سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 58
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَلَا ٱلْمُسِىٓءُ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿58﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And not equal are the blind and those who see; nor are (equal) those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), and do righteous good deeds, and those who do evil. Little do you remember!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
(are) equal
ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
l-aʿmā
the blind
وَٱلْبَصِيرُ
wal-baṣīru
and the seeing
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
and those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
وَعَمِلُوا۟
waʿamilū
and do
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ
l-ṣāliḥāti
righteous deeds
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلْمُسِىٓءُ ۚ
l-musīu
the evildoer
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
Little
مَّا
mā
(is) what
تَتَذَكَّرُونَ
tatadhakkarūna
you take heed
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 58) ➊ { وَ مَا يَسْتَوِي الْاَعْمٰى وَ الْبَصِيْرُ … :} This too is a proof of the Day of Judgment. Everyone knows that the blind and the seeing are not equal; likewise, those who have believed and done righteous deeds and those who have disbelieved and done evil deeds cannot be equal. So, if the Day of Judgment is denied and there is no belief in that day when all people will be resurrected and presented before Allah Almighty and every good and evil person will receive their reward or punishment, then it would mean that the seeing and the blind are the same and the good and the evil are equal. In fact, in one sense, the one who does evil deeds is at a greater advantage, as he spent his whole life doing as he pleased, fulfilling every evil desire that came to his heart, and yet no one questioned him nor will question him as to why he adopted this oppression and transgression. Clearly, this cannot be; sound intellect rejects this. Therefore, it is necessary that the Day of Judgment be established and that the seeing and the blind are not equal, nor are the good and the evil the same.
➋ Here is a question that {’’ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ ‘‘} is plural, whereas its counterpart {’’ وَ لَا الْمُسِيْٓءُ ‘‘} is singular; what is the wisdom in this? The answer is that this is the beauty of the Qur'an's expression, that a lengthy matter is conveyed in concise words. For this, the words of one side are mentioned and their counterparts are omitted. In the terminology of eloquence, this is called ihtibak. As if the full statement was: {’’وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الْقَبَائِحَ وَلَا الْمُسِيْءُ وَالْمُحْسِنُ‘‘} meaning, those who believed and did righteous deeds and those who disbelieved and did evil deeds, they are not equal, nor is the doer of evil and the doer of good equal. (Maha’imi, with some detail)
➌ { قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ:} The deniers of the Day of Judgment are told, you take very little heed, even though the proofs of the Day of Judgment are absolutely clear.
➋ Here is a question that {’’ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ ‘‘} is plural, whereas its counterpart {’’ وَ لَا الْمُسِيْٓءُ ‘‘} is singular; what is the wisdom in this? The answer is that this is the beauty of the Qur'an's expression, that a lengthy matter is conveyed in concise words. For this, the words of one side are mentioned and their counterparts are omitted. In the terminology of eloquence, this is called ihtibak. As if the full statement was: {’’وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الْقَبَائِحَ وَلَا الْمُسِيْءُ وَالْمُحْسِنُ‘‘} meaning, those who believed and did righteous deeds and those who disbelieved and did evil deeds, they are not equal, nor is the doer of evil and the doer of good equal. (Maha’imi, with some detail)
➌ { قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ:} The deniers of the Day of Judgment are told, you take very little heed, even though the proofs of the Day of Judgment are absolutely clear.
