40. Surah Al-Ghaafir

غافرThe Forgiver · 85 ayahsمعارف القرآن انگلش

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Ayahs 40:76–77

اُدْخُلُوْۤا اَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَا١ۚ فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِیْنَ Open ayah 40:76 in the Quran reader

Enter the gates of Jahannam to live in it forever. So, how evil is the abode of the arrogant.

فَاصْبِرْ اِنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقٌّ١ۚ فَاِمَّا نُرِیَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِیْ نَعِدُهُمْ اَوْ نَتَوَفَّیَنَّكَ فَاِلَیْنَا یُرْجَعُوْنَ Open ayah 40:77 in the Quran reader

Therefore, be patient. Surely, the promise of Allah is true. Then, whether We show you (in your life) a part of the promise We are making to them, or make you die (before they are punished), in any case they have to be returned to Us.

In verse 77, it was said: فَاصْبِرْ‌ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّـهِ حَقٌّ فَإِمَّا نُرِ‌يَنَّكَ (Therefore, be patient. Surely, the promise of Allah is true. Then, whether We show you [ in your life ] a part of the promise We are making to them, or make you die [ before they are punished ], in any case they have to be returned to Us). From this verse it appears that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was hopefully waiting for the disbelievers to be punished. Therefore, it was to comfort him that he was asked to be somewhat patient about it. The promise of Allah for them, that they will be punished, will certainly be fulfilled - may be during his lifetime, or after he has departed from the mortal world. Waiting for the disbelievers to be punished apparently seems contrary to the dignity of one who was sent with universal mercy. But, here the matter is different. When the purpose of punishing criminals is to bring comfort to innocent believers who were oppressed, then, the punishment of criminals is not contrary to compassion and mercy. Nobody regards the punishment given to a criminal against the dictate of mercy.
Ayahs 40:78–83

وَ لَقَدْ اَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ قَصَصْنَا عَلَیْكَ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَیْكَ١ؕ وَ مَا كَانَ لِرَسُوْلٍ اَنْ یَّاْتِیَ بِاٰیَةٍ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ١ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَمْرُ اللّٰهِ قُضِیَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ خَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْمُبْطِلُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 40:78 in the Quran reader

And We had sent messengers before you. Among them there are those whose history We have narrated to you, and of them there are those whose history We did not narrate to you. And it is not up to a messenger that he could come up with a Sign without the permission of Allah. So, when the command of Allah will come, matters will stand decided justly, and on that occasion all adherents of falsehood will turn into losers.

اَللّٰهُ الَّذِیْ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْاَنْعَامَ لِتَرْكَبُوْا مِنْهَا وَ مِنْهَا تَاْكُلُوْنَ٘ Open ayah 40:79 in the Quran reader

Allah is the One who made for you the cattle, so that you may ride some of them, and of them you eat.

وَ لَكُمْ فِیْهَا مَنَافِعُ وَ لِتَبْلُغُوْا عَلَیْهَا حَاجَةً فِیْ صُدُوْرِكُمْ وَ عَلَیْهَا وَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُوْنَؕ Open ayah 40:80 in the Quran reader

and for you there are (other) benefits in them and so that, (riding) on them, you meet any need you have in your hearts; and on them and on boats you are carried.

وَ یُرِیْكُمْ اٰیٰتِهٖ١ۖۗ فَاَیَّ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰهِ تُنْكِرُوْنَ Open ayah 40:81 in the Quran reader

And He shows you His signs. Then, which of the signs of Allah would you (still) deny?

اَفَلَمْ یَسِیْرُوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ فَیَنْظُرُوْا كَیْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ١ؕ كَانُوْۤا اَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَ اَشَدَّ قُوَّةً وَّ اٰثَارًا فِی الْاَرْضِ فَمَاۤ اَغْنٰى عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُوْا یَكْسِبُوْنَ Open ayah 40:82 in the Quran reader

Have they not traveled through the earth and seen how was the fate of those before them? Most of them were more in numbers than these, and superior in vigor and vestiges left on the earth. So then, whatever they used to earn did not work for them at all.

فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَیِّنٰتِ فَرِحُوْا بِمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ وَ حَاقَ بِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهٖ یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ Open ayah 40:83 in the Quran reader

And when their messengers came to them with manifest signs, they exulted because of whatever of knowledge they had, and they were encircled by what they used to ridicule.

Commentary In verse 83, it was said: فَرِ‌حُوا بِمَا عِندَهُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ (they exulted because of whatever of knowledge they had,) that is, when the messengers of Allah Ta’ ala came to these deniers, who were utterly oblivious to their end, with clear arguments in favor of tauhid (Oneness of Allah) and 'iman (faith), they took their knowledge to be better and truer than the knowledge brought by prophets, and started rejecting what they said. What was this knowledge with which the disbelievers were exultant to the extent that they would even reject the body of knowledge brought by prophets? It could be some sort of compounded ignorance' ا (رح) جھِل المُرَکَّب (aljahl-ul-murakkab whereby an ignorant person, despite his sheer ignorance, believes himself to be knowledgeable). This does not qualify to be 'knowledge' at all. Or, this knowledge of theirs means awareness in the fields of trade, industry and things like that. They really had expertise in these fields according to their time. The noble Qur'an alludes to this knowledge of theirs in a verse of Surah Ar-Rum in the following words: يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرً‌ا مِّنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ (They know something superficial of the worldly life, but of the Hereafter they are negligent.- Ar-Rum, 30:7) It means that these people do know a good deal about the material life of the world, and also know how to get most benefited by it, but are totally ignorant or heedless of the Hereafter where they have to live forever, either in bliss or in bane, and both of which are also everlasting. In this verse, even if we were to take this knowledge to be the worldly knowledge only, it would means 'since these people deny the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter and do not know, or want to know, its everlasting reward and punishment, therefore, they do not see anything beyond their knowledge of the apparent and are quite pleased with it, and as a result do not pay heed to areas of knowledge brought by the noble prophets.' (Mazhari)
Ayahs 40:84–85

فَلَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا قَالُوْۤا اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَحْدَهٗ وَ كَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهٖ مُشْرِكِیْنَ Open ayah 40:84 in the Quran reader

And when they saw Our punishment, they said, 'We have (now) come to believe in Allah alone, and We have rejected everything we used to ascribe (to Him) as partners."

فَلَمْ یَكُ یَنْفَعُهُمْ اِیْمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا١ؕ سُنَّتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِیْ قَدْ خَلَتْ فِیْ عِبَادِهٖ١ۚ وَ خَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 40:85 in the Quran reader

But, their profession of faith was not (competent) to benefit them, once they had seen Our punishment – a customary practice of Allah that has been there all along in the matter of His servants - and hence, the disbelievers became the losers.

In verse 85, it was said: فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ (But, their profession of faith was not [ competent ] to benefit them, once they had seen Our punishment), that is, it is after seeing the punishment that these people are confessing to the true faith, but a declaration of faith at this late hour is not acceptable and trustworthy with Allah. It appears in Hadith: یَقبَلِ اللہ توبۃ العبد مالم یغرغر (Allah accepts the taubah [ repentance ] of the servant before the agony and rattle of death overtakes him). (Ibn Kathir) Similarly, once Divine punishment has come face to face, no repentance and no declaration of faith made by anyone remains acceptable. اللَّھُمَّ اِنَّا نَسٔلک العفو والعافیہ والتوبۃ قبل الموت و الیسر والمعافاۃ عند الموت والمغفرۃ الرّحمۃ بعد الموت ببرکۃ ا (رح) ل حٰمٓ و صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علی النّبیّ الکریم۔ O Allah, we ask of You the obliteration of all sins, and well-being, and repentance before death, and ease and pardon at the time of death, and forgiveness and mercy after death with the barakah of 'Al Ha Meem, and blessings of Allah on the noble prophet ﷺ) Al-hamdu1i11ah The Commentary on Surah Al-Mu'min [ Ghafir ]