Al-Muʾmin (or Ghāfir)^{1The published edition gives Ghāfir as the title to this sūra. However, all three MSS use the title al-Muʾmin.}

His words, Exalted is He:

Ḥā Mīm. The revelation of the Book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing,

He said:

That is, the Living (al-Ḥayy), the King (al-Malik),^{1Tustarī has here interpreted the letters ḥā and mīm of Ḥā Mīm as al-Ḥayy and al-Malik, respectively. Sometimes, as in this case, these ‘disconnected letters’ with which some of the sūras begin, are interpreted individually as representing something for which they stand as the initial letter. But it is also the custom to interpret the combination of letters, as was seen above in the commentary on Alif, Lām, Mīm, at the beginning of Sūrat al-Baqara. On the ‘disconnected letters’ see above, Tustarī’s commentary on 2:1, and p. 12, n. 2.} who sent down the Book to you. He is ⸢God⸣,^{2Present in all three MSS: Z515, f. 94b, F638, f. 44a and F3488, f. 270b.} who turns thereby [by the Revelation] the hearts of mystics (ʿārifūn). He is Almighty (al-ʿAzīz) beyond the grasp of created beings, the All-Knowing (al-ʿAlīm) with regard to what He has produced and ordained.

Forgiver of sins…

That is, He conceals the sins of whomever He will; and Accepter of repentance from the one who repents to Him and devotes his actions purely to Him with knowledge (ʿilm); One of [infinite] bounty; Possessed of a richness [which makes Him] Independent from all (al-Ghanī ʿan al-kull).

None dispute the signs of God…^{1The verse continues: except those who disbelieve, so do not be deceived by their bustle in the towns. The next verse gives examples of those, beginning with the people of Noah, who sought to dispute the truth brought by the messengers.}

That is, [they do not dispute] concerning His essence (dhāt), or omnipotence (qudra), or concerning the Qurʾān, or the Sunna, out of some whim of the lower self. Just as He said, And argued with falsehood [40:5], meaning: following [their] own whim (hawā) without referring to guidance from God, and just as He also said, Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge? [3:66] — [None dispute]…save those who disbelieve and create innovations that do not belong to the truth.

His words:

…So forgive those who repent…

He said:

They are those who repent from heedlessness, find intimacy in remembrance and follow the Sunna of Muṣṭafā ﷺ.^{1Muṣṭafā is one of the honorific titles of the Prophet, meaning ‘the Chosen One [of God].’}

His words:

Indeed [to] those who disbelieve it will be proclaimed, ‘Surely God’s abhorrence is greater than your abhorrence of yourselves…’

He said:

Abhorrence (maqt) is the most extreme form of alienation (ibʿād) from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. [Furthermore], when the disbelievers enter the Fire they abhor themselves. However, God’s abhorrence of their deeds is even severer [for them] than their entry into the Fire.

His words:

The Exalter of rank, Lord of the Throne, He casts the Spirit of His command…

That is, He is the Raiser of ranks, and He elevates the ranks of whomever He wills by [granting him] gnosis (maʿrifa) of Him. He casts the Spirit of His command…That is, He sends the Revelation from the heavens to the earth by His command.

His words:

And your Lord has said, ‘Call on Me and I will respond to you…’

He said:

[It is a requirement of] chivalry (muruwwa), that supplication (duʿāʾ) should be answered, without doubt. It [supplication] is a quiver of arrows.^{1That is, the arrows will hit their target.} A believer does not supplicate God, Exalted is He, without His either answering him by granting him exactly what he asked for, even though that servant may not be aware of it, or repelling thereby something evil from him, or recording for him a good deed because of it.

He was asked, ‘What is the meaning of the saying: “Supplication is the best of deeds?”’ He replied:

It is because it [supplication] is a way of humbly imploring [God] (taḍarruʿ), taking refuge (iltijāʾ) [in Him], and showing one’s poverty (faqr) and neediness (fāqa) [for Him].

His words:

And He shows you His signs; then which of the signs of God do you reject?

He said:

God, Exalted is He, has made His signs (āyāt)^{1‘Signs’ in this context represent the miracles that are accorded by God to His friends, or the saints (awliyāʾ).} manifest to His friends (awliyāʾ), and He has made happy those among His servants who believe in them, [affirming the truth of] their charismatic gifts (karāmāt).^{2The term charismatic gift is used here to translate karāma, designating the miracle of a mystic or friend of God, as opposed to muʿjiza, which is applied to the miracles of prophets. On this subject, see above IT, p. xx, n. 52.} However, He has made the eyes of the damned blind to seeing them, and has turned their hearts away from Him. Whoever denies the charismatic gifts of the friends [of God] denies the omnipotence of God, Exalted is He. For the omnipotence [of God] manifests [itself] at the hand of the friends [of God], and they cannot by themselves cause their manifestation, in accordance with His words And He shows you His signs; then which of the signs of God do you reject?

His words:

…[This is] God’s way (sunna) with His slaves, which has its precedent...

He said:

[The word] sunna is derived from some of the names of God, Exalted is He: the letter ‘sīn’ stands for sanāʾūhu (His resplendence), the letter ‘nūn’ stands for nūruhu (His light) and ‘hā’ stands for hidāyatuhu (His guidance).^{1The ‘ha’ here refers to the tāʾ marbūṭa at the end of the word sunna for which reason the convention is sometimes to write it as sunnah. See below the commentary on 69:1, 2 and p. 244, n. 1.} His saying: God’s way means: ⸢His ‘primordial nature’ (fiṭratuhu) upon which He moulds (jabala) the elite among His servants, out of His guidance for them⸣, and thus they are [already disposed towards] the norms (ʿalā sunan) of the clear path to Him.^{2The addition is made on the basis of all three MSS, Z515, f. 94b, F638, f. 44b and F3488, f. 271b.}

But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.