Ghafir 40:50
The Forgiver · Juz 24 · Page 473
قَالُوٓاْ أَوَلَمۡ تَكُ تَأۡتِيكُمۡ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰۚ قَالُواْ فَٱدۡعُواْۗ وَمَا دُعَٰٓؤُاْ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٍ ٥٠
They will say, "Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?" They will say, "Yes." They will reply, "Then supplicate [yourselves], but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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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 473
40:50
قَالُوٓاْ أَوَلَمۡ تَكُ تَأۡتِيكُمۡ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰۚ قَالُواْ فَٱدۡعُواْۗ وَمَا دُعَٰٓؤُاْ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٍ ٥٠
They will say, "Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?" They will say, "Yes." They will reply, "Then supplicate [yourselves], but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."
40:51
إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَيَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلۡأَشۡهَٰدُ ٥١
Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand -
40:52
يَوۡمَ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ مَعۡذِرَتُهُمۡۖ وَلَهُمُ ٱللَّعۡنَةُ وَلَهُمۡ سُوٓءُ ٱلدَّارِ ٥٢
The Day their excuse will not benefit the wrongdoers, and they will have the curse, and they will have the worst home [i.e., Hell].
40:53
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَأَوۡرَثۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ ٥٣
And We had certainly given Moses guidance, and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit the Scripture
40:54
هُدٗى وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٥٤
As guidance and a reminder for those of understanding.
40:55
فَٱصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلۡعَشِيِّ وَٱلۡإِبۡكَٰرِ ٥٥
So be patient, [O Muḥammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin1 and exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.
1 translator’s note
- What is intended is "fault" or "error" in judgement, since all prophets were protected by Allāh from falling into sin. The implication is that all believers should seek forgiveness for their sins. ↩
40:56
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَٰدِلُونَ فِيٓ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ سُلۡطَٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمۡ إِن فِي صُدُورِهِمۡ إِلَّا كِبۡرٞ مَّا هُم بِبَٰلِغِيهِۚ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ ٥٦
Indeed, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allāh without [any] evidence having come to them - there is not within their breasts except pride, [the extent of] which they cannot reach. So seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Seeing.
40:57
لَخَلۡقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَكۡبَرُ مِنۡ خَلۡقِ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٥٧
The creation of the heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of the people do not know.
40:58
وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَلَا ٱلۡمُسِيٓءُۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٥٨
And not equal are the blind and the seeing, nor are those who believe and do righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you remember.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy