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

(40:10) It will be announced to the unbelievers (on the Day of Resurrection): “Surely Allah's abhorrence of you when you were called to believe but you disbelieved was greater than is your abhorrence of yourselves today.”¹⁴

(40:11) They will say: “Our Lord, twice have You caused us to die and twice have You given us life.¹⁵ We have now confessed our sins.¹⁶ Is there, then, any way out?”¹⁷

(40:12) (They will be told): “(The cause of your present state is that) when Allah alone was invoked, you disbelieved; and when others instead of Him were invoked, you believed. Today all judgement lies with Allah, the Most High, the All-Great.”¹⁸

(40:13) He it is Who shows you His Signs¹⁹ and sends down provision for you from the sky.²⁰ Yet none takes heed except he who constantly turns to Allah.²¹

(40:14) So call upon Allah, consecrating all your devotion to Him,²² howsoever much the unbelievers may dislike it.

(40:15) Exalted in Rank,²³ Lord of the Throne:²⁴ He causes the spirit to descend on whomsoever of His servants He pleases²⁵ so as to warn them of the Day of Encounter;²⁶

(40:16) the Day when they will emerge and nothing of them shall be hidden from Allah. (On that Day they will be asked): “Whose is the kingdom today?”²⁷ (The whole world will cry out): “It is Allah's, the One, the Overpowering.”

(40:17) (It will then be said): “Today shall everyone be fully recompensed for his deeds. None shall be wronged today.²⁸ Surely Allah is Swift in Reckoning.”²⁹

(40:18) (O Prophet), then warn them of the Day that has drawn near,³⁰ the Day when hearts full of suppressed grief will leap up to the throats and the wrong-doers shall neither have any sincere friend³¹ nor intercessor whose word will be heeded.³²

(40:19) He knows even the most stealthy glance of the eyes and all the secrets that hearts conceal.

(40:20) Allah will judge with justice, whereas those whom they call upon beside Him cannot judge at all. Surely Allah � and He alone � is All- Hearing, All-Seeing.³³

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Commentary

14. On the Day of Judgement the unbelievers will witness their utter loss because they had indulged in polytheism or atheism, had denied the Hereafter, and opposed God’s Messengers. They will be filled with remorse and frustration and will curse themselves for their foolishness.

The angels will then remind them that when the Messengers and other pious people summoned them to the Straight Way to save them from this terrible end, they used to spurn their call which further aroused God’s wrath.

15. The same point is made in Surah al-Baqarah 2: 28 where it has been said that God grants man life and death twice. Human beings are asked: how can they dare disbelieve in God Who bestowed life on them when they were lifeless? They are also told that it is God Who causes their death and it is He Who will resurrect them. Quite obviously, the unbelievers could not deny that they were once lifeless and that then they were granted life and that they will meet their death at God’s command for they witnessed all this. They did, however, deny the resurrection, as they had not observed it and were merely informed about it by God’s Prophets.

They will, however, observe it at first-hand on the Day of Judgement. It is then that they will acknowledge that what they had been told by God's Prophets was true and has now come to pass.

16. They will also acknowledge that they had committed a serious mistake by having denied the Afterlife. Thanks to a false outlook on life, they filled their lives with sin.

17. The unbelievers will enquire whether there is any way out; whether they can be rescued from their punishment by confessing their mistake.

18. Judgement on the Last Day will rest with God alone. In the past, — the unbelievers had refused to believe in His Exclusive Godhead. As for those deities whom they had associated with God, they are bereft of all power and authority. (For further details see al-Zumar 39: 45 and n. 64 above.) This implies that the unbelievers will find no way out of their grievous predicament. This because they not only denied the Hereafter but also displayed an aversion towards their Creator and felt uneasy unless they associated others with Him.

19. The reference here is to the signs indicating that it is the One True God Who has created the universe and it is He Who rules over it.

20. The word rizq used here signifies rainfall. This because rain is the source of every form of sustenance that man receives. Out of God’s - innumerable signs man’s attention is specifically drawn to this particular sign of God — to the system pertaining to rainfall. If men were to grasp just this one ingredient of life, it would enable him to realize that the Qur’anic worldview is entirely true. For this system could only be operative if the Creator of the earth and all its creatures, the Creator of water and wind, of sun and of heat and cold is one and the same God. Furthermore, this whole system can only operate ceaselessly for millions and billions of years because it is the same God, Who has always been and shall always be, that ensures its operation. This whole system was brought into existence by an All-Wise and Most Compassionate God Who, at the time of creating human beings and animals, created water exactly in proportion to their needs and saw to it that it should reach every corner of the earth through the astounding phenomena of rainfall. Now, who can be more iniquitous than he who observes all this and yet either denies the existence of God or associates others with Him in His Divinity?

21. In other words, anyone who turns away from God and puts | blinkers of heedlessness and prejudice over his eyes becomes incapable of deriving any lesson from anything. His physical eyes observe that winds. blow, clouds cover the sky, and that there is thunder and lightning and rainfall. But this does not enable him to appreciate why all this happens nor who is causing it to happen, nor what he owes that Being.

