Surah Ghafir ayat 5 Tafsir Quran 40:5

﴿كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَالْأَحْزَابُ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ وَجَادَلُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ﴾
[ غافر: 5]

40:5 The people of Noah denied before them and the [disbelieving] factions after them, and every nation intended [a plot] for their messenger to seize him, and they disputed by [using] falsehood to [attempt to] invalidate thereby the truth. So I seized them, and how [terrible] was My penalty.

The people of Noah denied before them and also the factions such as ‘Ād Thamūd and others who came after them. And every community sought to seize their messenger to slay him and they argued falsely thinking to rebut to eliminate thereby the truth. Then I seized them with punishment; so how fitting was My punishment! of them — in other words it was appropriate.

In order of time there were the people of Nuh (Noah) who declared Our message to be false followed by those who confederated their wits against the truth and each of them lied schemes for their Messenger to reduce him into impotence and they contended with opposing argument to confute the truth; and there I cast them down from a position of prosperity and power and brought them to ruin and how unbearable was the retribution

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.

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.

( The folk of Noah and the factions ) the disbelievers ( after them ) after the folk of Noah ( denied (their messengers ) before these) before your own folk, ( and every nation purposed to seize their messenger ) every nation wanted to kill their own messenger ( and argued falsely ) they argued with their messengers in favour of idolatry, ( (thinking ) thereby to refute the Truth) as an attempt to refute, by means of idolatry, the Truth which the messengers brought. ( Then I seized them ) I punished them when they disbelieved, ( and how (awful ) was My punishment) see, O Muhammad, how was My punishment of them when they disbelieved.

The people of Nuh (Noah) and the confederates after them denied (their Messengers) before these, and every (disbelieving) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. So I seized them (with punishment), and how (terrible) was My punishment!

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