سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 35
ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمْ ۖ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ ﴿35﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who dispute about the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, without any authority that has come to them, it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allâh and to those who believe. Thus does Allâh seal up the heart of every arrogant, tyrant. (So they cannot guide themselves to the Right Path).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
Those who
يُجَـٰدِلُونَ
yujādilūna
dispute
فِىٓ
fī
concerning
ءَايَـٰتِ
āyāti
(the) Signs
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without
سُلْطَـٰنٍ
sul'ṭānin
any authority
أَتَىٰهُمْ ۖ
atāhum
(having) come to them
كَبُرَ
kabura
(it) is greatly
مَقْتًا
maqtan
hateful
عِندَ
ʿinda
near Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
near Allah
وَعِندَ
waʿinda
and near
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those
ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ
āmanū
who believe
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يَطْبَعُ
yaṭbaʿu
Allah sets a seal
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah sets a seal
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
كُلِّ
kulli
every
قَلْبِ
qalbi
heart
مُتَكَبِّرٍۢ
mutakabbirin
(of) an arrogant
جَبَّارٍۢ
jabbārin
tyrant
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 35) ➊ { الَّذِيْنَ يُجَادِلُوْنَ فِيْۤ اٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ … :} This is the third characteristic of those people whom Allah does not guide, rather He lets them fall into misguidance, that is, instead of seriously reflecting on the clear and manifest signs coming from Allah and accepting them with good fortune, they argue and dispute to reject them without any proof from sound reason or transmission. It is said, their entire capital is uproar, mockery, and stubbornness. Those in whom these three defects arise, Allah also throws them into the pit of misguidance.
➋ The subject of {كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ وَ عِنْدَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا: ’’ كَبُرَ ‘‘} is that dispute which is present as a verbal noun within {’’ يُجَادِلُوْنَ ‘‘}, and {’’ مَقْتًا ‘‘} is the distinguishing word. That is, baseless argument is extremely disliked, hated, and anger-inducing in the sight of Allah and also in the sight of the believers.
➌ Declaring baseless argument as extremely disliked in the sight of Allah and the believers is an instruction to the people of faith to avoid such disputes, as He said: «وَ اِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ اَعْرَضُوْا عَنْهُ» [ القصص : ۵۵ ] "And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it." And He said: « وَ اِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجٰهِلُوْنَ قَالُوْا سَلٰمًا» [ الفرقان : ۶۳ ] "And when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace." And He said: « وَ اِذَا مَرُّوْا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوْا كِرَامًا » [ الفرقان : ۷۲ ] "And when they pass by frivolity, they pass by with dignity." Along with mentioning His own intense dislike for baseless argument, He also mentioned the intense dislike of the believers, and by this, the greatness of the status of the believers is intended to be expressed.
➍ From {كَذٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ:} it is understood that from {’’ كَذٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللّٰهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُّرْتَابٌ ‘‘} up to here, a few sentences have been stated by Allah after the speech of the people of Pharaoh, and in them, the reason for the persistence in disbelief of the arrogant and tyrannical disbelievers of the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has been stated. That is, among those to whom the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent, if any person exceeds all bounds in arrogance and rebellion and is not ready to accept any right thing, then his heart is sealed just as the hearts of the people of Pharaoh were sealed, then his preoccupation becomes excess (transgression), doubt, and argument with falsehood, no right thing or advice affects him, nor does Allah grant him the divine enablement (Tawfiq) to be guided, as He said: « فَلَمَّا زَاغُوْۤا اَزَاغَ اللّٰهُ قُلُوْبَهُمْ» [ الصف : ۵ ] "Then when they deviated, Allah caused his heart to deviate." And He said: «وَ نُقَلِّبُ اَفْـِٕدَتَهُمْ وَ اَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوْا بِهٖۤ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَّ نَذَرُهُمْ فِيْ طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُوْنَ » [ الأنعام : ۱۱۰ ] "And We will turn his heart and their eyes away, just as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their rebellion, wandering blindly."
➋ The subject of {كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ وَ عِنْدَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا: ’’ كَبُرَ ‘‘} is that dispute which is present as a verbal noun within {’’ يُجَادِلُوْنَ ‘‘}, and {’’ مَقْتًا ‘‘} is the distinguishing word. That is, baseless argument is extremely disliked, hated, and anger-inducing in the sight of Allah and also in the sight of the believers.
➌ Declaring baseless argument as extremely disliked in the sight of Allah and the believers is an instruction to the people of faith to avoid such disputes, as He said: «وَ اِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ اَعْرَضُوْا عَنْهُ» [ القصص : ۵۵ ] "And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it." And He said: « وَ اِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجٰهِلُوْنَ قَالُوْا سَلٰمًا» [ الفرقان : ۶۳ ] "And when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace." And He said: « وَ اِذَا مَرُّوْا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوْا كِرَامًا » [ الفرقان : ۷۲ ] "And when they pass by frivolity, they pass by with dignity." Along with mentioning His own intense dislike for baseless argument, He also mentioned the intense dislike of the believers, and by this, the greatness of the status of the believers is intended to be expressed.
➍ From {كَذٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ:} it is understood that from {’’ كَذٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللّٰهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُّرْتَابٌ ‘‘} up to here, a few sentences have been stated by Allah after the speech of the people of Pharaoh, and in them, the reason for the persistence in disbelief of the arrogant and tyrannical disbelievers of the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has been stated. That is, among those to whom the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent, if any person exceeds all bounds in arrogance and rebellion and is not ready to accept any right thing, then his heart is sealed just as the hearts of the people of Pharaoh were sealed, then his preoccupation becomes excess (transgression), doubt, and argument with falsehood, no right thing or advice affects him, nor does Allah grant him the divine enablement (Tawfiq) to be guided, as He said: « فَلَمَّا زَاغُوْۤا اَزَاغَ اللّٰهُ قُلُوْبَهُمْ» [ الصف : ۵ ] "Then when they deviated, Allah caused his heart to deviate." And He said: «وَ نُقَلِّبُ اَفْـِٕدَتَهُمْ وَ اَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوْا بِهٖۤ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَّ نَذَرُهُمْ فِيْ طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُوْنَ » [ الأنعام : ۱۱۰ ] "And We will turn his heart and their eyes away, just as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their rebellion, wandering blindly."
