Tafseer of The Forgiver · Ghafir · 40:49
And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us a day from the punishment."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي النَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا مِنَ الْعَذَابِ (49)
(And those who are in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell (jahannam): Call upon your Lord, that He may lighten for us a day of the punishment.) (40:49)
The Exalted says: And the inhabitants of Hell (jahannam) will say to its keepers and guardians, seeking their help against the tremendous tribulation in which they find themselves, and hoping that they might find relief through them: ( ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ ) (Call upon your Lord) for us, ( يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا ) (that He may lighten for us a day) — a single [day], that is, equal to a single day of the days of the worldly life — ( مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ) (of the punishment) in which we find ourselves. We have said that the meaning of this is: equal to a day of the days of the worldly life, because the Hereafter is a day in which there is no night, so that it may be said: for them one day is lightened.
