Surah Ghafir (The Forgiver) 40 : 78

Overview 

Verses 78 - 81)

This final part of the surah elaborates on the comments given at the end of the previous part. It again directs the Prophet and the believers to remain patient in adversity, until God wills to bring about what He has promised the believers and what He has warned the unbelievers against. This may take place during the Prophet's lifetime or may be delayed until a later time. The question here is that of faith, the believers and the rejecters who dispute its truth. The arbiter in all this is God. It is He who determines the course of His message as He pleases.

In this part the surah outlines some additional aspects of this point. The Divine message has a long history. It did not start with the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic message embodied in the Qur'an. Before him there were many messengers, some of whom God mentioned to the Prophet and some He did not. They all faced rejection and arrogance. They were all required to demonstrate miracles. Everyone of them dearly wished that God would give him a miracle which would force the rejecters to submit to the truth. However, showing such a sign or a miracle is a matter that God determines at His own time. The message is His and He conducts its affairs.

Nevertheless, there are numerous signs in the universe, which can be seen by all at all times. Of these, the surah mentions here cattle and ships, and refers in general to other signs which no one can deny.

The surah concludes with a strong reminder of the destruction of earlier communities all of whom displayed similar arrogance. Their power and civilisation were of little use to them when God's law was applied: "But accepting the faith after they had seen Our might was not going to benefit them at all. This has always been God's way of dealing with His creatures. There and then the unbelievers will be lost." (Verse 85) On this powerful note the surah concludes. It is a surah that focuses its attention on the battle between truth and falsehood, faith and unfaith, tyranny and justice.

Past Messengers

We sent other messengers before your time; some We have given you an account of while others We have not. No messenger could bring a sign except by God's leave. When God's will becomes manifest, judgement will be passed between them in all justice, and lost will be, then and there, all who have followed falsehood. (Verse 78)

This whole question of the message has had many precedents, some of which are told by God to His messenger in this book, the Qur'an. Others, He chose not to tell him about. The accounts that have been given clearly show the long, clearly marked way that advocacy of the Divine message should take. They also outline the rules that cannot be altered, since God has set them into operation. Furthermore, these accounts of past messengers make clear the nature of the message, the role of the messengers and the limits they have to observe.

The present verse strongly emphasises a fact that needs to be fully understood: "No messenger could bring a sign except by God's leave." (Verse 78) Every believer, even though he may be a messenger of God, would love to see the Divine message victorious. They dearly wish that those who stubbornly reject it will soon succumb to its truth. Therefore, they would love to see a miracle that would break the stubbornness of hardened unbelievers. However, God wants His chosen servants to remain absolutely patient in the face of all adversity. He, therefore, makes it clear to them that they have no say in the matter; their task is completed when they have delivered their message. Miracles occur at the time of His choice. Thus, they should be reassured, satisfied with whatever is accomplished through them, leaving the final outcome to God, who determines it as He pleases.

God also wants people to understand the nature of Godhead and the nature of prophethood. He wants them to realise that God's messengers are mortals like them: He has chosen them and assigned them their missions. Not only can they not exceed that mission, they would not try to do so. Moreover, people should know that miracles are delayed out of God's mercy. It is God's will that should people continue to reject His faith after they have been given a miracle, He will destroy them soon after that. Thus, they are given time and a period of grace: "When God's will becomes manifest, judgement will be passed between them in all justice, and lost will be, then and there, all who have followed falsehood." (Verse 78) There will be no time left for any further action, nor for repentance or mending of ways.