سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 41
۞ وَيَـٰقَوْمِ مَا لِىٓ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ﴿41﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"And O my people! How is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَيَـٰقَوْمِ
wayāqawmi
And O my people
مَا
mā
What (is)
لِىٓ
lī
for me
أَدْعُوكُمْ
adʿūkum
(that) I call you
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ
l-najati
the salvation
وَتَدْعُونَنِىٓ
watadʿūnanī
while you call me
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلنَّارِ
l-nāri
the Fire
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 41) ➊ {وَ يٰقَوْمِ:} Here, Zamakhshari has mentioned a question and its answer. The question is: Why did he say {’’ وَ يٰقَوْمِ ‘‘} repeatedly, and what is the reason that the third time he said {’’ وَ يٰقَوْمِ ‘‘} with the addition of "waaw," whereas the second time he said {’’ وَ يٰقَوْمِ ‘‘} without "waaw"? The answer is that the purpose of repeatedly saying { ’’ وَ يٰقَوْمِ ‘‘} is, firstly, to warn them and awaken them from the sleep of heedlessness, and secondly, to express that you are my people and my family, so it is obligatory upon me to wish well for you. Thus, he speaks to them with utmost gentleness and affection, expressing his sorrow for them, so that they do not doubt his intention, because their happiness is his happiness and their sorrow is his sorrow, just as Ibrahim (peace be upon him) began every sentence with {’’ يٰۤاَبَتِ ‘‘} (O my father!) when advising his father. (See Maryam: 41 to 45) And the reason for bringing "waaw" the third time and not bringing "waaw" the second time is that the second time, with the sentence of {’’يٰقَوْمِ ‘‘}, he is merely clarifying the previous sentence, whereas the third time, he is mentioning something new.
➋ { مَا لِيْۤ اَدْعُوْكُمْ اِلَى النَّجٰوةِ … :} The question to the people is for the purpose of expressing amazement, meaning: What kind of loyalty to your people and recognition of the truth is this, that I am inviting you to the oneness of Allah and to believe in His Messenger, the result of which is salvation from the Fire, and you are insisting that I remain upon associating partners with Allah and denying the Messenger, thereby inviting me to the Fire.
➌ In the script of the Noble Qur’an, the alif of {’’ نَجَاةٌ ‘‘} has been written in the form of waaw as {’’النَّجٰوةِ‘‘}, the reason for which is to draw attention to the fact that this alif is changed from waaw, just as {’’صَلَاةٌ ‘‘} and { ’’زَكَاةٌ‘‘} are written as {’’صَلٰوةٌ ‘‘} and {’’زَكٰوةٌ ‘‘}.
➋ { مَا لِيْۤ اَدْعُوْكُمْ اِلَى النَّجٰوةِ … :} The question to the people is for the purpose of expressing amazement, meaning: What kind of loyalty to your people and recognition of the truth is this, that I am inviting you to the oneness of Allah and to believe in His Messenger, the result of which is salvation from the Fire, and you are insisting that I remain upon associating partners with Allah and denying the Messenger, thereby inviting me to the Fire.
➌ In the script of the Noble Qur’an, the alif of {’’ نَجَاةٌ ‘‘} has been written in the form of waaw as {’’النَّجٰوةِ‘‘}, the reason for which is to draw attention to the fact that this alif is changed from waaw, just as {’’صَلَاةٌ ‘‘} and { ’’زَكَاةٌ‘‘} are written as {’’صَلٰوةٌ ‘‘} and {’’زَكٰوةٌ ‘‘}.
