Surah An Naba ayat 40 Tafsir Quran 78:40

﴿إِنَّا أَنذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا﴾
[ النبأ: 40]

78:40 Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"

Lo! We have warned you O disbelievers of Mecca of a chastisement that is near the chastisement of the impending Day of Resurrection — for anything that is impending is also near — the day yawma adverbially qualifies ‘adhāban ‘a chastisement’ by describing it when a person when every person will behold what his hands have sent ahead of good and evil and the disbeliever will say ‘O yā is a particle used to call attention to something would that I were dust!’ in other words and not be chastised. He says this when God exalted be He says to the beasts after each of them has retaliated against the other ‘Be dust!’.

We have warned you of punishment evident and quite near that deserves attention. On the day it comes to pass shall every one look at his deeds, the lawful and the lawless which his wrongful and unclean hands had committed. The infidel shall wish, then, he had remained mere dust

No one will dare to speak before Allah -- not even the Angels - without first receiving Permission Allah informs of His magnificence and His majesty, and that He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them and between them.
He explains that He is the Most Gracious, Whose mercy covers all things.
Then He says, لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَاباً ( With Whom they cannot dare to speak. ) meaning, no one is able to begin addressing Him except by His permission.
This is as Allah says, مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission ) ( 2:255 ) It is also similar to His statement, يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. ) ( 11:105 ) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ ( The Day that Ar-Ruh and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak ) ( 78:38 ) The word Ruh here is referring to the angel Jibril.
This has been said by Ash-Sha`bi, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak.
This is as Allah says, نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الاٌّمِينُ - عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ ( Which the trustworthy Ruh has brought down.
Upon your heart that you may be of the warners. ) ( 26:193-194 ) Muqatil bin Hayyan said, "The Ruh is the noblest of the angels, the closest of them to the Lord, and the one who delivers the revelation." Allah said; إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ ( except him whom Ar-Rahman allows, ) This is similar to Allah's statement, يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. ) ( 11:105 ) This is similar to what has been confirmed in the Sahih, that the Prophet said,
«وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلَّا الرُّسُل»
( And none will speak on that Day except the Messengers. )" Allah said, وَقَالَ صَوَاباً ( and he will speak what is right. ) meaning, the truth.
And from the truth is the fact that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.
This is as Abu Salih and `Ikrimah both said.
In reference to Allah's statement, ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ ( That is the True Day. ) meaning, it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it. فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَـَاباً ( So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with His Lord! ) meaning, a place of return, a path that leads to Him, and a way that he may pass by to get to Him. The Day of Judgement is Near Allah said, إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـكُمْ عَذَاباً قَرِيباً ( Verily, We have warned you of a near torment ) meaning, the Day of Judgement.
It is mentioned here to emphasize the fact that its occurrence has become close, because everything that is coming will certainly come to pass. يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ( the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth, ) meaning, all of his deeds will be presented to him -- the good and bad, and the old and new.
This is similar to Allah's statement, وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرًا ( And they will find all that they did, placed before them. ) ( 18:49 ) t It is also similar to His statement, يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ ( On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind. ) ( 75:13 ) Then Allah says, وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً ( and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!" ) meaning, the disbeliever on that Day will wish that he had only been dust in the worldly life. He will wish that he had not been created and that he had never come into existence.
This will be when he sees the torment of Allah and he looks at his wicked deeds that will be written down against him by the noble righteous scribes among angels.
It has been said that he will only wish for that when Allah passes judgement between all of the animals that were in the worldly life.
He will rectify matters between them with His just wisdom that does not wrong anyone.
Even the hornless sheep will be allowed to avenge itself against the sheep with horns. Then, when the judgement between them is finished, He ( Allah ) will say to them ( the animals ), "Be dust." So they will all become dust.
Upon witnessing this the disbeliever will say, يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً ( Would that I were dust! ) meaning, `I wish I was an animal so that I would be returned to dust.' Something of similar meaning to this has been reported in the well-known Hadith about the Sur.
There are also narrations recorded from Abu Hurayrah, `Abdullah bin `Amr, and others concerning this.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat An-Naba'.
And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.
He is the Giver of success and protection from error.

