سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 5
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍۭ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ وَجَـٰدَلُوا۟ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا۟ بِهِ ٱلْحَقَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The people of Nûh (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!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَذَّبَتْ
kadhabat
Denied
قَبْلَهُمْ
qablahum
before them
قَوْمُ
qawmu
(the) people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
(of) Nuh
وَٱلْأَحْزَابُ
wal-aḥzābu
and the factions
مِنۢ
min
after them
بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ
baʿdihim
after them
وَهَمَّتْ
wahammat
and plotted
كُلُّ
kullu
every
أُمَّةٍۭ
ummatin
nation
بِرَسُولِهِمْ
birasūlihim
against their Messenger
لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ
liyakhudhūhu
to seize him
وَجَـٰدَلُوا۟
wajādalū
and they disputed
بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ
bil-bāṭili
by falsehood
لِيُدْحِضُوا۟
liyud'ḥiḍū
to refute
بِهِ
bihi
thereby
ٱلْحَقَّ
l-ḥaqa
the truth
فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ
fa-akhadhtuhum
So I seized them
فَكَيْفَ
fakayfa
Then how
كَانَ
kāna
was
عِقَابِ
ʿiqābi
My penalty
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 5) ➊ {كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوْحٍ …:’’ الْاَحْزَابُ ‘‘ ’’حِزْبٌ‘‘} is the plural of {كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوْحٍ …:’’ الْاَحْزَابُ ‘‘ ’’حِزْبٌ‘‘}, meaning the group that is alike in its belief, action, and habit. Its connection with the previous verse is that those who are arguing to reject the signs of Allah should remember the fate of the earlier nations. Before them, the people of Noah (peace be upon him) and after them, many nations who were similar to them in belief, action, and habits, denied their respective prophets. For example, ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of the thicket, the people of Lot, and the people of Pharaoh, etc. All these nations were alike in associating partners with Allah, denying the Hereafter, and rejecting their prophet.
➋ {وَ هَمَّتْ كُلُّ اُمَّةٍۭ بِرَسُوْلِهِمْ لِيَاْخُذُوْهُ:} means that every nation did not suffice with denial alone, but they firmly resolved to capture their messenger and either exile him, kill him, or imprison him, just as the people of Noah (peace be upon him) said: «لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ تَنْتَهِ يٰنُوْحُ لَتَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمَرْجُوْمِيْنَ» [ الشعراء : ۱۱۶ ] “O Noah! Surely, if you do not desist, you will surely be among those who are stoned.” And the people of Thamud, the people of Salih (peace be upon him), said: « تَقَاسَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهٗ وَ اَهْلَهٗ ثُمَّ لَنَقُوْلَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهٖ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ اَهْلِهٖ وَ اِنَّا لَصٰدِقُوْنَ» [ النمل : ۴۹ ] “Swear to one another by Allah that we will surely attack him and his family by night, then we will surely say to his heir, ‘We were not present at the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are surely truthful.’” And the people of Lot (peace be upon him) said to him: «لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ تَنْتَهِ يٰلُوْطُ لَتَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِيْنَ» [ الشعراء:۱۶۷] “O Lot! Indeed, if you do not desist, you will surely be among those who are expelled.” And regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the disbelievers plotted similarly, as He said: « وَ اِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لِيُثْبِتُوْكَ اَوْ يَقْتُلُوْكَ اَوْ يُخْرِجُوْكَ وَ يَمْكُرُوْنَ وَ يَمْكُرُ اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ خَيْرُ الْمٰكِرِيْنَ» [ الأنفال:۳۰ ] “And when those who disbelieved were plotting against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you, and they were plotting, and Allah was plotting, and Allah is the best of plotters.”
➌ { وَ جٰدَلُوْا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوْا بِهِ الْحَقَّ: ’’أَدْحَضَ يُدْحِضُ‘‘} (af‘aal) means to cause to slip; here it means to prove the truth as falsehood, i.e., these people argued unjustly and quarreled with their messengers using false pretenses, so that they could prove the truth to be wrong. Sometimes they said, “You eat and drink and are human, so how did you become a messenger?” (See Bani Isra’il: 94) Sometimes they would present many inappropriate demands as proof of prophethood. (See Bani Isra’il: 89, 93) Sometimes they would consider the poverty of the Muslims and their own wealth as proof of being on the truth. See Surah Saba (35) and Surah An‘am (53).
➍ { فَاَخَذْتُهُمْ:} means that when these nations firmly resolved to capture their respective prophets and to imprison or kill them, I seized them. Those who made such intentions regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah also rendered them unsuccessful and delivered him safely to Madinah, then in Badr and the subsequent battles, Allah seized those who persisted in disbelief.
➎ { فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ:’’ عِقَابِ ‘‘} is originally {’’عِقَابِيْ‘‘}, the “ya” was omitted to match the endings of the verses, and the kasrah was kept on the “ba” to indicate the omission of the “ya.” Allah warned the disbelievers of Makkah with the fate of the previous nations, saying: Look at the ruins of their destroyed towns, that when I seized them, how My punishment was?
➋ {وَ هَمَّتْ كُلُّ اُمَّةٍۭ بِرَسُوْلِهِمْ لِيَاْخُذُوْهُ:} means that every nation did not suffice with denial alone, but they firmly resolved to capture their messenger and either exile him, kill him, or imprison him, just as the people of Noah (peace be upon him) said: «لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ تَنْتَهِ يٰنُوْحُ لَتَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمَرْجُوْمِيْنَ» [ الشعراء : ۱۱۶ ] “O Noah! Surely, if you do not desist, you will surely be among those who are stoned.” And the people of Thamud, the people of Salih (peace be upon him), said: « تَقَاسَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهٗ وَ اَهْلَهٗ ثُمَّ لَنَقُوْلَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهٖ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ اَهْلِهٖ وَ اِنَّا لَصٰدِقُوْنَ» [ النمل : ۴۹ ] “Swear to one another by Allah that we will surely attack him and his family by night, then we will surely say to his heir, ‘We were not present at the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are surely truthful.’” And the people of Lot (peace be upon him) said to him: «لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ تَنْتَهِ يٰلُوْطُ لَتَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِيْنَ» [ الشعراء:۱۶۷] “O Lot! Indeed, if you do not desist, you will surely be among those who are expelled.” And regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the disbelievers plotted similarly, as He said: « وَ اِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لِيُثْبِتُوْكَ اَوْ يَقْتُلُوْكَ اَوْ يُخْرِجُوْكَ وَ يَمْكُرُوْنَ وَ يَمْكُرُ اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ خَيْرُ الْمٰكِرِيْنَ» [ الأنفال:۳۰ ] “And when those who disbelieved were plotting against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you, and they were plotting, and Allah was plotting, and Allah is the best of plotters.”
➌ { وَ جٰدَلُوْا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوْا بِهِ الْحَقَّ: ’’أَدْحَضَ يُدْحِضُ‘‘} (af‘aal) means to cause to slip; here it means to prove the truth as falsehood, i.e., these people argued unjustly and quarreled with their messengers using false pretenses, so that they could prove the truth to be wrong. Sometimes they said, “You eat and drink and are human, so how did you become a messenger?” (See Bani Isra’il: 94) Sometimes they would present many inappropriate demands as proof of prophethood. (See Bani Isra’il: 89, 93) Sometimes they would consider the poverty of the Muslims and their own wealth as proof of being on the truth. See Surah Saba (35) and Surah An‘am (53).
➍ { فَاَخَذْتُهُمْ:} means that when these nations firmly resolved to capture their respective prophets and to imprison or kill them, I seized them. Those who made such intentions regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah also rendered them unsuccessful and delivered him safely to Madinah, then in Badr and the subsequent battles, Allah seized those who persisted in disbelief.
