Cover for

Purpose

Exploring the usage of ل along with غَفَرَ in The Quran, and its literal translation.

Full Text 

Surah al-A`ra`f recounts the story of Adam. After losing their natural clothing, they pray: 

وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

[Al-Quran 7:23]

The triliteral root ghayn fā rā (غ ف ر) occurs 234 times in The Quran. It occurs 65 times as the form I verb ghafara (غَفَرَ). Notice the لَ that follows it in the examples below: 

[Q2:58] وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ

[Q2:286] وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا

[Q3:31] فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

[Q4:116] إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ 

[Q14:10] يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى

[Q14:41] رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

[Q26:82] وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

...

The ل that follows the verb in the examples above is prefixed to a noun. One of the translations of ل is 'for' 

The triliteral root ghayn fā rā (غ ف ر) is generally translated as 'forgive'. According to Lane's Lexicon (page 2273), the primary meaning of غَفَرَ is to cover up, hide, veil or conceal.  

So, if we were to translate (غ ف ر) literally as cover up, and then the ل is 'for', the meaning entirely changes to a crystal clear request to literally cover up. Using the same examples quoted above, the following are the edited translations:

Note: Saheeh International translations; edited original striked through, change in italics, and bold as in the Arabic text; untranslated portion of the text is indicated by ... 

 

[Q2:58] وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ

... and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens.' We will [then] forgive cover your sins for you

[Q2:286] وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا

And pardon us; and forgive cover for us; and have mercy upon us.

[Q3:31] فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive cover for you your sins

[Q4:116] إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ 

Indeed, Allah does not forgive cover association with Him, but He forgives covers what is less than that for whom He wills

[Q14:10] يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى

He invites you that He may forgive cover for you of your sins, and He delays your death for a specified term

[Q14:41] رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

Our Lord, forgive cover for me and for my parents and for the believers the Day the account is established."

[Q26:82] وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

And who I aspire that He will forgive cover for me my sin on the Day of Recompense.

So, returning to Adam's prayer: 

وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

and if You do not forgive cover for us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers

[Al-Quran 7:23]   

When Adam and his wife ate from the tree, and suffered the consequence of it, they started to cover themselves with the leaves of the tree, and explicitly prayed to Allah to cover for them. They had lost their natural clothing which was covering their skin, so that now they were naked, and needed to be covered up. We have inherited this condition. On the Day of Resurrection, we hope that Allah will provide cover for us, and have mercy upon us.    

More details in the links on page: The Natural Clothing  

Last updated on: February 10, 2021