Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 40 Ghafir, Ayat 82-85
اَفَلَمۡ يَسِيۡرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَيَنۡظُرُوۡا كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِمۡؕ كَانُوۡۤا اَكۡثَرَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَاَشَدَّ قُوَّةً وَّ اٰثَارًا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَمَاۤ اَغۡنٰى عَنۡهُمۡ مَّا كَانُوۡا يَكۡسِبُوۡنَ
﴿40:82﴾
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ بِالۡبَيِّنٰتِ فَرِحُوۡا بِمَا عِنۡدَهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعِلۡمِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمۡ مَّا كَانُوۡا بِهٖ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ
﴿40:83﴾
فَلَمَّا رَاَوۡا بَاۡسَنَا قَالُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَحۡدَهٗ وَكَفَرۡنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهٖ مُشۡرِكِيۡنَ
﴿40:84﴾
فَلَمۡ يَكُ يَنۡفَعُهُمۡ اِيۡمَانُهُمۡ لَمَّا رَاَوۡا بَاۡسَنَا ؕ سُنَّتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِىۡ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ فِىۡ عِبَادِهٖۚ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الۡكٰفِرُوۡنَ
﴿40:85﴾
(40:82) Did111 they not journey in the land that they may behold
the end of those who had gone before them? They were more numerous and greater
in strength and left behind more splendid traces in the land. Yet their attainments
did not avail them. (40:83) When their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs, they arrogantly
exulted in whatever knowledge they had.112 They were then encompassed
by what they had mocked. (40:84) When they saw Our chastisement, they said: “We have come to believe
in Allah, the Only One, and we reject all what we had associated (with Allah
in His Divinity).” (40:85) But their believing after they had seen Our chastisement did not
avail them. That has been Allah's Way concerning His servants.113
And the unbelievers courted utter loss, then and there.
Notes
111. This is the conclusion to the discourse. While studying this please also
keep in view( verses 4-5) and( verse 21) of this Surah.
112. That is, they took their philosophy and their science, their law, their
secular sciences and their mythology and theology invented by their religious
guides as the real knowledge, and regarded the Knowledge brought by the Prophets
of Allah as worthless and therefore paid no heed to it.
113. “Allah’s established way”: the Law that repentance and faith are beneficial
only till the time man is not seized by the torment of Allah or death. Believing
or repenting after the torment has arrived or the signs of death have appeared,
is not acceptable to Allah.