Surah Ghafir ayat 85 Tafsir Quran 40:85

﴿فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا ۖ سُنَّتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ﴾
[ غافر: 85]

40:85 But never did their faith benefit them once they saw Our punishment. [It is] the established way of Allah which has preceded among His servants. And the disbelievers thereupon lost [all].

But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our doom — This is God’s way sunnata’Llāhi is in the accusative because it functions as a verbal noun from an implicit verb of the same expression with the believers among all communities which is that faith is of no benefit to them once the chastisement has been sent down which has its precdent; and it is thence that the disbelievers will be losers — it is thence that their status as losers will become apparent to all of mankind even though they will have always been losers before that.

But their submission to Allah, then and their acknowledgment of His Godhead when they saw His severe punishment befalling them precluded forgiveness; a mode of action adopted by Allah and has long been pursued. The loss, then, falls on those who deny Him

The Lesson to be learned from what happened to Those Who Came before Allah tells us about the nations who rejected their Messengers in ancient times.
He mentioned the severe punishment they suffered despite their great strength, He mentioned the traces which they left behind in the earth and the great wealth they amassed.
None of that availed them anything and could not prevent the punishment of Allah at all.
That is because when the Messengers came to them with clear signs and decisive evidence, they did not pay any attention to them.
Instead, they were content with the knowledge with them, or so they claimed, and they said that they did not need what the Messengers brought them.
Mujahid said, "They said, we know better than them, we will not be resurrected and we will not be punished." As-Suddi said, "In their ignorance, they rejoiced in what they had of ( worldly ) knowledge.
So Allah sent upon them a punishment which they could not escape or resist." وَحَاقَ بِهِم ( and surrounded them. ) means, encompassed them. مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( that at which they used to mock, ) means, that which they used to disbelieve in and said would never happen, فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا ( So when they saw Our punishment, ) means, when they saw with their own eyes the punishment which came upon them, they said, قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَـفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ ( We believe in Allah Alone and reject (all ) that we used to associate with Him as ( His ) partners.
) means, they affirmed that Allah is One and denied the false gods, but this was at the time when excuses were to no avail.
This is like what Fir`awn said as he was drowning: ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِى ءَامَنَتْ بِهِ بَنواْ إِسْرَءِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ( I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims. ) ( 10:90 ) But Allah said: ءَالَنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ( Now (you believe ) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the the corrupters.) ( 10:91 ) meaning, Allah did not accept this from him, because He had answered the prayer of His Prophet Musa, when he said, وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُواْ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ( And harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment ) ( 10:88 ).
Allah says here: فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَـنُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ ( Then their Faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment.
(Like ) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants.) means, this is the ruling of Allah concerning all those who repent only when they actually see the punishment: He does not accept that from them.
It says in the Hadith:
«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَالَمْ يُغَرْغِر»
( Allah will accept the repentance of His servant so long as the death rattle is not sounding in his throat. ) Once the death rattle is sounding and the soul has reached the throat, and the dying person actually sees the angel ( of death ), then he can no longer repent.
Allah says: وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَـفِرُونَ ( And there the disbelievers lost utterly. ) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ghafir.
Praise and thanks be to Allah.

(40:85) But their believing after they had seen Our chastisement did not avail them. That has been Allah's Way concerning His servants. *113 And the unbelievers courted utter loss, then and there.

But never did their faith benefit them meaning

*113) " The standing Law of AIlah " : the Law that repentance and faith are beneficial only till the time man is not seized by the torment of Allah or death.
Believing or repenting after the torment has arrived or the signs of death have appeared, is not acceptable to Allah.

The Lesson to be learned from what happened to Those Who Came before Allah tells us about the nations who rejected their Messengers in ancient times.
He mentioned the severe punishment they suffered despite their great strength, He mentioned the traces which they left behind in the earth and the great wealth they amassed.
None of that availed them anything and could not prevent the punishment of Allah at all.
That is because when the Messengers came to them with clear signs and decisive evidence, they did not pay any attention to them.
Instead, they were content with the knowledge with them, or so they claimed, and they said that they did not need what the Messengers brought them.
Mujahid said, "They said, we know better than them, we will not be resurrected and we will not be punished." As-Suddi said, "In their ignorance, they rejoiced in what they had of ( worldly ) knowledge.
So Allah sent upon them a punishment which they could not escape or resist." وَحَاقَ بِهِم ( and surrounded them. ) means, encompassed them. مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( that at which they used to mock, ) means, that which they used to disbelieve in and said would never happen, فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا ( So when they saw Our punishment, ) means, when they saw with their own eyes the punishment which came upon them, they said, قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَـفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ ( We believe in Allah Alone and reject (all ) that we used to associate with Him as ( His ) partners.
) means, they affirmed that Allah is One and denied the false gods, but this was at the time when excuses were to no avail.
This is like what Fir`awn said as he was drowning: ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِى ءَامَنَتْ بِهِ بَنواْ إِسْرَءِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ( I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims. ) ( 10:90 ) But Allah said: ءَالَنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ( Now (you believe ) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the the corrupters.) ( 10:91 ) meaning, Allah did not accept this from him, because He had answered the prayer of His Prophet Musa, when he said, وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُواْ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ( And harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment ) ( 10:88 ).
Allah says here: فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَـنُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ ( Then their Faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment.
(Like ) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants.) means, this is the ruling of Allah concerning all those who repent only when they actually see the punishment: He does not accept that from them.
It says in the Hadith: «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَالَمْ يُغَرْغِر» ( Allah will accept the repentance of His servant so long as the death rattle is not sounding in his throat. ) Once the death rattle is sounding and the soul has reached the throat, and the dying person actually sees the angel ( of death ), then he can no longer repent.
Allah says: وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَـفِرُونَ ( And there the disbelievers lost utterly. ) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ghafir.
Praise and thanks be to Allah.

( But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom ) which came to destroy them, for faith upon the advent of Allah’s punishment is of no value; but it is also said that such faith avails the person who declares it, just as repentance in such a moment benefits. ( This is Allah’s law ) this is Allah’s wont ( which hath ever taken course for his bondsmen ) that He sends His punishment upon them whenever they disbelieve, and rejects faith and repentance upon the advent of His punishment. ( And then the disbelievers ) in Allah ( will be ruined ) when the punishment visits them’.

Then their Faith (in Islamic Monotheism) could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His slaves. And there the disbelievers lost utterly (when Our Torment covered them).

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