بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
قدوس قدوس قدوس
In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful
Holy, Holy, Holy
Here I am beginning a new series that is a commentary on select Âyât that appear in the Hawâmîm, or those chapters of the Qurân which begin with:
حٰمٓ
Hâ Mîm
And the first such chapter is Sûrat al-Mu’min also called Sûrat Ghâfir because it starts with mention of a beautiful attribute of Allâh:
غَافِرِ الذَّنۡۢبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوۡبِ
Forgiver of sin, accepting of repentance (40:3)
Hâ Mîm are from the Hurûf al-Muqatta’ât (disjointed letters) that appear at the beginning of certain chapters of the Qurân. They have some mystical significance and may likely be related to Abjad or Gematria. Allâh and His Apostle know best!
Whatever the hidden meaning of Hâ Mîm, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم has explained the efficacy of its verbalization with regard to protection and help in a situation of alarm, for instance:
إِنْ بُيِّتُّمْ فَلْيَكُنْ شِعَارُكُمْ حم لاَ يُنْصَرُونَ
If you are raided then let your slogan be Hâ Mîm. They will not be aided (Sunan Abî Dâwud)
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
کُلُّ اُمَّۃٍۭ بِرَسُوۡلِہِمۡ لِیَاۡخُذُوۡہُ
Every Ummah tried to seize their Messengers (40:5)
The unbelievers attempted to murder or imprison every single Apostle that was sent by Allâh, and some of them were indeed martyred at the hands of their own people (2:87; 5:70; 3:183). This is especially true of the Jews who sought to slay Jesus (John 5:16; John 7:1) and they repeatedly attempted to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
اَلَّذِیۡنَ یَحۡمِلُوۡنَ الۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَہٗ یُسَبِّحُوۡنَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَیُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ وَیَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا
Those that carry the Throne and whoever is around it glorify with the praise of their Lord, believing in Him and asking forgiveness for those who believe (40:7)
These are the high category of Angels that are known as the Hamalât al-Arsh, Carriers of the Throne, and the Kurûbiyyîn or Cherubim that are around the Throne. They are constantly engaged in very beautiful and perfect glorification and praise of the Lord. Many Prophets have had visions of these Angels at the Throne, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, but also our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم during his Mi’râj. In this Âyah it is revealed that they intercede on our behalf by praying to Allâh for forgiveness of the Believers.
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَمَتَّنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ وَاَحۡیَیۡتَنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ فَاعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوۡبِنَا فَہَلۡ اِلٰی خُرُوۡجٍ مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ
They will say: “Our Lord, You gave us death twice and You gave us life twice. So we have confessed our sins, is there a way out?” (40:11)
The unbelievers, especially the polytheists (40:12), will plead to Allâh for a way out of Hell on account of their having acknowledged the sins they committed in this world, but to no avail. The life of this world is a soul’s only opportunity to do what is right and earn the favor of Allâh. Once the Angel of Death comes for someone there will be no second chances for them! What are the two deaths and the two lives referred to here? The first death is the state of the soul before its formation in the womb of its mother and subsequent birth and coming into this world, and the second death is its departure from this world when the soul is taken by the Angel of Death. The first life is then the life of this world, and the second life is at the Resurrection.
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
یُلۡقِی الرُّوۡحَ مِنۡ اَمۡرِہٖ عَلٰی مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ لِیُنۡذِرَ یَوۡمَ التَّلَاقِ
He casts the Spirit of His command upon whoever He wills of His servants to warn of the Day of the Meeting (40:15)
Through the Spirit does Allâh inspire a chosen slave of His to prophesy concerning the Apocalypse, that is, Judgment Day and the Resurrection. It is not only the actual Prophets but any servant of God who is a Believer and is moved to warn about Judgment Day has had the Spirit cast upon him. The Holy Spirit continues to descend upon and envelop individuals from among the servants of Allâh, through which they are inspired and moved to preach the Word of God and particularly warn about Judgment Day.
قَالُوا اقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَبۡنَآءَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَہٗ وَاسۡتَحۡیُوۡا نِسَآءَہُمۡ
They said: “Slay the sons of those who believe with them but leave alive their women” (40:25)
This command of Pharaoh, Hâmân and Qârûn to kill the sons of the Believers while sparing their women was not limited to the Israelite infants as in the first instance (2:49; 28:4), since Pharaoh also wanted to have Moses killed (40:26). Qârûn is Korah. Although he was apparently a Levite, he was a traitor and a hypocrite who managed to gain Pharaoh’s favor and company. At the Exodus he had to leave with the Nation but continued to rebel and cause mischief. The opponents argue the Qurân has erred by making Hâmân a minister of Pharaoh when according to the Book of Esther, Haman was an official in the court of a Persian king named “Ahasuerus” and he hatched a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews. But the Book of Esther is widely considered historical fiction and an invented etiology for the Jewish festival of Purim. The book can hardly be considered Scripture, it does not even mention God!
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ یٰہَامٰنُ ابۡنِ لِیۡ صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَبۡلُغُ الۡاَسۡبَابَ
اَسۡبَابَ السَّمٰوٰتِ فَاَطَّلِعَ اِلٰۤی اِلٰہِ مُوۡسٰی وَاِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّہٗ کَاذِبًا
And said Pharaoh: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the ways. Ways to the Heavens so I may look at the God of Moses. For surely I assume he is a liar.” (40:36-37)
This passage indicates that the God of Moses had been introduced to Pharaoh and others as One Who is above Heaven. Pharaoh’s limited and childish understanding of the reality of the Heavens made him assume a tower could be constructed by human hands that reaches high into the sky where he might catch a glimpse of the God of Moses. And from this we know that the God of Moses, the true God, is unlike the imaginary, terrestrial gods of the idolaters. Our God is transcendent, being above and beyond the universe.
