Ghafir 40:47
The Forgiver · Juz 24 · Page 472
وَإِذۡ يَتَحَآجُّونَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ فَيَقُولُ ٱلضُّعَفَٰٓؤُاْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمۡ تَبَعٗا فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّغۡنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيبٗا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ٤٧
And [mention] when they will argue within the Fire, and the weak will say to those who had been arrogant, "Indeed, we were [only] your followers, so will you relieve us of a share of the Fire?"
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Commentary on 40:47–50
The Dispute of the People of Hell
Allah tells us how the people of Hell will dispute and argue with one another, and Fir`awn and his people will be among them. The weak, who were the followers, will say to those who were arrogant, who were the leaders and masters:
إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا
(Verily, we followed you,) meaning, `we obeyed you and heeded your call to disbelief and misguidance in the world, '
فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيباً مِّنَ النَّارِ
(can you then take from us some portion of the Fire) means, `can you carry a part of our burden for us'
قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا كُلٌّ فِيهَآ
(Those who were arrogant will say: "We are all (together) in this (Fire)!...") meaning, `we will not bear any part of your burden for you; our own punishment is enough for us to bear.'
إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ
(Verily, Allah has judged (His) servants!) means, `He has shared out the punishment among us according to what each of us deserves'. This is like the Ayah:
قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَكِن لاَّ تَعْلَمُونَ
(He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.") (7:38)
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِى النَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُواْ رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْماً مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ
(And those in the Fire will say to the keepers (angels) of Hell: "Call upon your Lord to lighten for us the torment for a day!") They know that Allah will not answer them and will not listen to their prayer, because He said,
اخْسَئُواْ فِيهَا وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ
(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!) (23:108), so they will ask the keepers of Hell, who are like jailers watching over the people of Hell, to pray to Allah to lessen the Fire for them if only for one day. But the keepers of Hell will refuse, saying to them,
أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِالْبَيِّنَتِ
(Did there not come to you, your Messengers with (clear) evidences) meaning, was not proof established in the world on the lips of the Messengers
قَالُواْ بَلَى قَالُواْ فَادْعُواْ
(They will say: "Yes." They will reply: "Then call (as you like)!...") means, you are on your own. We will not pray for you or listen to you; we do not want you to be saved and we have nothing to do with you. Moreover, we tell you that it is all the same whether you offer supplication or not, because Allah will not respond and He will not lighten the torment for you.' They will say:
وَمَا دُعَآءُ الْكَفِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَلٍ
(And the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but in vain!) meaning, it will not be accepted or responded to.
Page 472
40:41
۞ وَيَٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِيٓ أَدۡعُوكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ وَتَدۡعُونَنِيٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ٤١
And O my people, how is it that I invite you to salvation while you invite me to the Fire?
40:42
تَدۡعُونَنِي لِأَكۡفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَأُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦ مَا لَيۡسَ لِي بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞ وَأَنَا۠ أَدۡعُوكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡغَفَّٰرِ ٤٢
You invite me to disbelieve in Allāh and associate with Him that of which I have no knowledge, and I invite you to the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver.1
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnotes in 38:66. ↩
40:43
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدۡعُونَنِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَعۡوَةٞ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَلَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ٤٣
Assuredly, that to which you invite me has no [response to a] supplication in this world or in the Hereafter; and indeed, our return is to Allāh, and indeed, the transgressors will be companions of the Fire.
40:44
فَسَتَذۡكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡۚ وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمۡرِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَصِيرُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ ٤٤
And you will remember what I [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Seeing of [His] servants."
40:45
فَوَقَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِ مَا مَكَرُواْۖ وَحَاقَ بِـَٔالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوٓءُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٤٥
So Allāh protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment -
40:46
ٱلنَّارُ يُعۡرَضُونَ عَلَيۡهَا غُدُوّٗا وَعَشِيّٗاۚ وَيَوۡمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدۡخِلُوٓاْ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ أَشَدَّ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٤٦
The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening.1 And the Day the Hour appears [it will be said], "Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment."
1 translator’s note
- From the time of their death until the Day of Resurrection, when they will be driven into it. ↩
40:47
وَإِذۡ يَتَحَآجُّونَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ فَيَقُولُ ٱلضُّعَفَٰٓؤُاْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمۡ تَبَعٗا فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّغۡنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيبٗا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ٤٧
And [mention] when they will argue within the Fire, and the weak will say to those who had been arrogant, "Indeed, we were [only] your followers, so will you relieve us of a share of the Fire?"
40:48
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُلّٞ فِيهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ حَكَمَ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡعِبَادِ ٤٨
Those who had been arrogant will say, "Indeed, all [of us] are in it. Indeed, Allāh has judged between the servants."
40:49
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ يُخَفِّفۡ عَنَّا يَوۡمٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٤٩
And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us a day from the punishment."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy