Surah 40. Ghafir

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-27 [3], 28-37 [4], 38-50 [5], 51-60 [6], 61-68 [7], 69-78 [8], 79-85 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 10-20اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedیُنَادَوْنَwill be cried out to themلَمَقْتُ(Allah's) hatredاللّٰهِAllah's (hatred)اَكْبَرُ(was) greaterمِنْthanمَّقْتِكُمْyour hatredاَنْفُسَكُمْ(of) yourselvesاِذْwhenتُدْعَوْنَyou were calledاِلَیtoالْاِیْمَانِthe faithفَتَكْفُرُوْنَ and you disbelieved قَالُوْاThey (will) sayرَبَّنَاۤOur Lord!اَمَتَّنَاYou gave us deathاثْنَتَیْنِtwiceوَ اَحْیَیْتَنَاand You gave us lifeاثْنَتَیْنِtwiceفَاعْتَرَفْنَاand we confessبِذُنُوْبِنَاour sinsفَهَلْSo is (there)اِلٰیtoخُرُوْجٍget outمِّنْanyسَبِیْلٍ way ذٰلِكُمْThatبِاَنَّهٗ(is) becauseاِذَاwhenدُعِیَAllah was invokedاللّٰهُAllah was invokedوَحْدَهٗAloneكَفَرْتُمْ ۚyou disbelievedوَ اِنْbut ifیُّشْرَكْ(others) were associatedبِهٖwith Himتُؤْمِنُوْا ؕyou believedفَالْحُكْمُSo the judgmentلِلّٰهِ(is) with Allahالْعَلِیِّthe Most Highالْكَبِیْرِ the Most Great هُوَHeالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoیُرِیْكُمْshows youاٰیٰتِهٖHis Signsوَ یُنَزِّلُand sends downلَكُمْfor youمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyرِزْقًا ؕprovisionوَ مَاBut (does) notیَتَذَكَّرُtake heedاِلَّاexceptمَنْ(one) whoیُّنِیْبُ turns فَادْعُواSo invokeاللّٰهَAllahمُخْلِصِیْنَ(being) sincereلَهُto Himالدِّیْنَ(in) the religionوَ لَوْeven thoughكَرِهَdislike (it)الْكٰفِرُوْنَ the disbelievers رَفِیْعُPossessor of the Highest RanksالدَّرَجٰتِPossessor of the Highest RanksذُوOwner ofالْعَرْشِ ۚthe ThroneیُلْقِیHe placesالرُّوْحَthe inspirationمِنْbyاَمْرِهٖHis CommandعَلٰیuponمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsمِنْofعِبَادِهٖHis slavesلِیُنْذِرَto warnیَوْمَ(of the) Dayالتَّلَاقِۙ(of) the Meeting یَوْمَ(The) Dayهُمْtheyبٰرِزُوْنَ ۚ۬come forthلَاnotیَخْفٰیis hiddenعَلَیfromاللّٰهِAllahمِنْهُمْabout themشَیْءٌ ؕanythingلِمَنِFor whomالْمُلْكُ(is) the Dominionالْیَوْمَ ؕthis DayلِلّٰهِFor Allahالْوَاحِدِthe Oneالْقَهَّارِ the Irresistible 40. Ghafir Page 469اَلْیَوْمَThis Dayتُجْزٰیwill be recompensedكُلُّeveryنَفْسٍۭsoulبِمَاfor whatكَسَبَتْ ؕit earnedلَاNoظُلْمَinjusticeالْیَوْمَ ؕtoday!اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahسَرِیْعُ(is) Swiftالْحِسَابِ (in) Account وَ اَنْذِرْهُمْAnd warn themیَوْمَ(of the) Dayالْاٰزِفَةِthe Approachingاِذِwhenالْقُلُوْبُthe heartsلَدَی(are) atالْحَنَاجِرِthe throatsكٰظِمِیْنَ ؕ۬chokedمَاNotلِلظّٰلِمِیْنَfor the wrongdoersمِنْanyحَمِیْمٍintimate friendوَّ لَاand noشَفِیْعٍintercessorیُّطَاعُؕ(who) is obeyed یَعْلَمُHe knowsخَآىِٕنَةَ(the) stealthy glanceالْاَعْیُنِ(the) stealthy glanceوَ مَاand whatتُخْفِیconcealالصُّدُوْرُ the breasts وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیَقْضِیْjudgesبِالْحَقِّ ؕin truthوَ الَّذِیْنَwhile those (whom)یَدْعُوْنَthey invokeمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖbesides Himلَاnotیَقْضُوْنَthey judgeبِشَیْءٍ ؕwith anythingاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahهُوَHeالسَّمِیْعُ(is) the All-Hearerالْبَصِیْرُ۠the All-Seer

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Translation of Verse 10-20

10. Those who disbelieve will be informed by proclamation : ‘Allah’s abhorrence of you is greater than your abhorrence of yourselves, when you were called to faith, but did refuse’.¹⁶

11. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Twice You have made us die, and twice You have given us life.¹⁷ We now confess our sins. Is there no way out of this?,

12. (It will be said to them:) ‘This is (your plight) because when Allah only was invoked, you disbelieved, but when some partner was ascribed to Him you were believing.¹⁸ Now the command (Judgment) rests with Allah, the Most High, the Supreme One.’

13. It is He ¹⁹ who shows you His signs and sends down for you sustenance from the sky. None takes heed except he who turns to Him.

