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 79-85اَللّٰهُAllahالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoجَعَلَmadeلَكُمُfor youالْاَنْعَامَthe cattleلِتَرْكَبُوْاthat you may rideمِنْهَاsome of themوَ مِنْهَاand some of themتَاْكُلُوْنَؗyou eat وَ لَكُمْAnd for youفِیْهَاin themمَنَافِعُ(are) benefitsوَ لِتَبْلُغُوْاand that you may reachعَلَیْهَاthrough themحَاجَةًa needفِیْ(that is) inصُدُوْرِكُمْyour breastsوَ عَلَیْهَاand upon themوَ عَلَیand uponالْفُلْكِthe shipsتُحْمَلُوْنَؕyou are carried وَ یُرِیْكُمْAnd He shows youاٰیٰتِهٖ ۖۗHis SignsفَاَیَّThen whichاٰیٰتِ(of the) Signsاللّٰهِ(of) Allahتُنْكِرُوْنَ will you deny اَفَلَمْDo they notیَسِیْرُوْاtravelفِیthroughالْاَرْضِthe landفَیَنْظُرُوْاand seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ ؕ(were) before themكَانُوْۤاThey wereاَكْثَرَmore numerousمِنْهُمْthan themوَ اَشَدَّand mightierقُوَّةً(in) strengthوَّ اٰثَارًاand impressionsفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landفَمَاۤbut notاَغْنٰیavailedعَنْهُمْthemمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey used (to)یَكْسِبُوْنَ earn فَلَمَّاThen whenجَآءَتْهُمْcame to themرُسُلُهُمْtheir Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith clear proofsفَرِحُوْاthey rejoicedبِمَاin whatعِنْدَهُمْthey hadمِّنَofالْعِلْمِthe knowledgeوَ حَاقَand envelopedبِهِمْthemمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey used (to)بِهٖ[at it]یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ mock فَلَمَّاSo whenرَاَوْاthey sawبَاْسَنَاOur punishmentقَالُوْۤاthey saidاٰمَنَّاWe believeبِاللّٰهِin AllahوَحْدَهٗAloneوَ كَفَرْنَاand we disbelieveبِمَاin whatكُنَّاwe used (to)بِهٖwith Himمُشْرِكِیْنَ associate فَلَمْBut did notیَكُBut did notیَنْفَعُهُمْbenefit themاِیْمَانُهُمْtheir faithلَمَّاwhenرَاَوْاthey sawبَاْسَنَا ؕOur punishmentسُنَّتَ(Such is the) Wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahالَّتِیْwhichقَدْ(has) indeedخَلَتْprecededفِیْamongعِبَادِهٖ ۚHis slavesوَ خَسِرَAnd are lostهُنَالِكَthereالْكٰفِرُوْنَ۠the disbelievers

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Translation of Verse 79-85

79. It is Allah who has provided you with cattle, that you may ride on some and eat of the flesh of others,

80. And there are (many) benefits ¹¹⁶ for you from them, and (they have been created) so that you may satisfy through them a desire in your heart.¹¹⁷ And upon the boats you are borne.¹¹⁸

81. And He is showing you His signs. So which of His signs will you deny ?¹¹⁹

82. Have they not travelled in the land and seen what were the consequences for those who have gone before them?¹²⁰ They were more ! numerous than these and greaterin power, and in monuments lefts behind; yet all that they earned was of no use to them.

83. When their messengers brought them clear signs they exulted in the knowledge they possessed.¹²¹ And that punishment at which they mocked encompassed them.

84. Then when they saw Our punishment, they said: “We believe in Allah, His oneness and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him.”¹²²

85. But the faith that they professed when they saw our punishment,¹²³ then that could not be or use to them. This is Allah’s tradition which was in force for His slaves. And then the disbelievers were lost (destroyed).

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Commentary

116. For example from these cattle you get milk, butter, and their skin, wool and bones are used for other purposes.

117. That is: So that you may use them for carrying your burdens, and this is such an important need that you can yourself feel its importance. And it is a fact that before the machines came into use the cattle were used for carrying burdens and transportation. The work of tilling the fields and irrigation are also taken from the cattle.

118. That is: You are being borne by the cattle as well as by the boats.

119. That is: Are not these cattle, that are so useful to you, and these boats which carry you on the watery surface, signs of the fact that they are the provision for your nourishment and growth made by Allah. Seeing these clear signs of His being the Lord, how can you deny His being the real Lord of the worlds and the one and only Master?

120. Hints at those destroyed nations whose history and ruins can be seen and moral lessons derived from them.

121. That is: The defective knowledge of religion that they had, and the smattering of information about the worldly subjects and technology that they possessed, went to their head and they became vain. They did not appreciate the real knowledge which was gained from the revelation from God and the instruction about which was being given by the messenger of the time.

The present times are known to be the times of science and technology, and today’s man considers the modern knowledge and technology as the answer to all his problems, and is proud on account of them, even this worldly knowledge does not throw light on those realities which are revealed by the prophetic knowledge. The knowledge which is considered as a symbol of progress cannot reach beyond the boundaries of this world. This knowledge does not tell us what is the purpose of this life, nor does it inform us as to what happens to man after he is dead. Nor does it satisfy the spiritual needs of man. If this sense is awakened in man, he will proceed to seek that knowledge which solves all these problems and he will become an appreciator and respecter of the Quran, which is the treasure of knowledge and information.

122. When Allah’s punishment came, they forgot their idols, gods and goddesses. At that time they admitted Allah to be the only Being worthy of worship and the Lord, and rejected His associated partners invented by them.

123. After seeing the punishment the respite to act is terminated and the time for test is over. At that time accepting faith is useless. Only that faith or belief is genuine which is held before seeing the punishment or before the death.