Ghafir 40:82
The Forgiver · Juz 24 · Page 476
أَفَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَانُوٓاْ أَكۡثَرَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةٗ وَءَاثَارٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَمَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٨٢
Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those before them? They were more numerous than themselves and greater in strength and in impression on the land, but they were not availed by what they used to earn.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 40:82–85
The Lesson to be learned from what happened to Those Who Came before
Allah tells us about the nations who rejected their Messengers in ancient times. He mentioned the severe punishment they suffered despite their great strength, He mentioned the traces which they left behind in the earth and the great wealth they amassed. None of that availed them anything and could not prevent the punishment of Allah at all. That is because when the Messengers came to them with clear signs and decisive evidence, they did not pay any attention to them. Instead, they were content with the knowledge with them, or so they claimed, and they said that they did not need what the Messengers brought them. Mujahid said, "They said, we know better than them, we will not be resurrected and we will not be punished." As-Suddi said, "In their ignorance, they rejoiced in what they had of (worldly) knowledge. So Allah sent upon them a punishment which they could not escape or resist."
وَحَاقَ بِهِم
(and surrounded them.) means, encompassed them.
مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
(that at which they used to mock,) means, that which they used to disbelieve in and said would never happen,
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا
(So when they saw Our punishment,) means, when they saw with their own eyes the punishment which came upon them, they said,
قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ
(We believe in Allah Alone and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him as (His) partners. ) means, they affirmed that Allah is One and denied the false gods, but this was at the time when excuses were to no avail. This is like what Fir`awn said as he was drowning:
ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِى ءَامَنَتْ بِهِ بَنواْ إِسْرَءِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
(I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims.) (10:90) But Allah said:
ءَالَنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
(Now (you believe) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the the corrupters.) (10:91) meaning, Allah did not accept this from him, because He had answered the prayer of His Prophet Musa, when he said,
وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُواْ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ
(And harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment) (10:88). Allah says here:
فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَنُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ
(Then their Faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants.) means, this is the ruling of Allah concerning all those who repent only when they actually see the punishment: He does not accept that from them. It says in the Hadith:
«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَالَمْ يُغَرْغِر»
(Allah will accept the repentance of His servant so long as the death rattle is not sounding in his throat.) Once the death rattle is sounding and the soul has reached the throat, and the dying person actually sees the angel (of death), then he can no longer repent. Allah says:
وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَفِرُونَ
(And there the disbelievers lost utterly.) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ghafir. Praise and thanks be to Allah.
Page 476
40:78
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلٗا مِّن قَبۡلِكَ مِنۡهُم مَّن قَصَصۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡ عَلَيۡكَۗ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأۡتِيَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ قُضِيَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ ٧٨
And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not related to you. And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign [or verse] except by permission of Allāh. So when the command of Allāh comes, it will be concluded [i.e., judged] in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].
40:79
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمَ لِتَرۡكَبُواْ مِنۡهَا وَمِنۡهَا تَأۡكُلُونَ ٧٩
It is Allāh who made for you the grazing animals upon which you ride, and some of them you eat.
40:80
وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَنَٰفِعُ وَلِتَبۡلُغُواْ عَلَيۡهَا حَاجَةٗ فِي صُدُورِكُمۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا وَعَلَى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ تُحۡمَلُونَ ٨٠
And for you therein are [other] benefits and that you may realize upon them a need which is in your breasts;1 and upon them and upon ships you are carried.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., that you may use the animals to carry your loads to distant places, according to need. ↩
40:81
وَيُرِيكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ فَأَيَّ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُنكِرُونَ ٨١
And He shows you His signs. So which of the signs of Allāh do you deny?
40:82
أَفَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَانُوٓاْ أَكۡثَرَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةٗ وَءَاثَارٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَمَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٨٢
Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those before them? They were more numerous than themselves and greater in strength and in impression on the land, but they were not availed by what they used to earn.
40:83
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَرِحُواْ بِمَا عِندَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٨٣
And when their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they [merely] rejoiced in what they had of knowledge, but they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
40:84
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡاْ بَأۡسَنَا قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَحۡدَهُۥ وَكَفَرۡنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِۦ مُشۡرِكِينَ ٨٤
And when they saw Our punishment, they said, "We believe in Allāh alone and disbelieve in that which we used to associate with Him."
40:85
فَلَمۡ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمۡ إِيمَٰنُهُمۡ لَمَّا رَأَوۡاْ بَأۡسَنَاۖ سُنَّتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِي قَدۡ خَلَتۡ فِي عِبَادِهِۦۖ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ٨٥
But never did their faith benefit them once they saw Our punishment. [It is] the established way of Allāh which has preceded among His servants. And the disbelievers thereupon lost [all].
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy