Surah Ghafir

Ghafir (The Forgiver) is the 40th surah of the Quran. A Meccan surah of 85 verses in the twenty-fourth juz, it is counted 60th in the traditional order of revelation, after Az-Zumar. The first of the seven surahs opening with Ha-Mim, it opens with God's forgiveness, tells of the believer at Pharaoh's court, and assures the Prophet that God helps His messengers.

Names

The surah takes its name from verse 3, where God is "Forgiver of sin (ghafir al-dhanb), Acceptor of repentance, severe in punishment". It is also called Al-Mu'min (The Believer), after the man of Pharaoh's family who defended Moses. It begins the group of the Hawamim, surahs 40 to 46, which all open with the letters Ha-Mim. It is Meccan, though some scholars regard verses 56 and 57 as Medinan.

Themes

• Forgiveness and the angels (40:1–9). The angels who bear the Throne glorify their Lord and ask forgiveness for the believers: "Our Lord, You encompass all things in mercy and knowledge" (40:7).
• The Day of Judgement (40:10–22). The disbelievers confess their sins too late; on that Day it is proclaimed: "To whom belongs the dominion today? To God, the One, the Irresistible" (40:16). God knows "the treachery of the eyes and what the hearts conceal" (40:19).
• The believer at Pharaoh's court (40:23–50). Moses is sent to Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun. When Pharaoh resolves to kill him, a believer from Pharaoh's family who had concealed his faith asks: "Will you kill a man because he says 'My Lord is God'?" (40:28). He warns his people, entrusts his affair to God (40:44) and is protected, while Pharaoh, who had ordered Haman to build a tower to reach "the God of Moses", perishes with his people.
• Help and prayer (40:51–68). "We will surely help Our messengers and those who believe, in this world and on the Day the witnesses stand" (40:51). "Your Lord has said: call upon Me, I will answer you" (40:60).
• Late faith (40:78–85). The faith of those who believe only when they see God's punishment does not benefit them.

Hadith

Al-Bukhari relates that when Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt tried to strangle the Prophet as he prayed near the Kaaba, Abu Bakr pushed him away, repeating the words of verse 28: "Will you kill a man because he says 'My Lord is God'?" Commenting on verse 60, the Prophet said: "Supplication is worship" (al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, graded sahih). The story of Moses and Pharaoh is also told in Al-Qasas, and the Hawamim continue with Fussilat.