14. So pray to Allah, making religion pure for Him (only),²⁰ however much the disbelievers may dislike it.²¹

15. Exalted ²² is the Lord of the Throne ²³ (Arsh). He lets the Spirit (revelation) descend at His behest on those of His slaves whom He chooses,²⁴ so that He may warn people of the day of the meeting;

16. The Day when they will come forth ²⁵ (from the graves), nothing of them being hidden from Allah. Whose is the sovereignty this day ? It is Allah’s, the One, the Vanquisher.²⁶

17. This day each soul will be paid back what it has earned. Now wrong will be done this day. Verily, Allah is swift at reckoning.²⁷

18. Warn them of the approaching Day,²⁸ when the hearts will be choking the throats, there will be no friends for the wrong-doers, nor any intercessors will be heard.²⁹

19. He knows the misuse or the eyes ³⁰ and that which the bosoms hide.³¹

20. Allah judges with truth, while those whom they invoke beside Him judge not at all.³² Verily, Allah is the Hearer and the Seer.³³

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Commentary

16. The disbelievers will hate themselves after entering the Hell for they would realise what a horrible blunder they have committed which has resulted in their receiving this punishment. At that time they would be reminded that in the world when they were invited to accept faith they refused, and at that time Allah’s abhorrence of them was far greater than their hatred of themselves. When they committed a sin which has attracted Allah’s wrath and His abhorrence. then let them face its consequences and suffer for ever.

17. Twice death refers to the death of the first body which is in the mother’s womb at the time when there is no life in it. Since this body has no life in it. it is referred to as this body’s death; and the second death is when the life is taken away from the body in the world. By twice life is meant the life of this world and the secondly the life of the next world after the Day of Resurrection, when the dead will rise from the graves. Surah Baqarah’s ayah No. 28 explains the meaning of this ayah: “You were without life and He gave you life, He will again cause you to die and will bring you to life again. And then to Him will you return.” It may be noted that here the mention is made of only the physical life and physical death. As for the mention of the world of ‘Barzakh’(grave), then the life therein is concerned with the spirit, for the body is destroyed and disappears. Therefore, its nature is not like that of this life which is the result of combination of spirit and body, it is a particular type of spiritual life, in which the spirit is either subjected to punishment or it is let to remain in comfort. Therefore, in this ayah there is no argument for those who deny the punishment in the grave.

18. That is: You had no interest in the oneness of Allah. However you were very much interested in polytheism. This is the condition of the people of evil belief. If pure monotheism is presented before them, they will deny it, or they will pretend that they have not heard the message. But if a misguided person refers to their imagined partners of Allah, then they will at once express their respect and devotion.

19.In the above lines, the consequences of polytheism have been mentioned. Now invitation is being given to accept the message of monotheism.

20. That is: Become the slave of Allah only and invoke Him for removing your sufferings, and worship Him alone.

21. That is: In adopting pure monotheism the dislike of the disbelievers and polytheists should not prevent you. The deal is with Allah and we should fear Him alone.

22. His rank and His majesticity is most high, therefore, to consider Him on the lines of His creations or creatures is absolutely wrong and it is an unpardonable insult.

23. For explanation, please see Surah A’raf Note No.83.

24. For the explanation of Spirit (Revelation), please see Surah Nahl Note No.3.

25. That is: They will come out of their graves.

26. In the world those who were given the trust of power they considered themselves the real owner of power, and were claiming that the sovereignty and the kingdom were their own; but on the Day of Judgment when this voice was raised as to whose sovereignty was it that day, then these claimants of sovereignty and government will be dead silent, for there will be no power and government with them on that day. All will be present before Allah as helpless slaves. On that occasion the cry will be raised that sovereignty that day is Allah’s alone who is so mighty that all are helpless before Him.

On the Day of Judgment this reality will be clearly manifest that Allah is the real Ruler, but this reality can be seen by men with insight in this world also. That is why Islam demands that one and the only Allah should be accepted as the real Ruler of the world.

27. That is: Do not think that Allah will require some time to reckon the accounts of billions and trillions of the people. Allah is swift at reckoning the accounts. It is not correct to consider Allah on the lines of men. When He creates thousands of lives every day and takes lives of thousands of people daily, and gives sustenance and food to millions and billions of the people daily at the same time, then what is difficult for him to reckon the accounts of billions and trillions of the people. He can attend to limitless people at one and the same time and take their accounts separately at the same time.

28. The hour of the Doomsday is not far off. It will occur very soon.

29. This is the refutation of the false belief that so and so will intercede on their behalf, and their intercession will be certainly accepted. On the basis of this false belief people have become careless about the Hereafter.

30. The misappropriation or the misuse of the eyes is that man may willfully look at things which have been prohibited, for example to look surreptitiously at stranger women, or try to look at the private parts of others secretly, and to see obscene pictures, etc. If man is fearful of Allah, he will save his eyes from looking at things which are forbidden, because he knows that nothing is hidden from Allah, not even the surreptitious glancing of forbidden things.

31. That is: Condition of hearts, intentions, aspirations, desires, wishes, etc.

32. On the Day of Judgment which will be the day when all the judgments will be delivered there will be none besides Allah who will give judgment in the disputes among the people and about their deeds and misdeeds.

Christians believe that Christ will give judgment on the day of Judgment about the acts of the people (see Matthew 25:31 to 46). This is a false belief and this ayah of the Quran is sufficient to repudiate this false belief.

33. This is the argument in favour of this fact that when there is none except Allah who hears and sees everything, then there will be none capable of giving judgment except Allah.