سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ

Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 27

The Forgiver · Meccan · Juz 24 · Page 470

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّكُم مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ ٱلْحِسَابِ ﴿27﴾
Mûsâ (Moses) said: "Verily I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!"
وَقَالَ waqāla And said
مُوسَىٰٓ mūsā Musa
إِنِّى innī Indeed, I
عُذْتُ ʿudh'tu [I] seek refuge
بِرَبِّى birabbī in my Lord
وَرَبِّكُم warabbikum and your Lord
مِّن min from
كُلِّ kulli every
مُتَكَبِّرٍۢ mutakabbirin arrogant one
لَّا not
يُؤْمِنُ yu'minu who believes
بِيَوْمِ biyawmi (in the) Day
ٱلْحِسَابِ l-ḥisābi (of) the Account

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 27) ➊ {وَ قَالَ مُوْسٰۤى اِنِّيْ عُذْتُ بِرَبِّيْ … :} When Musa (peace be upon him) came to know that Pharaoh wanted to kill him, he sought refuge with Allah Almighty to protect himself from his evil. This is the way of the special servants of Allah Almighty: to seek their Lord’s protection and rely on Him when facing enemies. Abu Musa Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) feared an attack from any people, he would supplicate to Allah Almighty: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِيْ نُحُوْرِهِمْ وَنَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُوْرِهِمْ ] [ أبو داوٗد، الوتر، باب ما یقول الرجل إذا خاف قومًا : ۱۵۳۷، و صححہ الألباني ] “O Allah! We put You before them and seek Your protection from their evils.” The statement of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) {’’حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ‘‘} when he was thrown into the fire, and the statement of the boy among the People of the Ditch {’’اَللّٰهُمَّ اكْفِنِيْهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ‘‘} are also excellent examples of seeking Allah Almighty’s protection from enemies. [ دیکھیے بخاري : ۴۵۶۴۔ مسلم : ۳۰۰۵ ]

{ عُذْتُ بِرَبِّيْ :} The meaning is that I seek refuge with that Exalted Being who nurtured me, granted me the rank of prophethood, protected me from all calamities and hardships, and bestowed upon me countless blessings. Therefore, He will also protect me from Pharaoh and every arrogant, tyrannical oppressor, so I seek refuge with Him alone.

{ وَ رَبِّكُمْ:} In this, Musa (peace be upon him) is teaching his people that, like him, they too should seek refuge only with their Lord.

{ مِنْ كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ:} Instead of seeking refuge only from Pharaoh’s evil, refuge was sought from the evil of every arrogant one. From this, it is understood that supplications should be broad and comprehensive, as in this supplication, protection is sought from every enemy, whether his enmity is apparent or hidden, and whether the enemy is an individual or a group.

{ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ:} From this, it is understood that only the arrogant (i.e., those who deny the truth and consider people insignificant) and those who do not believe in the Day of Reckoning commit oppression and unlawful killing. Otherwise, one who accepts the truth and is certain of accountability—how could he commit oppression?

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

27. 1. When it came to the knowledge of Hazrat Musa (علیہ السلام) that Pharaoh intended to kill him, he prayed to Allah for protection from his evil. When the Prophet ﷺ feared the enemy, he would recite this supplication: اللھم انا نجعلک فی نحورھم ونعوذ بک من شرور ھم (Musnad Ahmad) "O Allah, we put You before them and we seek Your protection from their evils."

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

27. And Moses said, "Indeed, I have sought refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day [37] of Reckoning."

[37]
Only Those Who Deny the Hereafter Can Be Arrogant and Oppressive:

Whether Pharaoh spoke of killing Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) in his presence or Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) learned of Pharaoh’s threat through some intermediary, in any case, when he heard this, he said to his people: I do not care at all about such threats from Pharaoh. Not only Pharaoh alone, even if all the arrogant and tyrants of the world gather together, they cannot harm me in the least, because I have placed myself in the protection of my Lord, and He is sufficient to save me from their evil. Incidentally, from this verse it is also understood that only those people can be arrogant, tyrannical, and oppressive who do not believe in the Day of Resurrection.