Tafsir of Ghafir 40:7

It is narrated: The feet of the Bearers of the Throne are in the lowest earth, and their heads have pierced the Throne, and they are in a state of humility, not raising their gaze.

From the Prophet (ﷺ): "Do not contemplate the greatness of your Lord, but contemplate what God has created of the angels." For there is a creation of the angels called Israfil; a corner of the corners of the Throne is upon his shoulder, his feet are in the lowest earth, and his head has emerged from the seven heavens. He shrinks from the greatness of God until he becomes like a was'a (a small bird).

In the Hadith: "God Almighty commanded all the angels to go and return with greetings to the Bearers of the Throne, as a preference for them over the rest of the angels."

It is said: God created the Throne from a green jewel, and between two of its pillars is the distance of a swift bird flying for eighty thousand years.

It is said: Around the Throne are seventy thousand types of angels, circling it, proclaiming the oneness and greatness of God. Behind them are seventy thousand rows standing, having placed their hands on their shoulders, raising their voices in praise. Behind them are one hundred thousand rows, having placed their right hands over their left, each one glorifying God in a way the other does not.

Ibn Abbas read: (Al-'Ursh) with a damma on the 'ayn.

If you ask: What is the benefit of His saying, "And they believe in Him," when it is not hidden from anyone that the Bearers of the Throne and the angels around it are believers?

I say: Its benefit is to manifest the honor and virtue of faith and to encourage it, just as He described the Prophets in more than one place in His Book as being righteous for that reason, and as He followed deeds of goodness with His saying: "Then they were of those who believed" (Al-Balad: 17), thereby clarifying the virtue of faith.

Another benefit: It is a warning that if the matter were as the Mujassimah (anthropomorphists) claim, the Bearers of the Throne and those around it would be observers and eyewitnesses, and they would not be described as having "faith," for only the absent is described as having faith. Since they were described with it by way of praising them, it is known that their faith and the faith of those on earth—and everyone absent from that station—are equal: in that the faith of all is by way of reflection and deduction, and there is no path to knowing Him except this, and He is exalted above the attributes of physical bodies.

Proportionality is observed in His saying: "And they believe in Him" and "And they ask forgiveness for those who have believed," as if it were said: They believe and ask forgiveness for those who are in a state and condition similar to their own. It contains a warning that sharing in faith must be the strongest thing to invite sincere advice and the most stirring to pure compassion, even if species differ and places are far apart. For there is no companionship between an angel and a human, nor between a celestial and a terrestrial being, yet when faith came, total homogeneity and true proportionality came with it, such that those around the Throne ask forgiveness for those upon the earth. God Almighty said: "And they ask forgiveness for those on earth" (Ash-Shura: 5).

Meaning: They say, "Our Lord." This pronoun may be an explanation for "they ask forgiveness" (in the nominative case), or it may be a state (hal).

If you ask: God is exalted above place, so how is it correct to say, "You encompass everything"?

I say: Mercy and knowledge are what encompass everything in meaning. The origin is: "Your mercy and Your knowledge encompass everything," but the speech was removed from its origin by attributing the verb to the Possessor of mercy and knowledge, and they were brought out in the accusative case as tamyiz (specification) to emphasize the description of Him with mercy and knowledge, as if His Essence is mercy and knowledge encompassing everything.

If you ask: Mercy and knowledge were mentioned, so it is necessary that what follows the fa (in "so forgive") includes both, yet only forgiveness was mentioned?

I say: Its meaning is: So forgive those of whom You knew repentance and the following of Your path. The path of God is the path of truth which He laid out for His servants and called them to.

"Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise": Meaning, the King who is not overcome. And with Your kingdom and might, You do not do anything except by the call of wisdom, and the requirement of Your wisdom is that You fulfill Your promise.

"And protect them from the evil deeds": Meaning, the punishments, or the consequences of evil deeds. The noun was omitted, assuming that "evil deeds" refers to the minor or major sins for which one has repented. Protection from them is expiation or the acceptance of repentance.

If you ask: What is the benefit of their asking forgiveness for them when they are repentant, righteous, and promised forgiveness, and God does not break His promise?

I say: This is in the position of intercession, and its benefit is an increase in honor and reward.

It is read: (Jannat 'Adn) and sulh (righteous), with a damma on the lam, though the fatha is more eloquent. It is said: salaha (he was righteous), so he is salih; and salaha, so he is salih. And their descendants.