(78:40) Lo! We warn you of a chastisement near at hand; *26 the Day when a man will look on what his own hands have sent forth, and the unbelievers shall say: 'Oh would that I were utter dust.' *27

Indeed, We have warned you of a meaning

*26) Apparently, one might think that the people who were the audience of this verse died fourteen centuries ago, ,and even now it cannot be said how many hundreds or thousands or millions of years Resurrection will take to come.
Then, in what sense has it been said: " The torment of which you have been warned, has approached near at hand? " And what is the meaning of saying in the beginning of the Surah: " Soon they shall know? " The answer is that man can have the feeling of time only until he is passing a physical life in the world within the bounds of space and time.
After death when only the soul will survive, he will lose every feeling and consciousness of time, and on the Day of Resurrection when man will rise back to life, he will feel as though some one had aroused him from sleep suddenly.
He will not at all be conscious that he has been resurrected after thousands of years.
( For further explanation, see E.N.
26 of An-Nahl, E.N.
56 of Bani Isra'il, E.N.
80 of Ta Ha, E.N.
48 of Ya Sin ).

*27) " Would ......dust ": " Would that I had not been born in the world, or had become mere dust after death, and thus reduced to nothingness. "

No one will dare to speak before Allah -- not even the Angels - without first receiving Permission Allah informs of His magnificence and His majesty, and that He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them and between them.
He explains that He is the Most Gracious, Whose mercy covers all things.
Then He says, لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَاباً ( With Whom they cannot dare to speak. ) meaning, no one is able to begin addressing Him except by His permission.
This is as Allah says, مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission ) ( 2:255 ) It is also similar to His statement, يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. ) ( 11:105 ) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ ( The Day that Ar-Ruh and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak ) ( 78:38 ) The word Ruh here is referring to the angel Jibril.
This has been said by Ash-Sha`bi, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak.
This is as Allah says, نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الاٌّمِينُ - عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ ( Which the trustworthy Ruh has brought down.
Upon your heart that you may be of the warners. ) ( 26:193-194 ) Muqatil bin Hayyan said, "The Ruh is the noblest of the angels, the closest of them to the Lord, and the one who delivers the revelation." Allah said; إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ ( except him whom Ar-Rahman allows, ) This is similar to Allah's statement, يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ( On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. ) ( 11:105 ) This is similar to what has been confirmed in the Sahih, that the Prophet said, «وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلَّا الرُّسُل» ( And none will speak on that Day except the Messengers. )" Allah said, وَقَالَ صَوَاباً ( and he will speak what is right. ) meaning, the truth.
And from the truth is the fact that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.
This is as Abu Salih and `Ikrimah both said.
In reference to Allah's statement, ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ ( That is the True Day. ) meaning, it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it. فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَـَاباً ( So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with His Lord! ) meaning, a place of return, a path that leads to Him, and a way that he may pass by to get to Him. The Day of Judgement is Near Allah said, إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـكُمْ عَذَاباً قَرِيباً ( Verily, We have warned you of a near torment ) meaning, the Day of Judgement.
It is mentioned here to emphasize the fact that its occurrence has become close, because everything that is coming will certainly come to pass. يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ( the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth, ) meaning, all of his deeds will be presented to him -- the good and bad, and the old and new.
This is similar to Allah's statement, وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرًا ( And they will find all that they did, placed before them. ) ( 18:49 ) t It is also similar to His statement, يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ ( On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind. ) ( 75:13 ) Then Allah says, وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً ( and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!" ) meaning, the disbeliever on that Day will wish that he had only been dust in the worldly life. He will wish that he had not been created and that he had never come into existence.
This will be when he sees the torment of Allah and he looks at his wicked deeds that will be written down against him by the noble righteous scribes among angels.
It has been said that he will only wish for that when Allah passes judgement between all of the animals that were in the worldly life.
He will rectify matters between them with His just wisdom that does not wrong anyone.
Even the hornless sheep will be allowed to avenge itself against the sheep with horns. Then, when the judgement between them is finished, He ( Allah ) will say to them ( the animals ), "Be dust." So they will all become dust.
Upon witnessing this the disbeliever will say, يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً ( Would that I were dust! ) meaning, `I wish I was an animal so that I would be returned to dust.' Something of similar meaning to this has been reported in the well-known Hadith about the Sur.
There are also narrations recorded from Abu Hurayrah, `Abdullah bin `Amr, and others concerning this.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat An-Naba'.
And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.
He is the Giver of success and protection from error.

Lo! We warn you) O people of Mecca ( of a doom at hand ) which will surely happen, ( a day whereon a man will look ) when the believer will look; and it is also said: when the disbeliever will look ( on that which his own hands have sent before ) have earned of good or evil, ( and the disbeliever will cry: Would that I were dust! ) with the beasts. Because of the horrors, severity and torment of that day, the disbeliever will wish to be turned into dust along with beasts. This will occur on the day when the first trumpet resounds’.

Verily, We have warned you of a near torment, the Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!"

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