Surah Ghafir ayat 18 Tafsir Quran 40:18

﴿وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْآزِفَةِ إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ كَاظِمِينَ ۚ مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ﴾
[ غافر: 18]

40:18 And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Approaching Day, when hearts are at the throats, filled [with distress]. For the wrongdoers there will be no devoted friend and no intercessor [who is] obeyed.

And warn them of the Impending Day namely the Day of Resurrection al-azifa as in azifa al-rahīlu ‘departure is very near’ when the hearts will rising up in fear reach the throats choking with anguish filled with suppressed anxiety kāzimīna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to al-qulūbu ‘the hearts’ which is qualified by the active animate participle plural kāzimīna and referred to as though they were the very individuals themselves. The evildoers will not have any intimate friend any sympathiser nor any intercessor who might be heeded — the adjectival qualification ‘who might be heeded’ has no literal significance for they do not have intercessors in the first place So now we have no intercessors … Q. 26100. The first part however may be said to have significance if understand on the basis of their claim to have intercessors and so in other words even if — hypothetically speaking — they their intercessors did intercede for them they would not be heeded.

Caution them O Muhammad; against the approaching Day of Resurrection when the hearts sink, choking the breath, the tongue and the utterance, connoting extreme fear disabling them to put their thoughts into words; there and then shall they find no friend nor an intercessor whose mediation is accepted

Warning of the Day of Resurrection and Allah's judgement on that Day `The Day that is drawing near' is one of the names of the Day of Judgement.
It is so called because it is close, as Allah says: أَزِفَتِ الاٌّزِفَةُ - لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ ( The Day of Resurrection draws near.
None besides Allah can avert it ) ( 53:57-58 ) اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ ( The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder ) ( 54:1 ) اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمْ ( Draws near for mankind their reckoning ) ( 21:1 ), أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ ( The Event (the Hour ) ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it) ( 16:1 ), فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ زُلْفَةً سِيئَتْ وُجُوهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( But when they will see it approaching, the faces of those who disbelieve will change and turn black with sadness and in grief ) ( 67:27 ), and إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ كَـظِمِينَ ( when the hearts will be at the throats Kazimin.
) Qatadah said, "When the hearts reach the throats because of fear, and they will neither come out nor go back to their places." This was also the view of `Ikrimah, As-Suddi and others. كَـظِمِينَ ( Kazimin ) means silent, for no one will speak without His permission: يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً ( The Day that Ar-Ruh (Jibril ) and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right.) ( 78:38 ).
Ibn Jurayj said: كَـظِمِينَ ( Kazimin ) "It means weeping." مَا لِلظَّـلِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلاَ شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ ( There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the wrongdoers, who could be given heed to. ) means, those who wronged themselves by associating others in worship with Allah, will have no relative to help them and no intercessor who can plead on their behalf; all means of good will be cut off from them. يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. ) Allah tells us about His complete knowledge which encompasses all things, great and small, major and minor, so that people will take note that He knows about them and they will have the proper sense of shyness before Allah.
They will pay attention to the fact that He can see them, for He knows the fraud of the eyes, even if the eyes look innocent, and He knows what the hearts conceal.
Ad-Dahhak said: خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ ( the fraud of the eyes, ) "A wink and a man saying that he has seen something when he has not seen it, or saying that he has not seen it when he did see it." Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah knows when the eye looks at something, whether it wants to commit an act of betrayal or not." This was also the view of Mujahid and Qatadah.
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( and all that the breasts conceal. )"He knows, if you were able to, whether you would commit Zina with a woman or not." As-Suddi said: وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( and all that the breasts conceal. ) meaning, of insinuating whispers. وَاللَّهُ يَقْضِى بِالْحَقِّ ( And Allah judges with truth, ) means, He judges with justice.
Al-A`mash narrated from Sa`id bin Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that this Ayah means: "He is able to reward those who do good with good and those who do evil with evil." إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ( Certainly, Allah! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. ) This is how it was interpreted by Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
This is like the Ayah: لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى ( that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best ) ( 53:31 ). وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ( while those to whom they invoke besides Him, ) means, the idols and false gods, لاَ يَقْضُونَ بِشَىْءٍ ( cannot judge anything. ) means, they do not possess anything and they cannot judge anything. إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ( Certainly, Allah! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. ) means, He hears all that His creatures say and He knows all about them, so He guides whomsoever He wills and sends astray whomsoever He wills.
And He judges with perfect justice in all of that.

