Ghafir 40:10
The Forgiver · Juz 24 · Page 468
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنَادَوۡنَ لَمَقۡتُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُ مِن مَّقۡتِكُمۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡ إِذۡ تُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ فَتَكۡفُرُونَ ١٠
Indeed, those who disbelieve will be addressed, "The hatred of Allāh for you was [even] greater than your hatred of yourselves [this Day in Hell] when you were invited to faith, but you disbelieved [i.e., refused]."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 40:7–14
In verse 7, it was said: الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ (Those who are bearing the Throne and those who are around it). The present count of angels who bear the Throne (arsh) is four and, on the day of Qiyamah (the Day of Judgment), they will be eight, and only Allah knows the number of angels around the ` arsh. Some Hadith narrations give the number of their rows that reaches several hundred thousand. They are called: کرّوبِی (karrubi, [ Heb. Kerubh or kerub ], plural: [ Eng. Cherubin, or Cherubim, Heb. Cherubim ]). They are angels close to Allah. In this verse, it has been said that all these angels close to Allah pray for all believers, particularly those who repent from their sins and follow the Shari'ah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Either Allah Ta’ ala has appointed them to perform this task, or their nature is such that they keep praying for the good servants of Allah. Therefore, Sayyidna Mutarrif Ibn ` Abdullah Ibn Shikhkhir said that out of all servants of Allah, the angels of Allah are the foremost among those who wish well for believers. Firstly, they pray for them. They implore Allah to forgive them, to save them from the punishment of Jahannam and to admit them to the everlasting gardens of Jannah. Along with it, they also pray for: وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ those as well who did good from among their fathers and wives and children. - 40:8), that is, also admit anyone from among their fathers and forefathers, and their wives, and their children - who meet the criterion of goodness that makes them deserving of forgiveness, a criterion that requires that they should have departed from the mortal world while adhering to their 'iman or faith - yes, admit them too with the same believers into the Jannah.
This tells us that one's 'iman or faith is the basic condition of salvation (najah). After 'iman come other good deeds. The relatives of Muslim believers - fathers, grandfathers or wives and children - even if they are ranked lower than them, such is the munificence of Allah Ta’ ala that He would, in deference to them, also let the relatives of a lesser rank be along with them in Jannah, so that their happiness becomes total and complete as it has been said in another verse of the Qur'an appearing elsewhere:... (We will join their children with them - At-Tur, 52:21).
Said Ibn Jubayr has said, 'When a believer goes to Jannah, he will ask about his father, son, brother and others, and would want to know where they are. He will be told that their deeds were not like yours (therefore, they will not be there). He will say, 'whatever good I did (was not for me alone), in fact, it was for me and them both.' Then, the command will come, 'admit them too into the Jannah.' (Ibn Kathir)
After having reported this Hadith narration in Tafsir Mazhari, the author said, 'this 'mawquf (a Hadith mawquf or restricted tradition from a Companion who does not connect it to the Holy Prophet ﷺ) has the same authority and force as 'marfu" (a Hadith marfu` is a tradition attributed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ) and is explicit on the point that 'doing good' that is held as a pre-condition for having this privilege means 'Iman' or adhering to the true faith.
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40:8
رَبَّنَا وَأَدۡخِلۡهُمۡ جَنَّٰتِ عَدۡنٍ ٱلَّتِي وَعَدتَّهُمۡ وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنۡ ءَابَآئِهِمۡ وَأَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ وَذُرِّيَّٰتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٨
Our Lord, and admit them to gardens of perpetual residence which You have promised them and whoever was righteous among their forefathers, their spouses and their offspring. Indeed, it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
40:9
وَقِهِمُ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ وَمَن تَقِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ يَوۡمَئِذٖ فَقَدۡ رَحِمۡتَهُۥۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٩
And protect them from the evil consequences [of their deeds]. And he whom You protect from evil consequences that Day - You will have given him mercy. And that is the great attainment."
40:10
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنَادَوۡنَ لَمَقۡتُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُ مِن مَّقۡتِكُمۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡ إِذۡ تُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ فَتَكۡفُرُونَ ١٠
Indeed, those who disbelieve will be addressed, "The hatred of Allāh for you was [even] greater than your hatred of yourselves [this Day in Hell] when you were invited to faith, but you disbelieved [i.e., refused]."
40:11
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَمَتَّنَا ٱثۡنَتَيۡنِ وَأَحۡيَيۡتَنَا ٱثۡنَتَيۡنِ فَٱعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلۡ إِلَىٰ خُرُوجٖ مِّن سَبِيلٖ ١١
They will say, "Our Lord, You made us lifeless twice and gave us life twice, and we have confessed our sins. So is there to an exit any way?"
40:12
ذَٰلِكُم بِأَنَّهُۥٓ إِذَا دُعِيَ ٱللَّهُ وَحۡدَهُۥ كَفَرۡتُمۡ وَإِن يُشۡرَكۡ بِهِۦ تُؤۡمِنُواْۚ فَٱلۡحُكۡمُ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡعَلِيِّ ٱلۡكَبِيرِ ١٢
[They will be told], "That is because, when Allāh was called upon alone, you disbelieved; but if others were associated with Him, you believed. So the judgement is with Allāh, the Most High, the Grand."
40:13
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُرِيكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزۡقٗاۚ وَمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ إِلَّا مَن يُنِيبُ ١٣
It is He who shows you His signs and sends down to you from the sky, provision. But none will remember except he who turns back [in repentance].
40:14
فَٱدۡعُواْ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ١٤
So invoke Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in religion, although the disbelievers dislike it.
40:15
رَفِيعُ ٱلدَّرَجَٰتِ ذُو ٱلۡعَرۡشِ يُلۡقِي ٱلرُّوحَ مِنۡ أَمۡرِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ لِيُنذِرَ يَوۡمَ ٱلتَّلَاقِ ١٥
[He is] the Exalted above [all] degrees, Owner of the Throne; He places the inspiration of His command [i.e., revelation] upon whom He wills of His servants to warn of the Day of Meeting.
40:16
يَوۡمَ هُم بَٰرِزُونَۖ لَا يَخۡفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِنۡهُمۡ شَيۡءٞۚ لِّمَنِ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡوَٰحِدِ ٱلۡقَهَّارِ ١٦
The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allāh. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allāh, the One, the Prevailing.1
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnotes in 12:39. ↩