سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 29
يَـٰقَوْمِ لَكُمُ ٱلْمُلْكُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ظَـٰهِرِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَمَن يَنصُرُنَا مِنۢ بَأْسِ ٱللَّهِ إِن جَآءَنَا ۚ قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَآ أُرِيكُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَرَىٰ وَمَآ أَهْدِيكُمْ إِلَّا سَبِيلَ ٱلرَّشَادِ ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"O my people! Yours is the kingdom today, you being dominant in the land. But who will save us from the Torment of Allâh, should it befall us?" Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) said: "I show you only that which I see (correct), and I guide you only to the path of right policy!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰقَوْمِ
yāqawmi
O my people
لَكُمُ
lakumu
For you
ٱلْمُلْكُ
l-mul'ku
(is) the kingdom
ٱلْيَوْمَ
l-yawma
today
ظَـٰهِرِينَ
ẓāhirīna
dominant
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the land
فَمَن
faman
but who
يَنصُرُنَا
yanṣurunā
will help us
مِنۢ
min
from
بَأْسِ
basi
(the) punishment
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
إِن
in
if
جَآءَنَا ۚ
jāanā
it came to us
قَالَ
qāla
Said
فِرْعَوْنُ
fir'ʿawnu
Firaun
مَآ
mā
Not
أُرِيكُمْ
urīkum
I show you
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَآ
mā
what
أَرَىٰ
arā
I see
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَهْدِيكُمْ
ahdīkum
I guide you
إِلَّا
illā
except
سَبِيلَ
sabīla
(to the) path
ٱلرَّشَادِ
l-rashādi
the right
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
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 29) ➊ { يٰقَوْمِ لَكُمُ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ …:} This believing man, by saying "O my people!" expressed his connection with them, which he had as a Copt, a member of Pharaoh's family, and by saying {’’ الْيَوْمَ ‘‘} "(today)", he drew their attention to the changes of time, that this dominance and power is not a permanent thing. If yesterday it was with Yusuf (peace be upon him) and his successors, the Israelites, and today in this land of Egypt it is with you and you have dominance over the Israelites, then just as it was taken from the Israelites, it can also be taken from you, and due to disbelief, polytheism, and oppression, you too can become the target of Allah's punishment like the previous nations. So if it comes, who will save us from it? {’’ الْاَرْضِ ‘‘} Because of the definite article "al" (alif lam), it has been translated as "this land," meaning Egypt.
➋ { قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَاۤ اُرِيْكُمْ اِلَّا مَاۤ اَرٰى:} Some commentators think that Pharaoh did not realize that the person who opposed the decision to kill Musa (peace be upon him) had actually believed in him, so Pharaoh did not hold him accountable for his boldness. But the more likely view is that he was already afraid of Musa (peace be upon him) because of the miracles and awe granted to him by Allah Almighty, as evidenced by his saying: « ذَرُوْنِيْۤ اَقْتُلْ مُوْسٰى» [ المؤمن : ۲۶ ] "Leave me so that I may kill Musa." Now, when he saw that even among his close people there was support for Musa (peace be upon him), he did not dare say anything to this believing man, nor could he answer any of his arguments. Rather, he avoided answering and expressed his sincerity to his chiefs and people, saying that he thinks for them what he thinks for himself and presents to them the opinion that is the result of his best thinking. But this statement of this extravagant liar was a complete lie, because in his heart he already knew Musa (peace be upon him) to be truthful. Allah Almighty has mentioned his lie in several verses. (See An-Naml: 12–14; Bani Isra'il: 102) His purpose was to fool his people, and indeed he did fool them, as mentioned in Surah Az-Zukhruf: « فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهٗ فَاَطَاعُوْهُ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا قَوْمًا فٰسِقِيْنَ » [ الزخرف : ۵۴ ] "So he made his people seem light (insignificant), and they obeyed him; indeed, they were defiantly disobedient people."
Besides this, his saying, "I think for you what I think for myself," was also clearly a lie, because for himself he was not willing to settle for any position below the Lord Most High, but for his people he had nothing except to keep them as his slaves. The same is the case with the words and actions of today's rulers.
➌ { وَ مَاۤ اَهْدِيْكُمْ اِلَّا سَبِيْلَ الرَّشَادِ:} Allah Almighty has made it clear in several verses that his saying, "I am only guiding you to the path of goodness," was also wrong. See Surah Hud (9) and Surah Ta-Ha (79).
➋ { قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَاۤ اُرِيْكُمْ اِلَّا مَاۤ اَرٰى:} Some commentators think that Pharaoh did not realize that the person who opposed the decision to kill Musa (peace be upon him) had actually believed in him, so Pharaoh did not hold him accountable for his boldness. But the more likely view is that he was already afraid of Musa (peace be upon him) because of the miracles and awe granted to him by Allah Almighty, as evidenced by his saying: « ذَرُوْنِيْۤ اَقْتُلْ مُوْسٰى» [ المؤمن : ۲۶ ] "Leave me so that I may kill Musa." Now, when he saw that even among his close people there was support for Musa (peace be upon him), he did not dare say anything to this believing man, nor could he answer any of his arguments. Rather, he avoided answering and expressed his sincerity to his chiefs and people, saying that he thinks for them what he thinks for himself and presents to them the opinion that is the result of his best thinking. But this statement of this extravagant liar was a complete lie, because in his heart he already knew Musa (peace be upon him) to be truthful. Allah Almighty has mentioned his lie in several verses. (See An-Naml: 12–14; Bani Isra'il: 102) His purpose was to fool his people, and indeed he did fool them, as mentioned in Surah Az-Zukhruf: « فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهٗ فَاَطَاعُوْهُ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا قَوْمًا فٰسِقِيْنَ » [ الزخرف : ۵۴ ] "So he made his people seem light (insignificant), and they obeyed him; indeed, they were defiantly disobedient people."
Besides this, his saying, "I think for you what I think for myself," was also clearly a lie, because for himself he was not willing to settle for any position below the Lord Most High, but for his people he had nothing except to keep them as his slaves. The same is the case with the words and actions of today's rulers.
➌ { وَ مَاۤ اَهْدِيْكُمْ اِلَّا سَبِيْلَ الرَّشَادِ:} Allah Almighty has made it clear in several verses that his saying, "I am only guiding you to the path of goodness," was also wrong. See Surah Hud (9) and Surah Ta-Ha (79).
