Ghafir · Makki · ayah 28 of 85

Ghafir 40:28

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَـٰذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ

“And a believing man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said, "Do you kill a man [merely] because he says, 'My Lord is Allāh' while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he should be lying, then upon him is [the consequence of] his lie; but if he should be truthful, there will strike you some of what he promises you. Indeed, Allāh does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar.”

Saheeh International

Essence

A man who had kept his faith silent as a cloud without thunder spoke at last, opening with a question the court could not answer.

A reflection

Courage that had been thinking

The familiar picture of this man is simple. Pharaoh says he will kill Musa, and a brave believer stands up and tells him he is wrong. Courage, in that picture, means saying the truth loudly and taking the consequences.

Read the sentence he actually spoke. It is built, piece by piece, by someone who has thought hard about his listeners.

It opens with a question, not an accusation. Will you kill a man because he says, my Lord is Allah? He names the crime and the pretext side by side, and lets the gap speak. Then he says the proofs came from your Lord, not just Musa's. One commentator calls this drawing them step by step towards admitting it.

Next comes a fork. If he is a liar, his lie is on him. If he is truthful, some of what he warns you of will strike you. He puts the liar case first. He says some, not all. The commentaries explain both choices the same way. He speaks like a fair man with no stake, so they will keep listening. Another reading adds that he was protecting himself, so Pharaoh would not see where he stood.

Then he closes on a sentence that cuts both ways. Allah does not guide one who is a wasteful liar. Each listener could hear whichever name he liked.

In a hospital bed meeting, someone proposes discharging an elderly woman who keeps complaining. A junior member asks one thing. If she is exaggerating, what does one more night cost? If she isn't, what will sending her home cost?

That is courage that has been thinking. It is no less brave for being careful.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.