Surah Ghafir ayat 4 Tafsir Quran 40:4

﴿مَا يُجَادِلُ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَا يَغْرُرْكَ تَقَلُّبُهُمْ فِي الْبِلَادِ﴾
[ غافر: 4]

40:4 No one disputes concerning the signs of Allah except those who disbelieve, so be not deceived by their [uninhibited] movement throughout the land.

None dispute the signs of God — the Qur’ān — except those who disbelieve from among the people of Mecca so do not be deceived by their bustle in the towns going about seeking their livelihood in security for the sequel for them will be the Fire.

No one contends with opposing argument against Allahs signs and revelations and seem resolved to dispute the truth but those who deny Him and refuse to acknowledge His authority, and so let not their prosperous commercial travels befool your mind. O Muhammad nor delude your judgement

One of the Attributes of the Disbelievers is That they dispute theAyat of Allah -- and The Consequences of that Allah tells us that noone rejects or disputes His signs after clear proof has come, إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( but those who disbelieve ), i.e., those who reject the signs of Allah and His proof and evidence. فَلاَ يَغْرُرْكَ تَقَلُّبُهُمْ فِى الْبِلاَدِ ( So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land deceive you! ) means, their wealth and luxurious life.
This is like the Ayah: لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى الْبِلَـدِ - مَتَـعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ( Let not the free disposal (and affluence ) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you.
A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.) ( 3:196-197 ) نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ ( We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter ) a great torment.) ( 31:24 ).
Then Allah consoles His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the rejection of his people.
He tells him that he has an example in the Prophets who came before him, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them all, for their nations disbelieved them and opposed them, and only a few believed in them. كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ ( The people of Nuh denied before these; ) Nuh was the first Messenger whom Allah sent to denounce and forbid idol worship. وَالاٌّحْزَابُ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ ( and the groups after them ) means, from every nation. وَهَمَّتْ كُـلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ( and every (disbelieving ) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him,) means, they wanted to kill him by any means possible, and some of them did kill their Messenger. وَجَـدَلُوا بِالْبَـطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُواْ بِهِ الْحَقَّ ( and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. ) means, they came up with specious arguments with which to dispute the truth which was so plain and clear. فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ( So I seized them ) means, `I destroyed them, because of the sins they committed.' فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ ( and how was My punishment! ) means, `how have you heard that My punishment and vengeance was so severe and painful.' Qatadah said, "It was terrible, by Allah." وَكَذَلِكَ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ ( Thus has the Word of your Lord been justified against those who disbelieved, that they will be the dwellers of the Fire. ) means, `just as the Word of punishment was justified against those of the past nations who disbelieved, so too is it justified against these disbelievers who have rejected you and gone against you, O Muhammad, and it is even more justified against them, because if they have disbelieved in you, there is no certainty that they will believe in any other Prophet.' And Allah knows best.

(40:4) None but the unbelievers *3 dispute regarding the Signs of Allah. *2 So let not their strutting about in the land delude you. *4

No one disputes concerning the signs of meaning

*2) " To dispute " means using crooked arguments in reasoning, raising irrelevant objections, isolating a word or a sentence from its context, subjecting it to hair-splitting and making it the basis of doubts and accusations, misconstruing words from their true sense and intention so that neither should one understand the meaning oneself nor Iet others understand it.
Such a way of dispute is adopted only by those whose difference of opinion is based on iII-will and malice.
If a well-intentioned opponent disputes a point, he does so for the sake of arriving at the truth, and wants to be satisfied through discussion whether his own point of view is correct.
Such a discussion is engaged in quest of truth and not for refutation.
Contrary to this, the real purpose of the malicious opponent is not to understand anything nor to help others to understand, but to degrade and humiliate the other man; he joins a discussion only with the intention that he would not Iet the other man carry his point.
That is why he never faces the real problems but launches his attacks only on the irrelevant issues.

