English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 40: Al-Mumin — The Believer (Revealed at Makkah: 9 sections, 85 verses)

Section 2 (Verses 40:10–40:20): Failure of Opponents

Translation:

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا یُنَادَوۡنَ لَمَقۡتُ اللّٰہِ اَکۡبَرُ مِنۡ مَّقۡتِکُمۡ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ اِذۡ تُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَی الۡاِیۡمَانِ فَتَکۡفُرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾

40:10 Those who disbelieve are told: Certainly Allah’s hatred (of you), when you were called upon to the faith and you rejected, was much greater than your hatred (now) of yourselves.1

قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَمَتَّنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ وَ اَحۡیَیۡتَنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ فَاعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوۡبِنَا فَہَلۡ اِلٰی خُرُوۡجٍ مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ ﴿۱۱﴾

40:11 They say: Our Lord, twice have You made us die, and twice have You given us life;2 so we confess our sins. Is there then a way of escape?

ذٰلِکُمۡ بِاَنَّہٗۤ اِذَا دُعِیَ اللّٰہُ وَحۡدَہٗ کَفَرۡتُمۡ ۚ وَ اِنۡ یُّشۡرَکۡ بِہٖ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا ؕ فَالۡحُکۡمُ لِلّٰہِ الۡعَلِیِّ الۡکَبِیۡرِ ﴿۱۲﴾

40:12 That is because when Allah alone was called upon, you disbelieved, and when partners were set up with Him, you believed. So judgment belongs to Allah, the High, the Great.

ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ یُرِیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَ یُنَزِّلُ لَکُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ رِزۡقًا ؕ وَ مَا یَتَذَکَّرُ اِلَّا مَنۡ یُّنِیۡبُ ﴿۱۳﴾

40:13 He it is Who shows you His signs and sends down for you sustenance from heaven,3 and none is mindful but he who turns (to Him).

فَادۡعُوا اللّٰہَ مُخۡلِصِیۡنَ لَہُ الدِّیۡنَ وَ لَوۡ کَرِہَ الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴﴾

40:14 So call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, though the disbelievers are averse —

رَفِیۡعُ الدَّرَجٰتِ ذُو الۡعَرۡشِ ۚ یُلۡقِی الرُّوۡحَ مِنۡ اَمۡرِہٖ عَلٰی مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ لِیُنۡذِرَ یَوۡمَ التَّلَاقِ ﴿ۙ۱۵﴾

40:15 Exalter of degrees, Lord of the Throne of Power, He casts the spirit by His command upon whom He pleases of His servants, that he may warn (people) of the day of Meeting4 —

یَوۡمَ ہُمۡ بٰرِزُوۡنَ ۬ۚ لَا یَخۡفٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ مِنۡہُمۡ شَیۡءٌ ؕ لِمَنِ الۡمُلۡکُ الۡیَوۡمَ ؕ لِلّٰہِ الۡوَاحِدِ الۡقَہَّارِ ﴿۱۶﴾

40:16 the day when they come forth. Nothing concerning them remains hidden from Allah.5 To whom belongs the kingdom this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all).

اَلۡیَوۡمَ تُجۡزٰی کُلُّ نَفۡسٍۭ بِمَا کَسَبَتۡ ؕ لَا ظُلۡمَ الۡیَوۡمَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ ﴿۱۷﴾

40:17 This day every soul is rewarded for what it has earned. No injustice this day! Surely Allah is Swift in Reckoning.

وَ اَنۡذِرۡہُمۡ یَوۡمَ الۡاٰزِفَۃِ اِذِ الۡقُلُوۡبُ لَدَی الۡحَنَاجِرِ کٰظِمِیۡنَ ۬ؕ مَا لِلظّٰلِمِیۡنَ مِنۡ حَمِیۡمٍ وَّ لَا شَفِیۡعٍ یُّطَاعُ ﴿ؕ۱۸﴾

40:18 And warn them of the day that draws near, when hearts, grieving inwardly, rise up to the throats.6 The wrongdoers will have no friend, nor any intercessor who should be obeyed.

یَعۡلَمُ خَآئِنَۃَ الۡاَعۡیُنِ وَ مَا تُخۡفِی الصُّدُوۡرُ ﴿۱۹﴾

40:19 He knows the dishonesty of eyes and what the hearts conceal.

وَ اللّٰہُ یَقۡضِیۡ بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ لَا یَقۡضُوۡنَ بِشَیۡءٍ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡبَصِیۡرُ ﴿٪۲۰﴾

40:20 And Allah judges with truth. And those whom they call upon besides Him judge not at all! Surely Allah is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Commentary:

  1. The violent hatred referred to is the hatred of the evildoers for them­selves, when the evil consequences of their evil deeds become manifest to them. How much greater must have been the hatred of Allah, the Fountain-head of purity, for them when they committed those deeds! How Forbearing and Merciful was He not to visit them with immediate punishment! ↩
  2. The first state of death is the state of nothingness from which man is brought into existence, the second life being the life after death. ↩
  3. The meaning is simply that God provides the means of sustenance; or, the sustenance from heaven means the spiritual sustenance. ↩
  4. The rūḥ (spirit) is here spoken of as being granted only to the elect, and the object is to warn people; hence rūḥ means Divine revelation, not the soul which is given to every human being. By the day of Meeting is meant the day of meeting with God. ↩
  5. It is implied that the hidden consequences of deeds will be made manifest on that day, for from Allah nothing is hidden. ↩
  6. In the day that draws near, the nearer punishment of this life is spoken of. The verse depicts the state of the hearts of the disbelievers on the day of their vanquishment. ↩

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