Sura 40, Ghafir (Forgiving)/al Mumin, Mecca 60
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
وَلَقَدْ
آتَيْنَا مُوسَى
الْهُدَى...
40: 53. We did aforetime give Moses the (Book of) Guidance,
... وَأَوْرَثْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ ﴿٥٣﴾
and We gave the Book in inheritance to the Children of Israel --
هُدًى
وَذِكْرَى
لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
﴿٥٤﴾
40: 54. A Guide and a Message to men of understanding.
فَاصْبِرْ
...
40: 55. Patiently, then, persevere:
... إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ...
for the Promise of God is true:
... وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ...
and ask forgiveness for thy fault,
... وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ ﴿٥٥﴾
and celebrate the Praises of thy Lord in the evening and in the morning.
Asad’s translation:
40:53 And, indeed, We bestowed aforetime [Our] guidance on Moses, and [thus] made the children of Israel heirs to the divine writ [revealed to him]
(40:54) as a [means of] guidance and a reminder for those who were endowed with insight: 37
(40:55) hence, remain thou patient in adversity - for, verily, God's promise always comes true - and ask forgiveness for thy sins, and extol thy Sustainer's glory and praise by night and by day. 38
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Ali’s comments:
4426. Moses was given a Revelation, and it was given in heritage to the Children of Israel, to preserve it, guide their conduct by it, and hold aloft its Message: but they failed in all these particulars.
4427. The Israelites corrupted or lost their Book; they disobeyed Allah's Law; and failed to proclaim and exemplify Allah's Message. That is why the new Revelation came to the holy Prophet.
If, in the beginning, it was rejected and persecuted, there was no cause for discouragement; on the contrary, there was all the greater need for patience and perseverance.
4428. Every mortal according to his nature and degree of spiritual enlightenment falls short of the perfect standard of Allah (16:61), and should therefore ask Allah for forgiveness.
What is merit in an ordinary man may be a human shortcoming in one nearest to Allah: see 38:24-25, and notes 4175-76. Prophets have a further responsibility for their People or their Ummah, and they ask in a representative capacity.
4429. Cf. i3:41. Evening and morning are the best times for contemplation and prayer. But the phrase "evening and morning" may mean "at all times". (R).
Asad’s comments:
37 Sc, "and thus, too, have We bestowed Our revelation upon Muhammad". This connects with the opening words of verse 51 , "We shall indeed succour Our apostles and those who have attained to faith", thus explaining the purport of the preceding story of the believer who stood up for Moses. The reference to "those [of the children of Israel] who were endowed with insight" and therefore could benefit from the message of Moses, is undoubtedly meant to remind the followers of the Qur'an that this divine writ, too, is for "those who are endowed with insight" (ulu '1-albab), for "people who think"
(qawm yatafakkarun), and "people who use their reason" (qawm ya'qilun).
38 According to all classical commentators, the above passage is addressed in the first instance to the Prophet and, through him, to every believer. As regards the Prophet himself, see note 41 on the last sentence of 24 : 3 1 .
[[ 24:31[last sentence] … And [always], O you believers - all of you - turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state! 41
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Note 41 - The implication of this general call to repentance is that since "man has been created weak" (4:28), no one is ever free of faults and temptations so much so that even the Prophet used to say, "Verily, I turn unto Him in repentance a hundred times every day" (Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Bayhaqi, all of them on the authority of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar).]]