Tafseer of The Forgiver · Ghafir · 40:84
And when they saw Our punishment, they said," We believe in Allah alone and disbelieve in that which we used to associate with Him."
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: فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ (84) ("And when they saw Our might, they said: 'We believe in Allah alone, and we reject that with which we used to associate partners with Him'") (84).
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and when these communities who denied their messengers saw Our might — that is to say: the punishment of Allah which their messengers had promised them, and which then descended upon them.
As Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا ("And when they saw Our might"), he said: the retributions that descended upon them.
And His statement قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ ("they said: 'We believe in Allah alone'") means: they said: we acknowledge the oneness of Allah, and we affirm that there is no god but Him. وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ ("and we reject that with which we used to associate partners with Him") means: and we disavow the gods which we used to worship as partners alongside Allah before this moment, and which we venerated together with Him and took as gods — we have freed ourselves from them.
