you with Clear Signs before, yet you continued to doubt his Message. Thereafter when he died, you said: 'Allah shall send no Messenger after him.'” Thus Allah leads astray those who transgress the limits and are given to much doubting;

those who contend regarding Allah's Signs without any evidence that might have come to them. That is exceedingly loathsome to Allah and to those that believe. Thus does Allah seal the heart of everyone who is proud and high-handed.

Pharaoh said: “Haman, build for me a lofty tower that I may scale the highways --

the highways to the heavens -- and have a look at the God of Moses, although I am certain that Moses is a liar.” Thus Pharaoh's evil deed was made to seem fair to him, and he was barred from the Right Path. Pharaoh's guile only led him to his own perdition.

The person endowed with faith said: “My people, follow me; I shall direct you to the Path of Rectitude.

My people, the life of this world is ephemeral, whereas the Hereafter, that is the permanent abode.

Whosoever does an evil deed will be requited only with the like of it; and whosoever acts righteously and has attained to faith -- be he a male or a female -- they shall enter Paradise and be provided sustenance beyond all reckoning.

My people, how is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire;

you call me to deny Allah and to associate with Him as His partners those regarding whom I have no knowledge (that they are Allah's partners in His Divinity), whereas I call you to the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving?

There is no doubt that those whom you call me to have no claim to be called upon in this world and in the Hereafter. Certainly to Allah shall be our return, and those who exceed the limits are destined to the Fire.

Soon you shall remember what I say to you. I entrust my affairs to Allah. Surely Allah is watchful over His servants.”

Eventually Allah saved the person endowed with faith from all the evils of their guile, and a woeful chastisement encompassed the Pharaonites.

They are exposed to the Fire every morning and evening; and when the Last Hour will come to pass, a command shall be given: “Admit the Pharaonites to an even more severe chastisement.”

Just imagine when they will remonstrate with one another in Hell. The weak ones will say to those who waxed proud: “We were your followers. Will you, then, lighten for us a part of our suffering of the Fire?”

Those who had waxed proud will reply: “All of us are in it. Allah has already passed His judgement among His servants.”

Those suffering in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell: “Call upon your Lord to lighten the chastisement for us just for a day.”

The keepers of Hell will ask: “Did your Messengers not come to you with Clear Signs?” They will say: “Yes (they did).” The keepers of Hell will say: “Then you yourselves should call (upon the Lord). And the call of the unbelievers will end in vain.”

Surely We shall help Our Messengers and the believers in the life of this world and on the Day when witnesses will rise to testify,

the Day when the excuses offered by the wrong-doers shall not avail them. They shall be victims of the curse and a woeful abode.

We surely guided Moses and made the Children of Israel the heirs of the Book

which was a guidance and good counsel to people endowed with understanding and wisdom.

Be steadfast, then, (O Prophet), Allah's promise is true. Seek forgiveness for your shortcomings, and celebrate the praise of your Lord, evening and morning.

Verily those who dispute regarding the Signs of Allah without any evidence that might have come to them, nothing but vain pride fills their hearts. Yet they shall never be able to satisfy the pride with which they are puffed up. So seek refuge with Allah. Verily He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater act than the creation of human beings. But most people do not know.

Never can the blind and the seeing be equal; nor those that believe and act righteously and those that do evil. Little do you understand.

The Hour will indeed come; there is no doubt about that. Yet most people do not believe.

Your Lord said: “Pray to Me, and I will accept your prayers. Surely those who wax too proud to worship Me shall enter Hell, utterly abased.”

Allah it is Who made the night so that you may seek repose in it, and made the day radiant. Surely Allah is Most Bounteous to people; but most people do not give thanks.

Allah (Who bestowed all these favours upon you) is your Lord, the Creator of everything. There is no god but He. Whence are you, then, being led astray?

Thus it is only those who had denied Allah's Signs that were led astray.

Allah it is Who made the earth a dwelling place for you and made the sky a canopy, Who shaped you -- and shaped you exceedingly well -- and gave you good things as sustenance. That is Allah, your Lord; blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

He is the Ever-Living: there is no god but He. So call upon Him, consecrating to Him all your devotion. All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe.

Say, (O Prophet): “I have been forbidden to worship those beside Allah whom you call upon. (How can I worship any beside Allah) when clear Signs have come to me from my Lord and I have been commanded to surrender to Allah, the Lord of the Universe?”

He it is Who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clot; then He brings you out as an infant, then causes you to grow into full maturity, and then causes you to grow further so that you may reach old age, while some of you He recalls earlier. All this is in order that you may reach an appointed term and that you may understand (the Truth).

He it is Who gives life and causes death. Whenever He decrees a thing, He only commands to it “Be”, and it is.

Did you not see those who dispute concerning Allah's Signs? Whence are they, then, being turned astray?

Those who gave the lie to this Book and all the Books which We had sent with Our Messengers shall soon come to know the Truth

when fetters and chains shall be on their necks, and they shall be dragged into

boiling water, and cast into the Fire.

It will then be said to them: “Where are those whom you

associated with Allah in His Divinity?” They will say: “We have lost them; rather, we never used to call upon anyone before.” Thus will Allah cause them to stumble in error.

(They will be told): “This is because while you were on earth you took delight in untruth and exulted in it.

Enter Hell now to abide in it. How woeful is the abode of those who wax proud!

So be patient, (O Prophet). Surely Allah's promise is true. Whether We show them a part of the woeful consequences against which We warn them (while you are still in their midst) or We recall you (from this world) before that, eventually it is to Us that they shall be brought back.

Indeed We sent many Messengers before you: of them there are some whose account We have narrated to you and there are others whose account We have not narrated to you. It did not lie in any Messenger's power to bring any Sign except with Allah's leave. So when Allah's decree came, the matter was decided with justice, and those steeped in error courted utter loss, then and there.

Allah it is Who has made cattle for you so that you ride some of them and from some of them you derive food.

In them there are also other benefits for you, and through them you fulfil your heartfelt need (to reach places), and you are borne along upon them as upon the ships.

Allah shows His Signs to you; then which of Allah's Signs will you deny?

Did they not journey in the land that they may behold the end of those who had gone before them? They were more numerous and greater in strength and left behind more splendid traces in the land. Yet their attainments did not avail them.

When their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs, they arrogantly exulted in whatever knowledge they had. They were then encompassed by what they had mocked.

When they saw Our chastisement, they said: “We have come to believe in Allah, the Only One, and we reject all what we had associated (with Allah in His Divinity).”