سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 18
وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْـَٔازِفَةِ إِذِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ لَدَى ٱلْحَنَاجِرِ كَـٰظِمِينَ ۚ مَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And warn them (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) of the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them (hearts) to their chests nor can they throw them out. There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers), who could be given heed to.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَنذِرْهُمْ
wa-andhir'hum
And warn them
يَوْمَ
yawma
(of the) Day
ٱلْـَٔازِفَةِ
l-āzifati
the Approaching
إِذِ
idhi
when
ٱلْقُلُوبُ
l-qulūbu
the hearts
لَدَى
ladā
(are) at
ٱلْحَنَاجِرِ
l-ḥanājiri
the throats
كَـٰظِمِينَ ۚ
kāẓimīna
choked
مَا
mā
Not
لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
lilẓẓālimīna
for the wrongdoers
مِنْ
min
any
حَمِيمٍۢ
ḥamīmin
intimate friend
وَلَا
walā
and no
شَفِيعٍۢ
shafīʿin
intercessor
يُطَاعُ
yuṭāʿu
(who) is obeyed
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.
And (O Prophet!) warn them of the Day that is drawing near [24], when hearts will reach the throats out of grief [25]. The wrongdoers will have no close friend, nor any intercessor [26] whose word will be accepted.
[24]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿اَزِفَ﴾:
In ﴿اٰزِفَه﴾ ﴿اَزِفَ﴾, there is the meaning of the constriction of time, as we say that there is very little time left for the departure of the car or plane, so hurry up. In the same way, the Day of Resurrection, which is certainly going to come, should be considered as if it has almost arrived, and whatever preparations are to be made for it, should be done quickly.
[25]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿كَظَم﴾:
﴿كَاظِمِيْنَ﴾ ﴿كظم﴾ refers to the windpipe, and ﴿كظم السقاء﴾ means to fill a waterskin to the brim with water and then close its mouth. Kazim, Kazeem, and Makzoom refer to a person who is filled up to the windpipe with grief and anger but does not express it and suppresses it. That is, the criminals will be so grieved over their deeds in worldly life that, due to the anxiety, their hearts will be in their mouths.
[26]
The Popular Belief About Intercession:
The false beliefs that the polytheists have fabricated regarding intercession are completely useless. They think, for example, that if they cling to the hem of a certain person and pledge allegiance to him, then their salvation is guaranteed. They believe that he will intercede with Allah and free them. However, according to the explicit statement of the Quran, it is even difficult to know what condition those whom they consider intercessors themselves will be in. Also, whether they will be granted permission to intercede or not, and even if, for the sake of argument, it is accepted that they are granted permission, it still does not necessarily follow that their intercession will be accepted. Therefore, relying on anyone's intercession is completely futile.
[24]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿اَزِفَ﴾:
In ﴿اٰزِفَه﴾ ﴿اَزِفَ﴾, there is the meaning of the constriction of time, as we say that there is very little time left for the departure of the car or plane, so hurry up. In the same way, the Day of Resurrection, which is certainly going to come, should be considered as if it has almost arrived, and whatever preparations are to be made for it, should be done quickly.
[25]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿كَظَم﴾:
﴿كَاظِمِيْنَ﴾ ﴿كظم﴾ refers to the windpipe, and ﴿كظم السقاء﴾ means to fill a waterskin to the brim with water and then close its mouth. Kazim, Kazeem, and Makzoom refer to a person who is filled up to the windpipe with grief and anger but does not express it and suppresses it. That is, the criminals will be so grieved over their deeds in worldly life that, due to the anxiety, their hearts will be in their mouths.
[26]
The Popular Belief About Intercession:
The false beliefs that the polytheists have fabricated regarding intercession are completely useless. They think, for example, that if they cling to the hem of a certain person and pledge allegiance to him, then their salvation is guaranteed. They believe that he will intercede with Allah and free them. However, according to the explicit statement of the Quran, it is even difficult to know what condition those whom they consider intercessors themselves will be in. Also, whether they will be granted permission to intercede or not, and even if, for the sake of argument, it is accepted that they are granted permission, it still does not necessarily follow that their intercession will be accepted. Therefore, relying on anyone's intercession is completely futile.
