Tafseer of The Forgiver · Ghafir · 40:56
Indeed, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without [any] authority having come to them - there is not within their breasts except pride, [the extent of] which they cannot reach. So seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Seeing.
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 saying of the Exalted: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلا كِبْرٌ مَا هُمْ بِبَالِغِيهِ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ (56)
(Verily, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without any authority that has come to them — in their breasts there is nothing but pride which they shall not attain. So seek refuge in Allah; verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.) (40:56)
The Exalted says: verily, those who dispute with you, O Muḥammad, concerning the signs which I have brought you from your Lord, ( بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ) (without any authority that has come to them) — that is to say: without any proof that has come to them from Allah to dispute with you about it — ( إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلا كِبْرٌ ) (in their breasts there is nothing but pride) means: in their breasts there is nothing but pride on account of which they deem themselves too great to follow you and to accept the truth which you have brought them, out of envy on their part toward the favor which Allah has bestowed upon you and the honor with which He has honored you through prophethood. ( مَا هُمْ بِبَالِغِيهِ ) (which they shall not attain) means: that for which they envy you is a matter which they shall neither obtain nor take hold of, for that is the favor of Allah which He grants to whomever He wills, and it is not a matter that is obtained by wishes. It has also been said that the meaning is: in their breasts there is nothing but greatness; they shall not attain that greatness, for Allah humbles them.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His saying: ( إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلا كِبْرٌ ) (in their breasts there is nothing but pride) — he said: greatness.
And in accordance with what we have said in the explanation of His saying: ( إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ) (Verily, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without any authority that has come to them), the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: ( إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ) (Verily, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without any authority that has come to them) — no authority concerning that has come to them.
And His saying: ( فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ) (So seek refuge in Allah; verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing). The Exalted says: so seek protection in Allah, O Muḥammad, against the evil of these who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without authority, and against pride, lest anything of that be cast into your heart. ( إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ ) (verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing) means: verily, Allah is He who hears what these who dispute concerning the signs of Allah and others say, the Seer of what their limbs perform; nothing of that remains hidden from Him.
