Surah An Nur ayat 40 Tafsir Quran 24:40

﴿أَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُّجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُّورٍ﴾
[ النور: 40]

24:40 Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light.

Or it is that those who disbelieve their evil deeds are as the manifold darkness on a deep sea covered by a billow above which that is above which billow there is another billow above which second billow there are clouds these being the manifold layers of darkness one on top of another the darkness of the sea the darkness of the first billow the darkness of the second together with the darkness of the clouds. When he an observer holds out his hand in such layers of darkness he can scarcely see it in other words he would not even come close to seeing it. And he whom God has not granted any light has no light that is to say he whom God does not guide cannot be guided.

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

Two Examples of two kinds of Disbelievers These are two examples which Allah sets forth of two kinds of disbelievers.
Similarly He sets forth two parables of the hypocrites at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah: one involving fire and the other involving water.
Similarly, in Surat Ar-Ra`d He gives two parables of the guidance and knowledge that are instilled in the heart, again involving fire and water; we have discussed each of them in the appropriate place and there is no need to repeat it here, praise be to Allah.
The first of these two examples is that of the disbelievers who call others to their disbelief, thinking that they have good actions and beliefs, when this is not in fact the case.
Their likeness is that of a mirage which is seen in a desert plain, looking from a distance as if it is a deep sea.
The word Qi`ah refers to a vast, flat, level area of land in which the mirage may appear.
There are different kinds of mirage, one which appears after midday, and another which appears in the morning and looks like water between heaven and earth.
If a person who is in need of water sees the mirage, he thinks that it is water so he heads towards it in order to drink from it, but when he reaches it, لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً ( he finds it to be nothing. ); Similarly the disbeliever thinks that he is doing something good and that he has achieved something, but when Allah judges him on the Day of Resurrection, and brings him to account and examines his deeds, he will find that nothing has been accepted at all, either because of a lack of sincere belief or because he did not follow the proper ways of the Shari`ah.
As Allah says: وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً ( And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust. ) 25:23.
And He says here: وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ فَوَفَّـهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ( but he finds Allah with him, who will pay him his due.
And Allah is swift in taking account. ) A similar view was also narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and others.
In the Two Sahihs, it is reported that on the Day of Resurrection it will be said to the Jews, "What did you used to worship" They will say, "We used to worship `Uzayr the son of Allah." It will be said to them, "You have lied.
Allah has not begotten a son.
What do you want" They will say, "O Lord, we are thirsty, give us something to drink." It will be said to them, "Do you not see" Then Hell will be shown to them as if it is a mirage, parts of it consuming other parts, and they will go and fall into it.
This is the parable of one whose ignorance is deep and advanced.
As for those whose ignorance is simple, those who are uneducated and foolish and blindly follow the leaders of disbelief, knowing and understanding nothing, their parable is as Allah says: d أَوْ كَظُلُمَـتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَـهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا ( Or like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! ) meaning, he can hardly see it because it is so intensely dark.
This is the parable of the heart of the disbeliever whose ignorance is simple, who merely follows and does not know the true nature of the one whom he follows or where he is going.
He is like the ignorant man in the parable who was asked, "Where are you going" He said, "With them." He was asked, "Where are they going" He said, "I do not know." ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ ( darkness upon darkness ) Ubayy bin Ka`b said: "He is enveloped in five types of darkness: his speech is darkness, his deeds are darkness, his coming in is darkness, his going out is darkness and his destiny on the Day of Resurrection will be darkness in the fire of Hell." As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas also said something similar. وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُورٍ ( And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light. ) One whom Allah does not guide is ignorant and doomed, an utter loser and disbeliever.
This is like the Ayah: مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ ( Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him ) 7:186 This is in contrast to what Allah says about the believers: يَهْدِى اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ( Allah guides to His Light whom He wills.
) 24:35 We ask Allah the Almighty to put light in our hearts and give us light on our right and on our left, and to increase us in light.

(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 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 .


