Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered (24:40)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Or a world of darkness similar to that found in the depth of an ocean where billowy waves are superimposed upon billowy waves topped by dark clouds creating a coat of darkness superimposed upon coats of darkness where he sits or moves misted with darkness that if he stretches his hand he can hardly see it*. And he whom Allah blinds his minds eyes and darkens his eyes shall he devoid of spiritual light and his hopes shall he doomed to disappointment

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(24:40) Or (their efforts may be likened to those of a man trying to swim in) a deep dark ocean, covered with billows, one over the other, and above it a cloud: darkness upon darkness: so much so that if he stretches out his hand, he cannot see *72 it. There is no light for the one whom Allah does not give light.  *73

Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered meaning

*72) This parable describes the condition of all the disbelievers and the hypocrites including those who perform good deeds for ostentation. It is being stated that such people are passing their life in a state of absolute and complete ignorance, whether otherwise they are the most learned people in the world and leaders in their respective fields of learning. They are like the mart who is lost in complete darkness where no ray of light can reach him. They think that knowledge merely consists in producing atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, supersonic planes and moon rockets, or in attaining excellence in economics and finance and law and philosophy. But they little understand that real knowledge is something entirely different and they have no idea of it. Thus considered they are just ignorant, and an illiterate peasant who has gained some acquaintance of the Divine Truth is wiser than they.
*73)
. Here is stated the real object of the discourse which began with: "AIlah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." When in fact there is no light in the universe except the Light of Allah and all manifestation of reality is due to that Light, where from can the one whom Allah does not give light have light? There exists no other source of light from where he can receive a ray .

 

Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered meaning in Urdu

یا پھر اس کی مثال ایسی ہے جیسے ایک گہرے سمندر میں اندھیرا، کہ اوپر ایک موج چھائی ہوئی ہے، اُس پر ایک اور موج، اور اس کے اوپر بادل، تاریکی پر تاریکی مسلط ہے، آدمی اپنا ہاتھ نکالے تو اسے بھی نہ دیکھنے پائے جسے اللہ نور نہ بخشے اُس کے لیے پھر کوئی نور نہیں