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
مَنۡ عَمِلَ سَیِّئَۃً فَلَا یُجۡزٰۤی اِلَّا مِثۡلَہَا
Whoever does an evil deed will not be recompensed except by its likeness (40:40)
The assurance is given that whatever punishment awaits the unbelievers in the Hereafter shall be truly just and fair, appropriate to their evil deeds. And surely, eternal damnation to the Fire is a fair and just reward for the evil of not worshipping Allâh alone. If only the people could begin to comprehend the gravity of such an evil!
وَیٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِیۡۤ اَدۡعُوۡکُمۡ اِلَی النَّجٰوۃِ وَتَدۡعُوۡنَنِیۡۤ اِلَی النَّارِ
And O my people! How is it that I call you to Salvation and you call me to the Fire? (40:41)
The word Najâh means salvation, in the Islamic context it is salvation from Hellfire. Islam is essentially a call to salvation from Hell (hence the name of my blog).
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
اَلنَّارُ یُعۡرَضُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہَا غُدُوًّا وَّعَشِیًّا ۚ وَیَوۡمَ تَقُوۡمُ السَّاعَۃُ ۟ اَدۡخِلُوۡۤا اٰلَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ اَشَدَّ الۡعَذَابِ
The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour is established the people of Pharaoh will be entered into the severest punishment (40:46)
This Âyah is a proof for the reality of the punishment of the grave, as an intermediary state between the life of this world and the Resurrection. Presently, Pharaoh and his people are exposed to the Fire, but at the Resurrection they will be made to enter it, meaning into the blaze of Jahannam.
Allâh says:
وَمَا دُعٰٓؤُا الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ
And the prayer of the unbelievers is but in error (40:50)
While this is in the context of the unbelievers pleading with God in Hell, it is a general rule that the prayers of the unbelievers are futile and of no avail while they are in a state of unbelief. Except for the one who sincerely prays for guidance and light. But such a one, though he is ignorant of the Truth, can’t be described as a kâfir because the proof has not been established against him, nor have the Signs been made manifest to him. And it is sufficient for one to be considered a kâfir if he even hears about the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم but does not believe in him, thus most of humanity has fallen into kufr.
Allâh says:
وَلَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡہُدٰی وَاَوۡرَثۡنَا بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ الۡکِتٰبَ
And We gave Moses the Guidance and We bequeathed to the Children of Israel the Scripture (40:53)
The Torah is the primary Scripture that was bequeathed to the Israelites, but also the Scriptures of the Prophets subsequent to Moses, such as the Psalms and the other Sahâ’if. These were inherited by the Children of Israel and they were entrusted with them. They are an inheritance, but not of material wealth, rather an inheritance of knowledge.
Allâh, Holy and Exalted, says to His Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم
وَّاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ
And seek forgiveness for your fault (40:55)
Fakhr ud-Dîn ar-Râzî explains:
وَنَحْنُ نَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى التَّوْبَةِ عَنْ تَرْكِ الْأَوْلَى وَالْأَفْضَلِ أَوْ عَلَى مَا كَانَ قَدْ صَدَرَ عَنْهُمْ قَبْلَ النُّبُوَّةِ
We hold it to be repentance for abandoning what is better and preferable, or what issued from him before the Nubuwwah (Tafsîr al-Kabîr)
We Sunni Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is sinless. His constant repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allâh was to model for his followers, and also for those minor errors and unintentional mistakes which are a natural consequence of his humanity.
Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says;
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِیۡ سَیَدۡخُلُوۡنَ جَہَنَّمَ دٰخِرِیۡنَ
Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me shall enter Jahannam, despised (40:60)
Along with those who worship partners they have set up with Allâh, those who do not worship at all will be cast into Hell. So it is not sufficient to merely confess belief in Allâh. One who thinks he is too good to bow, kneel, and prostrate his face before the King of Kings is likewise an infidel. He is essentially no different than an idolater or an atheist.
Allâh says:
فَاِمَّا نُرِیَنَّکَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِیۡ نَعِدُہُمۡ
So if We show you some of which We promised them (40:77)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم beheld many visions of the Afterlife, especially in a state of wakefulness. Once he led the people in Salât al-Khusûf, or the solar eclipse prayer, the Companions رضى الله عنهم praying behind him witnessed him step forward and reach for something, and likewise witnessed him step back from something. After the conclusion of the Salâh they asked him about that and he said:
إِنِّي أُرِيتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَتَنَاوَلْتُ مِنْهَا عُنْقُودًا وَلَوْ أَخَذْتُهُ لأَكَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ مَا بَقِيَتِ الدُّنْيَا
I saw the Paradise, and wanted to reach the fruit in it and grab it so that you could eat from it for the remainder of this world (Sahih al-Bukhari)
وَأُرِيتُ النَّارَ فَلَمْ أَرَ مَنْظَرًا كَالْيَوْمِ قَطُّ أَفْظَعَ وَرَأَيْتُ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِهَا النِّسَاءَ
And I saw the Fire, and I never saw such a terrifying sight, and I saw that most of its people were women (ibid)
Allâh says:
وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلًا مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ قَصَصۡنَا عَلَیۡکَ وَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡ عَلَیۡکَ
And We sent Messengers before you among whom We have mentioned their stories to you, and among them whose stories We have not mentioned to you (40:78)
And perhaps the greatest Messenger of God to fall in the category of من لم نقصص عليك the “one We did not relay about to you” is the Prophet Jeremiah, peace be upon him. And Allâh knows best.
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