➎ { فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ:’’ عِقَابِ ‘‘} is originally {’’عِقَابِيْ‘‘}, the “ya” was omitted to match the endings of the verses, and the kasrah was kept on the “ba” to indicate the omission of the “ya.” Allah warned the disbelievers of Makkah with the fate of the previous nations, saying: Look at the ruins of their destroyed towns, that when I seized them, how My punishment was?
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
5. 1 So that they may imprison him or kill him or punish him.
5. 2 That is, they argued with their messengers, with the intention of finding faults in the truth and weakening it.
5. 3 Thus, I seized these supporters of falsehood with My punishment, so see how My punishment came upon them and how they were wiped out like a wrong letter or made into a sign of warning.
5. 2 That is, they argued with their messengers, with the intention of finding faults in the truth and weakening it.
5. 3 Thus, I seized these supporters of falsehood with My punishment, so see how My punishment came upon them and how they were wiped out like a wrong letter or made into a sign of warning.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
5. Before them, the people of Noah and the (opposed to the messengers) groups [3] after them denied (their messengers). Every nation intended to seize their messenger and disputed by means of falsehood to refute the truth with it. But I seized them, so see how My punishment was.
[3]
The Meaning of ﴿حزب﴾:
﴿احزاب﴾ is the plural of ﴿حزب﴾, and by it are meant such groups, factions, or parties in which there is harshness and severity. They are like-minded among themselves and their objective is to gain influence in power or to cling to it. It also refers to those previous nations upon whom Allah’s punishment descended because they denied the message of the messengers.
[4]
The Fate of the Nations Opposing the Prophets in the Light of Historical Evidence:
These disbelievers of Makkah cannot escape Allah’s grasp because many nations like them have passed before. For example, the people of Nuh, and after them the people of ‘Ad, the people of Thamud, the people of Ibrahim, the people of Lut, and the people of Pharaoh, etc. All these people used to worship idols instead of Allah and were deniers of the Day of Resurrection. Then, when Our messengers came to them, they did not suffice with merely denying them, but became intent on harming them. They began to threaten them with murder and stoning, and started plotting against them. In short, they used every tactic by which they could bring down Allah’s religion and crush the call of the prophets and their followers (and these very same activities were being carried out by the disbelievers of Makkah). Then, when My punishment descended upon them, see what became of them. Is there any trace or sign of those nations? Do they appear to be roaming about anywhere today? And these polytheists of Makkah have also started treading the same path, so how can they escape My grasp? Thus, in this verse, Allah Almighty has warned the disbelievers of Makkah of their fate in the light of historical evidence.
[3]
The Meaning of ﴿حزب﴾:
﴿احزاب﴾ is the plural of ﴿حزب﴾, and by it are meant such groups, factions, or parties in which there is harshness and severity. They are like-minded among themselves and their objective is to gain influence in power or to cling to it. It also refers to those previous nations upon whom Allah’s punishment descended because they denied the message of the messengers.
[4]
The Fate of the Nations Opposing the Prophets in the Light of Historical Evidence:
These disbelievers of Makkah cannot escape Allah’s grasp because many nations like them have passed before. For example, the people of Nuh, and after them the people of ‘Ad, the people of Thamud, the people of Ibrahim, the people of Lut, and the people of Pharaoh, etc. All these people used to worship idols instead of Allah and were deniers of the Day of Resurrection. Then, when Our messengers came to them, they did not suffice with merely denying them, but became intent on harming them. They began to threaten them with murder and stoning, and started plotting against them. In short, they used every tactic by which they could bring down Allah’s religion and crush the call of the prophets and their followers (and these very same activities were being carried out by the disbelievers of Makkah). Then, when My punishment descended upon them, see what became of them. Is there any trace or sign of those nations? Do they appear to be roaming about anywhere today? And these polytheists of Makkah have also started treading the same path, so how can they escape My grasp? Thus, in this verse, Allah Almighty has warned the disbelievers of Makkah of their fate in the light of historical evidence.