*3) Here, the word kufr" has been used in two meanings: for ingratitude and for denial of the truth.
According to the first meaning, the sentence would mean: As against the Revelations of Allah this sort of behaviour is adopted only by those who have forgotten His bounties and who have even lost the feeling that it is by His bounty that they are flourishing.
According to the second, it would mean: "This sort of behaviour is adopted only by those who have turned away from the truth and are determined not to accept it.
" From the context it becomes obvious that here the disbeliever does not imply every non-Muslim, for a non-Muslim who disputes a point in good faith for the sake of understanding Islam, and who tries to grasp thoroughly those things which he fends hard to follow, although a nonMuslim technically, yet that which has been condemned in this verse does not apply to him.

*4) There is a gap between the previous sentence and this, which has been left for the listener to fill.
From the context and style it becomes evident that those who adopt the attitude of disputation as against the Revelations of Allah Almighty, can never escape the punishment.
Therefore, they shall inevitably meet their doom.
Now, if one sees that those people, even after adopting such an attitude, arc strutting about, their business is flourishing, their governments functioning in a grand style.
and they are enjoying the good things of life, one should not be misled into thinking that they have escaped Allah's punishment, or that war against Allah's Revelations is a sport which can be adopted as a pastime and its evil consequences warded off easily.
This, in fact, is a respite which they have been granted by Allah.
Those who abuse this respite for doing more mischief arc indeed preparing for an ignominious end.

 

One of the Attributes of the Disbelievers is That they dispute theAyat of Allah -- and The Consequences of that Allah tells us that noone rejects or disputes His signs after clear proof has come, إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( but those who disbelieve ), i.e., those who reject the signs of Allah and His proof and evidence. فَلاَ يَغْرُرْكَ تَقَلُّبُهُمْ فِى الْبِلاَدِ ( So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land deceive you! ) means, their wealth and luxurious life.
This is like the Ayah: لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى الْبِلَـدِ - مَتَـعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ( Let not the free disposal (and affluence ) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you.
A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.) ( 3:196-197 ) نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ ( We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter ) a great torment.) ( 31:24 ).
Then Allah consoles His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the rejection of his people.
He tells him that he has an example in the Prophets who came before him, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them all, for their nations disbelieved them and opposed them, and only a few believed in them. كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ ( The people of Nuh denied before these; ) Nuh was the first Messenger whom Allah sent to denounce and forbid idol worship. وَالاٌّحْزَابُ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ ( and the groups after them ) means, from every nation. وَهَمَّتْ كُـلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ( and every (disbelieving ) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him,) means, they wanted to kill him by any means possible, and some of them did kill their Messenger. وَجَـدَلُوا بِالْبَـطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُواْ بِهِ الْحَقَّ ( and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. ) means, they came up with specious arguments with which to dispute the truth which was so plain and clear. فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ( So I seized them ) means, `I destroyed them, because of the sins they committed.' فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ ( and how was My punishment! ) means, `how have you heard that My punishment and vengeance was so severe and painful.' Qatadah said, "It was terrible, by Allah." وَكَذَلِكَ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ ( Thus has the Word of your Lord been justified against those who disbelieved, that they will be the dwellers of the Fire. ) means, `just as the Word of punishment was justified against those of the past nations who disbelieved, so too is it justified against these disbelievers who have rejected you and gone against you, O Muhammad, and it is even more justified against them, because if they have disbelieved in you, there is no certainty that they will believe in any other Prophet.' And Allah knows best.

( None argue concerning the revelations of Allah ) none disbelieves Muhammad ( pbuh ) and the Qur’an ( save those who disbelieve ) in Allah, i.e. the people of Mecca, ( so let not their turn of fortune in the land deceive thee (O Muhammad )) so let not, O Muhammad, their comings and goings in travel for trade deceive you, for they account for nothing.

None disputes in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah but those who disbelieve. So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land (for their purposes) deceive you [O Muhammad SAW, their ultimate end will be the Fire of Hell]!

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