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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

An-Nur 24:40

Word by word

أَوْ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ

Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allāh has not granted light - for him there is no light.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Two Examples of two kinds of Disbelievers

These are two examples which Allah sets forth of two kinds of disbelievers. Similarly He sets forth two parables of the hypocrites at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah: one involving fire and the other involving water. Similarly, in Surat Ar-Ra`d He gives two parables of the guidance and knowledge that are instilled in the heart, again involving fire and water; we have discussed each of them in the appropriate place and there is no need to repeat it here, praise be to Allah. The first of these two examples is that of the disbelievers who call others to their disbelief, thinking that they have good actions and beliefs, when this is not in fact the case. Their likeness is that of a mirage which is seen in a desert plain, looking from a distance as if it is a deep sea. The word Qi`ah refers to a vast, flat, level area of land in which the mirage may appear. There are different kinds of mirage, one which appears after midday, and another which appears in the morning and looks like water between heaven and earth.

If a person who is in need of water sees the mirage, he thinks that it is water so he heads towards it in order to drink from it, but when he reaches it,لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً(he finds it to be nothing.); Similarly the disbeliever thinks that he is doing something good and that he has achieved something, but when Allah judges him on the Day of Resurrection, and brings him to account and examines his deeds, he will find that nothing has been accepted at all, either because of a lack of sincere belief or because he did not follow the proper ways of the Shari`ah. As Allah says:وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً (And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.) 25:23. And He says here:وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ فَوَفَّـهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ(but he finds Allah with him, who will pay him his due. And Allah is swift in taking account.) A similar view was also narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and others.

In the Two Sahihs, it is reported that on the Day of Resurrection it will be said to the Jews, "What did you used to worship" They will say, "We used to worship `Uzayr the son of Allah." It will be said to them, "You have lied. Allah has not begotten a son. What do you want" They will say, "O Lord, we are thirsty, give us something to drink." It will be said to them, "Do you not see" Then Hell will be shown to them as if it is a mirage, parts of it consuming other parts, and they will go and fall into it. This is the parable of one whose ignorance is deep and advanced.

As for those whose ignorance is simple, those who are uneducated and foolish and blindly follow the leaders of disbelief, knowing and understanding nothing, their parable is as Allah says: dأَوْ كَظُلُمَـتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَـهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا(Or like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it!) meaning, he can hardly see it because it is so intensely dark. This is the parable of the heart of the disbeliever whose ignorance is simple, who merely follows and does not know the true nature of the one whom he follows or where he is going.

He is like the ignorant man in the parable who was asked, "Where are you going" He said, "With them." He was asked, "Where are they going" He said, "I do not know."ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ(darkness upon darkness) Ubayy bin Ka`b said: "He is enveloped in five types of darkness: his speech is darkness, his deeds are darkness, his coming in is darkness, his going out is darkness and his destiny on the Day of Resurrection will be darkness in the fire of Hell." As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas also said something similar.وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُورٍ(And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.) One whom Allah does not guide is ignorant and doomed, an utter loser and disbeliever. This is like the Ayah:مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ(Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him) 7:186 This is in contrast to what Allah says about the believers:يَهْدِى اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ(Allah guides to His Light whom He wills.

) 24:35 We ask Allah the Almighty to put light in our hearts and give us light on our right and on our left, and to increase us in light.

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

After describing the two examples the next sentence says: وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّـهُ لَهُ نُورً‌ا فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُّورٍ‌(And the one to whom Allah does not give light can have no light at all - 40).

This sentence about the disbelievers is like the one that appeared earlier for the believers: يَهْدِي اللَّـهُ لِنُورِ‌هِ مَن يَشَاءُ (Allah guides to His light whomsoever He wills - 35). It describes the deprivation of disbelievers from the Nur of guidance, which they lost by denying the injunctions of Allah, and when they have lost Allah's Nur of guidance how can they get any other Nur.

This verse also explains that no one can become a perspicacious scholar merely by having resource of insight and knowledge, rather it is bestowed by the grace of Allah only. It is for this reason that those who are regarded naive in mundane matters prove themselves very knowledgeable and scholarly in the cognizance of the Hereafter. And, vice versa, many who are regarded very intelligent and knowledgeable in worldly matters, prove themselves completely ignorant and foolish in the perception and comprehension of the Hereafter. (Mazhari)

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

أو تكون أعمالهم مثل ظلمات في بحر عميق يعلوه موج، من فوق الموج موج آخر، ومِن فوقه سحاب كثيف، ظلمات شديدة بعضها فوق بعض، إذا أخرج الناظر يده لم يقارب رؤيتها من شدة الظلمات، فالكفار تراكمت عليهم ظلمات الشرك والضلال وفساد الأعمال. ومن لم يجعل الله له نورًا من كتابه وسنة نبيه يهتدي به فما له مِن هاد.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وهذا المثال مثال لذوي الجهل المركب . فأما أصحاب الجهل البسيط ، وهم الطماطم الأغشام المقلدون لأئمة الكفر ، الصم البكم الذين لا يعقلون ، فمثلهم كما قال تعالى : ( أو كظلمات في بحر لجي ) : قال قتادة : وهو العميق . ( يغشاه موج من فوقه موج من فوقه سحاب ظلمات بعضها فوق بعض إذا أخرج يده لم يكد يراها ) أي : لم يقارب رؤيتها من شدة الظلام ، فهذا مثل قلب الكافر الجاهل البسيط المقلد الذي لا يدري أين يذهب ، ولا [ هو ] يعرف حال من يقوده ، بل كما يقال في المثل للجاهل : أين تذهب؟ قال : معهم . قيل : فإلى أين يذهبون؟

قال : لا أدري .وقال العوفي ، عن ابن عباس ، رضي الله عنهما : ( يغشاه موج من فوقه موج من فوقه سحاب ) يعني بذلك : الغشاوة التي على القلب والسمع والبصر ، وهي كقوله : ( ختم الله على قلوبهم وعلى سمعهم وعلى أبصارهم غشاوة ولهم عذاب عظيم ) [ البقرة : 7 ] ، وكقوله : ( أفرأيت من اتخذ إلهه هواه وأضله الله على علم وختم على سمعه وقلبه وجعل على بصره غشاوة فمن يهديه من بعد الله أفلا تذكرون ) [ الجاثية : 23 ] .وقال أبي بن كعب في قوله : ( ظلمات بعضها فوق بعض ) فهو يتقلب في خمسة من الظلم : كلامه ظلمة ، وعمله ظلمة ، ومدخله ظلمة ، ومخرجه ظلمة ، ومصيره يوم القيامة إلى الظلمات ، إلى النار .وقال الربيع بن أنس ، والسدي نحو ذلك أيضا .وقوله : ( ومن لم يجعل الله له نورا فما له من نور ) أي : من لم يهده الله فهو هالك جاهل حائر بائر كافر ، كما قال تعالى : ( من يضلل الله فلا هادي له ) [ الأعراف : 186 ] وهذا [ في ] مقابلة ما قال في مثل المؤمنين : ( يهدي الله لنوره من يشاء ) فنسأل الله العظيم أن يجعل في قلوبنا نورا ، وعن أيماننا نورا ، وعن شمائلنا نورا ، وأن يعظم لنا نورا .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.