Surah Ghafir
Surah 40 · The Forgiver · 85 verses · meccan
The Forgiver — Ghafir, from verse 3. Also called al-Mu'min, "the Believer", after the man from Pharaoh's own family who spoke up.
The story
There was a man inside Pharaoh's own family who secretly believed in Allah. When they were about to hurt Musa عليه السلام, he stood up in front of everyone and said: "Are you really going to kill a man just for saying Allah is his Lord?"
How it unfolds
AYAH 1-9
Angels who carry the Throne
They ask forgiveness for the believers on earth — and their du'a is quoted in full.
AYAH 60
Call upon Me
The open invitation, with the warning that refusing to ask is itself a kind of arrogance.
AYAH 23-46
The believing man
A hidden believer inside Pharaoh's family who speaks, argues, is ignored, and is protected.
AYAH 82-85
Travel and look
The ruins of stronger civilisations, and faith that comes too late to count.
Verses to carry
- 40:60"Call upon Me; I will respond to you." The clearest promise about du'a in the Quran.
- 40:44"I entrust my affair to Allah." Said by a man surrounded by people planning to kill him.
- 40:28"Are you going to kill a man because he says, my Lord is Allah?"
Remember this
Allah says: call Me and I will answer you. He wants you to ask.
Talk about it
That man was very outnumbered but he still spoke up. When is it hard to say what you know is right?