22. The idea of consecrating the whole of one’s devotion to God is elaborated upon in Surah al-Zumar 39, n. 3 above.

23. That is, God is far too exalted in rank and way beyond all those that exist. Every creature be it an angel, or Prophet of God, or saint or for that matter any other creature all pale into insignificance in comparison with Him. However, exalted a created being’s rank might be, it cannot even come close to God’s rank let alone be considered to share His attributes or authority.

24. That is, God is the Sovereign and Ruler of the entire universe.

(For further details see al-A‘raf 7, n. 41, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, | vol. Hl, pp. 33-4; Yunus 10, n. 4, vol. IV, p. 7, and Ta Ha 20, n. 3, vol. V, p. q 182.)

25. The word ruh (lit. spirit) here signifies revelation and Prophet hood.

(For details see al-Nahl 16, n. 3, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IV, p. 312; and Bani Isra’il 17, n. 103, vol. V, pp. 69-71.) It is affirmed that God sends down this spirit on whomsoever He pleases. In other words, no 4 one is justified in saying as to why a particular person was designated | a to the Prophetic office in the same way that no one has the right to say 4 why someone was made handsome, or why he was endowed with a more retentive memory or greater intelligence than someone else.

26. ‘The Day of Encounter’, that is, the Day on which all men, jinn and 1 devils will appear together before their Lord along with the witnesses to their deeds.

27. That is, many fools pompously claim to possess paramount power and glory and many fools accept those claims. On the Day of Judgement, they will be asked: ‘Whose is the kingdom today? Whose is all power and authority? Whose command prevails?’ If a person considers all this seriously, it is bound to send a chilling shiver down his body, regardless of how mighty a king or how absolute a dictator he might be. This should also suffice to purge his mind of any delusions of grandeur from which he might suffer. It is on record that when the SamAnid ruler Nasr ibn Ahmad (293-331/905-943) entered Nisapur, a court was held at his behest.

It commenced with recitation from the Qur’an, and an elderly person recited these verses. When the reciter reached this very verse, Nasr was so awe-struck that he descended from his throne, shaking from fear of God. He took off his crown, fell down in prostration, exclaiming that all kingdom was God’s alone. (Niz4m al-Din al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Husayn al-Qummi al-Nisaburi, Ghara’ib al-Qur’an wa Ragha'ib al-Furqan, comments on Surah al-Mu’min 40: 16.)

28. No one will be wronged on the Day of Judgement. Obviously, when human beings make judgements, there can be errors in retributing someone in any of the following ways: one may, for example, be denied what one deserves. Also, one may receive less than one’s due. It is also possible that one may be punished though one does not deserve punishment. Or one may escape a punishment though that should be awarded. Or, one may be punished in excess of one’s offence. Furthermore, victims may be denied justice if their oppressors go unpunished. Or someone may be punished for a crime committed by someone else. The Quranic statement, however, clarifies that none of these wrongs will mar the judgements of God’s court of justice on the Last Day.

29. It will take no time for God to recompense mankind. He incessantly provides sustenance to all the creatures of the universe. This engagement of His in providing sustenance to some of-His creatures does not prevent Him from attending to the needs of others. Likewise, He sees all things in the universe and hears all sounds at the same time. He also manages all affairs simultaneously, nothing engages Him at the cost of the other. The same will happen on the Day of Judgement when attention to some matters requiring judgement will not prevent Him from judging other matters. Nor will there be cases that will cause any delay in His judgement of other cases. Nor will there be any difficulty in producing witnesses and other pieces of evidence. For the Judge will be aware of everything. Each party will stand before Him in their true colors. Incontrovertible pieces of evidence with minute details will be produced without any delay. As a result, every case will be disposed of in no time.

30. The Qur’an repeatedly draws mankind’s attention to the truth that the Last Day does not lie at some remote distance of time. In fact, it is very close and can come about any moment; in other words, it is fast approaching. (Other verses of similar import are al-Anbiya’ 21: 1; al-Qamar 1 54: 1; al-Nahl 16: 1; and al-Najm 53: 57.) People are thus warned that they % should not become fearless of the Last Day, considering it to be an event in a far-off, distant future. Rather, they should mend their ways without wasting as much as a single moment.

31. Hamim signifies the bosom friend of a person who is filled with compassionate zeal when he sees his friend in a bad predicament and. who hastens to his rescue.

32. This observation is made in connection with refuting the unbelievers’ idea of intercession. The fact is that in the Next World the wrongdoers will have no access to intercession with God, even though q they think they can look forward to this. This because God will grant the power of intercession only to His upright servants and they can never be the friends of unbelievers, polytheists, and wicked or iniquitous folk, E let alone that they would consider interceding on their behalf. It has, however, generally been the belief of unbelievers, polytheists and those immersed in wickedness, both in the past and the present, that they are strongly bound in devotion to some saints who will simply stop them from being cast into Hell, and further that these saints will secure their acquittal from God. It is for this reason that it is being affirmed that ‘the wrong-doers shall neither have any sincere friend nor intercessor whose word will be heeded.’

33. Unlike the false gods of the unbelievers, God is not blind or deaf. Unlike them He knows well everyone’s record of deeds.