Tafsir of Ghafir 40:69

Surah Ghafir (40): Verse 69

{أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ أَنَّى يُصْرَفُونَ}

It is to be noted that the Almighty has returned to condemning those who dispute concerning the verses of Allah, saying: {Have you not seen those who dispute concerning the verses of Allah, how they are turned away?}

This is a condemnation of them for disputing, rejecting, and denying the verses of Allah. The Almighty expresses wonder at them by saying: {how they are turned away} (أَنَّى يُصْرَفُونَ). This is like a person saying to someone who is heedless: "How are you going astray?"—expressing astonishment at their negligence.

Then, He clarified their state: {They are the ones who denied the Book}—meaning the Qur'an—{and that with which We sent Our Messengers}—referring to the other scriptures.

If one asks: Since sawfa (سوف) implies the future and idh (إذ) implies the past, how can the statement {فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ * إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ} (Then they will know when the shackles are on their necks) be correct, similar to saying, "I will fast yesterday"?

The answer, as stated by the author of Al-Kashshaf, is that the intended meaning of {إِذِ} (idh) here is idhā (إذا - when/if), because future matters, being certain and established in Allah's reports, are expressed using the term for what has already occurred and existed, but the meaning remains future-oriented.

Then, the Almighty described the manner of their punishment: {When the shackles are on their necks and the chains, they are dragged into the boiling water} (فِي الْحَمِيم).

The meaning is that shackles will be on their necks, and chains will bind them, and then they will be dragged by those chains into al-Ḥamīm (boiling water), which is water intensely heated by the fire of Hell.

{Then into the Fire they will be burned} (ثُمَّ فِي النَّارِ يُسْجَرُونَ). As-Sajr (السجر) in language means to ignite a fire. This means that they will be engulfed by the Fire, which surrounds them. This is close in meaning to His saying: {The Fire of Allah, [that which is] kindled, Which mounts up to the hearts} (Al-Humazah: 6-7).

{Then it will be said to them, "Where are those you used to associate with Allah?"} (ثُمَّ قِيلَ لَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ * مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ).

They will reply: {They have vanished from us} (ضَلُّوا عَنَّا). Meaning, they are absent from our sight; we do not see them, nor can we intercede through them.

Then they will say: {Rather, we did not call upon anything before} (بَلْ لَمْ نَكُنْ نَدْعُو مِنْ قَبْلُ شَيْئًا). This clarifies that if those deities were nothing, then we were not worshipping anything through their worship. This is like saying, "I thought so-and-so was something significant, but when I tested him, he turned out to be nothing."

Alternatively, it can be interpreted that they will deny and disavow that they ever worshipped anyone other than Allah, just as Allah informed us in Surah Al-An'am that they will say: {By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists} (6:23).

Then the Almighty said: {Thus does Allah lead astray the disbelievers} (كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الْكَافِرِينَ).

Al-Qadi [Al-Baqillani] said: This means He misleads them away from the path to Paradise, as it is not permissible to say He misleads them away from the proof (Hujjah), since He had already guided them to it in the world.

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: {Thus does Allah lead astray the disbelievers} is like the misguidance of their deities away from them; He misleads them away from their deities, such that if they sought their deities, or the deities sought them, neither would find the other.

Then He said: {That is because you used to rejoice on the earth without right} (ذَلِكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ). This means that this misguidance is due to the joy and merriment you used to have unjustly, which was polytheism and the worship of idols.

{Enter the gates of Hell} (ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ), the seven gates apportioned to you. Allah says: {It has seven gates; for each gate is an allotted portion of them} (Al-Hijr: 44).

{Abiding therein forever. And wretched is the abode of the arrogant} (خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ). This refers to what was mentioned in the preceding verse regarding the description of these disputers: {Indeed, in their breasts is nothing but pride} (Ghafir: 56).

Surah Ghafir (40): Verse 70

{فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ}

{So be patient; indeed, the promise of Allah is true. So whether We show you some of what We promise them or We take you in death, to Us they will be returned.}

Surah Ghafir (40): Verse 71

{وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قُضِيَ بِالْحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ}

{And We have certainly sent messengers before you. Among them are those We have mentioned to you, and among them are those We have not mentioned to you. And it was not for a messenger to bring a sign except by permission of Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be judged in truth, and there the losers will be ruined.}