Ghafir (The Forgiver)

7. Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness [of God] for those who believe [saying]: “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in Mercy and Knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Path and save them from the torment of Fire!

It is a recurrent Qur’anic theme that deprived believers should never conceive that the opportunities available to wrong doing, tyrant, and disbelieving individuals and groups indicate their final felicity or victory.

To expose the falsity of such conception maintained by narrow minded people as per which they regard material opportunities as their spiritual truth, the Holy Qur’an alludes to the accounts of former peoples and makes reference to evident instances such as the powerful people of Pharaoh in Egypt, people of Nimrod in Babylon, and peoples of Noah, ‘Ad, and Thamud in Iraq, Hijaz, and Sham lest deprived and destitute believers feel weak and deficient and be intimidated and weak by faithless tyrants’ pomp and apparent power.

God Almighty does not immediately chastise anyone committing sins as it is mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

“And We appointed a fixed time for their destruction”1 ; “So give a respite to the disbelievers; deal gently with them for a while”2 ; “We postpone the chastisement only so that they may increase in sinfulness, and for them is a disgracing torment”3 .

In short, such respites aim to give ultimatum to disbelievers, test believers, and increasing of sins by those who have blocked all their ways of return.

A similar sense of humiliation against tyrant and materially powerful governments may be perceived by some materially underdeveloped believing nations.

The aforementioned Qur’anic arguments may decisively serve against such false conceptions. Furthermore, it should be explained to them that their deprived state mainly stems from those tyrants’ oppression and if they sever the fetters and shackles of bondage and oppression they may strive hard to compensate their underdevelopment.

“Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness [of God] for those who believe.”

The tone of the preceding Verses indicate that they were revealed when Muslims constituted a deprived minority and their enemies were at the zenith of power and dominance and enjoyed many opportunities.

The occasion of the Revelation of the Verses in question is to bear glad tidings to true believers that they are never alone, they should not feel estranged since the bearers of Divine Throne, the Arch-Angels, support you and always invoke God Almighty to make you victorious in this world and the Hereafter and it is the best support for believers in this world and the world to come.

They say:

“Our Lord! You comprehend all things in Mercy and Knowledge [i.e., you are aware of Your servants’ sins and You are compassionate toward them], so forgive those who repent and follow Your Path and save them from the torment of Fire!”

On the one hand, they say unto believers that you who worship God and glorify Him are not alone since before you, the Arch-Angels who are closest to God Almighty, bear His Throne, circumambulate It, and glorify Him.

On the other hand, it warns disbelievers that their belief or disbelief is of no significance since God Almighty is Needless of others. So many angels glorify him that even their glorification may not be imagined by anyone; however, He is Needless of their glorification.

It also enlightens believers that they are not alone in this world. Inasmuch as you happen to constitute a minority, the Most Omnipotent of the Invisible Powers of the world and the bearers of Divine Throne render you support.

The bearers of the Throne invoke God Almighty at all times to comprehend you in His Infinite Mercy and Compassion, absolve you of your sins, and keep you from the torments of Hell.