Texts of Islam

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 40. al-Mu'min: The Forgiving One

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This is Surah 40 (al-Mu'min, "The Forgiving One") from M.M. Pickthall's early 20th-century English translation of the Quran, one of the most widely used classical translations by a Western convert to Islam. The surah centers on divine sovereignty and accountability, repeatedly contrasting Allah's absolute power and mercy with the fate of those who reject prophetic revelation — framing disbelief as both intellectually foolish and cosmically catastrophic. A substantial portion retells the story of Moses and Pharaoh, with particular attention to an unnamed believer within Pharaoh's court who argues, at personal risk, for Moses' right to be heard — a figure used to model reasoned, courageous faith under tyranny. The surah's distinctive rhetorical move is its sustained address to Muhammad, consoling him that persecution of prophets is a historical pattern, not a sign of failure, and that divine promise of vindication is certain. Throughout, it pairs descriptions of divine bounty — creation, provision, the cycles of day and night — with warnings of eschatological punishment, pressing the reader to recognize signs already visible in the natural world. Pickthall's translation is notably formal and archaic in register, closely following classical Arabic rhetorical structure and preserving the surah's rhythmic, proclamatory tone.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 40. al-Mu'min: The Forgiving One

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