(40:18) (O Prophet), then warn them of the Day that has drawn near, *30 the Day when hearts full of suppressed grief will leap up to the throats and the wrong-doers shall neither have any sincere friend *31 nor intercessor whose word will be heeded. *32

And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the meaning

*30) In the Qur'an the people have been made to realize again and again that Resurrection is not far off but has approached near at hand, and can take place any moment.
In An-Nahl: 1, it has been said: " Allah's Judgement has come, so do not clamour for hastening it; " in Al-Anbiya':1: " The time of the reckoning of the people has drawn near, and yet they arc turning away in heedlessness; " in AI-Qamar: 1: " The Hour of Resurrection has drawn near and the moon has split asunder; " and in An-Najm: 57: " That which is coming is near at hand: none but Allah can avert it. " All this is meant to warn the people to the effect that they should not become fearless of Resurrection thinking it to be yet far away, but should mend their ways and reform themselves at once.

*31) The word hamim as used in the original implies such a friend of a person as is aroused to action when he sees hire being beaten, and rushes forward to protect and save Him.

*32) This thing has been said to refute the concept of intercession held by the disbelievers.
As a matter of fact, the wicked people will have no intercessor at all, for permission to intercede, if at all granted, can be granted only to the righteous servants of Allah, and Allah's righteous servants can never make friends with the disbelievers, polytheists and sinners so that they should even think of intruding on their behalf to save them.
But as the disbelievers have generally held, and still hold, the belief that the saints, whose disciples they are, will not allow that they go to Hell, but will see that they are forgiven.
Therefore, it has been said: There will be no such intercessor there.
who may have to be listened to, and whose recommendation Allah may have to accept necessarily."
 

Warning of the Day of Resurrection and Allah's judgement on that Day `The Day that is drawing near' is one of the names of the Day of Judgement.
It is so called because it is close, as Allah says: أَزِفَتِ الاٌّزِفَةُ - لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ ( The Day of Resurrection draws near.
None besides Allah can avert it ) ( 53:57-58 ) اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ ( The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder ) ( 54:1 ) اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمْ ( Draws near for mankind their reckoning ) ( 21:1 ), أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ ( The Event (the Hour ) ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it) ( 16:1 ), فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ زُلْفَةً سِيئَتْ وُجُوهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( But when they will see it approaching, the faces of those who disbelieve will change and turn black with sadness and in grief ) ( 67:27 ), and إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ كَـظِمِينَ ( when the hearts will be at the throats Kazimin.
) Qatadah said, "When the hearts reach the throats because of fear, and they will neither come out nor go back to their places." This was also the view of `Ikrimah, As-Suddi and others. كَـظِمِينَ ( Kazimin ) means silent, for no one will speak without His permission: يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً ( The Day that Ar-Ruh (Jibril ) and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right.) ( 78:38 ).
Ibn Jurayj said: كَـظِمِينَ ( Kazimin ) "It means weeping." مَا لِلظَّـلِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلاَ شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ ( There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the wrongdoers, who could be given heed to. ) means, those who wronged themselves by associating others in worship with Allah, will have no relative to help them and no intercessor who can plead on their behalf; all means of good will be cut off from them. يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. ) Allah tells us about His complete knowledge which encompasses all things, great and small, major and minor, so that people will take note that He knows about them and they will have the proper sense of shyness before Allah.
They will pay attention to the fact that He can see them, for He knows the fraud of the eyes, even if the eyes look innocent, and He knows what the hearts conceal.
Ad-Dahhak said: خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ ( the fraud of the eyes, ) "A wink and a man saying that he has seen something when he has not seen it, or saying that he has not seen it when he did see it." Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah knows when the eye looks at something, whether it wants to commit an act of betrayal or not." This was also the view of Mujahid and Qatadah.
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( and all that the breasts conceal. )"He knows, if you were able to, whether you would commit Zina with a woman or not." As-Suddi said: وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ( and all that the breasts conceal. ) meaning, of insinuating whispers. وَاللَّهُ يَقْضِى بِالْحَقِّ ( And Allah judges with truth, ) means, He judges with justice.
Al-A`mash narrated from Sa`id bin Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that this Ayah means: "He is able to reward those who do good with good and those who do evil with evil." إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ( Certainly, Allah! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. ) This is how it was interpreted by Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
This is like the Ayah: لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى ( that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best ) ( 53:31 ). وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ( while those to whom they invoke besides Him, ) means, the idols and false gods, لاَ يَقْضُونَ بِشَىْءٍ ( cannot judge anything. ) means, they do not possess anything and they cannot judge anything. إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ( Certainly, Allah! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. ) means, He hears all that His creatures say and He knows all about them, so He guides whomsoever He wills and sends astray whomsoever He wills.
And He judges with perfect justice in all of that.

( Warn them ) O Muhammad ( of the Day of the approaching (doom )) of the horrors of the Day of Doom which is the Day of Judgement, ( when the hearts will be choking the throats ) because of grief and distress due to the exasperation they feel inwardly, ( (when ) there will be no friend) no close friend to help ( for the wrong-doers ) for the idolaters, ( nor any intercessor who will be heard ) upon interceding for them.

And warn them (O Muhammad SAW) of the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them (hearts) to their chests nor can they throw them out. There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), who could be given heed to.

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