 

Two Examples of two kinds of Disbelievers These are two examples which Allah sets forth of two kinds of disbelievers.
Similarly He sets forth two parables of the hypocrites at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah: one involving fire and the other involving water.
Similarly, in Surat Ar-Ra`d He gives two parables of the guidance and knowledge that are instilled in the heart, again involving fire and water; we have discussed each of them in the appropriate place and there is no need to repeat it here, praise be to Allah.
The first of these two examples is that of the disbelievers who call others to their disbelief, thinking that they have good actions and beliefs, when this is not in fact the case.
Their likeness is that of a mirage which is seen in a desert plain, looking from a distance as if it is a deep sea.
The word Qi`ah refers to a vast, flat, level area of land in which the mirage may appear.
There are different kinds of mirage, one which appears after midday, and another which appears in the morning and looks like water between heaven and earth.
If a person who is in need of water sees the mirage, he thinks that it is water so he heads towards it in order to drink from it, but when he reaches it, لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً ( he finds it to be nothing. ); Similarly the disbeliever thinks that he is doing something good and that he has achieved something, but when Allah judges him on the Day of Resurrection, and brings him to account and examines his deeds, he will find that nothing has been accepted at all, either because of a lack of sincere belief or because he did not follow the proper ways of the Shari`ah.
As Allah says: وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً ( And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust. ) 25:23.
And He says here: وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ فَوَفَّـهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ( but he finds Allah with him, who will pay him his due.
And Allah is swift in taking account. ) A similar view was also narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and others.
In the Two Sahihs, it is reported that on the Day of Resurrection it will be said to the Jews, "What did you used to worship" They will say, "We used to worship `Uzayr the son of Allah." It will be said to them, "You have lied.
Allah has not begotten a son.
What do you want" They will say, "O Lord, we are thirsty, give us something to drink." It will be said to them, "Do you not see" Then Hell will be shown to them as if it is a mirage, parts of it consuming other parts, and they will go and fall into it.
This is the parable of one whose ignorance is deep and advanced.
As for those whose ignorance is simple, those who are uneducated and foolish and blindly follow the leaders of disbelief, knowing and understanding nothing, their parable is as Allah says: d أَوْ كَظُلُمَـتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَـهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا ( Or like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! ) meaning, he can hardly see it because it is so intensely dark.
This is the parable of the heart of the disbeliever whose ignorance is simple, who merely follows and does not know the true nature of the one whom he follows or where he is going.
He is like the ignorant man in the parable who was asked, "Where are you going" He said, "With them." He was asked, "Where are they going" He said, "I do not know." ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ ( darkness upon darkness ) Ubayy bin Ka`b said: "He is enveloped in five types of darkness: his speech is darkness, his deeds are darkness, his coming in is darkness, his going out is darkness and his destiny on the Day of Resurrection will be darkness in the fire of Hell." As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas also said something similar. وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُورٍ ( And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light. ) One whom Allah does not guide is ignorant and doomed, an utter loser and disbeliever.
This is like the Ayah: مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ ( Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him ) 7:186 This is in contrast to what Allah says about the believers: يَهْدِى اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ( Allah guides to His Light whom He wills.
) 24:35 We ask Allah the Almighty to put light in our hearts and give us light on our right and on our left, and to increase us in light.

( Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea ) He says: the similitude of denial in the heart of the disbeliever is like darkness in the depth of a very deep sea. ( There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave ) another wave, ( above which is a cloud ) likewise, the heart of the disbeliever, like the denial in his heart, is similar to the darkness of the bottom of the sea; and his heart is like a deep sea; and his chest is like a huge wave, and his works are like a useless cloud, because Allah sealed the disbelievers hearts and hearings and sights. ( Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it ) from intense darkness; likewise, the disbeliever does not see the Truth and guidance because of the intense darkness of his heart. ( And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light ) knowledge in this worldly life, ( for him there is no light ) he has no knowledge in the Hereafter; it is also said that this means: the one whom Allah has not honoured with faith in the life of this world, Allah will not honour with faith in the Hereafter.

Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with a great wave topped by a great wave, topped by dark clouds, darkness, one above another, if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.

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