Surah Ghafir Ayah 74 (40:74) — Meaning & Tafsir | Quran.GG

Surah Ghafir, Ayah 74

40:74 · Meaning and tafsir

مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ ضَلُّوا۟ عَنَّا بَل لَّمْ نَكُن نَّدْعُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ شَيْـًٔا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٧٤

Other than Allāh?" They will say, "They have departed from us; rather, we did not used to invoke previously anything." Thus does Allāh put astray the disbelievers.

Surah Ghafir 40:74 in Arabic with its translation: “Other than Allāh?" They will say, "They have departed from us; rather, we did not used to invoke previously…”

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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

The End of Those Who dispute and deny the Signs of Allah

Allah says, `do you not wonder, O Muhammad, at those who deny the signs of Allah and dispute the truth by means of falsehood, how their minds are diverted from the truth and are misguided'

الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِالْكِـتَـبِ وَبِمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا بِهِ رُسُلَنَا

(Those who deny the Book, and that with which We sent Our Messengers) means, guidance and clear proof.

فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(they will come to know.) This is a stern warning and clear threat from the Lord to these people. This is like the Ayah:

وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

(Woe that Day to the deniers!) (77:15)

إِذِ الاٌّغْلَـلُ فِى أَعْنَـقِهِمْ والسَّلَـسِلُ

Continue reading the tafsir of ayahs 69–76

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

In verse 74, it was said: قَالُوا ضَلُّوا عَنَّا (They will say, "They are lost to us,...), that is, once they reach Jahannam, the disbelievers will say that all those idols and shaitans they used to worship have disappeared in the sense that they do not see them around, though, they might as well be lying somewhere in a corner of Jahannam, as their being in Jahannam stands proved from other verses of the Qur'an, for instance: إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ , (Surely, you and whatever you worship other than Allah are the fuel for Jahannam - Al-Anbiya', 21:98)

Tazkirul Quran

These verses point to the phenomena of nature which exist so that man may reflect. In other words, these phenomena exist so that man may give them deep consideration and may uncover their hidden meaning. The conversion of lifeless matter into living objects; the development of the human being in a gradual manner; man’s passing through the stages of youth to old age; death of man, sometimes in old age and sometimes at a young age are events that introduce us to the various attributes of the Creator. It is revealed by these events that the Being who brought this universe into existence is the All Powerful and Wise God. He is Supreme and Dominant. If man learns a real lesson from these facts, he will spontaneously opine that it is the one and only God who deserves to be worshipped. This picture of the Universe implicitly contradicts all the false gods set up by man instead of the real God.

Uthmani text of the Madinah mushaf (King Fahd Complex). Translation: Saheeh International. Tafsir via Quran.com.