Tafseer of The Forgiver · Ghafir · 40:85
But never did their faith benefit them once they saw Our punishment. [It is] the established way of Allah which has preceded among His servants. And the disbelievers thereupon lost [all].
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 statement concerning the explanation of His saying, exalted is He: فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ (But their faith did not benefit them when they saw Our might — the way of Allah which has already passed away among His servants; and there the disbelievers lost) (40:85).
The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: Their affirmation in this world of the oneness of Allah did not benefit them upon witnessing His punishment when it had already descended, and His torment (ʿadhāb) when it had already set in, because they believed at a moment in which faith does not benefit a believer, since the decree of Allah had already been established in that which preceded it of His knowledge: that whoever turns to Him in repentance after the descent of the punishment of Allah on account of his denial, his repentance does not benefit him.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, 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: ( فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا ) (But their faith did not benefit them when they saw Our might): when they saw the punishment of Allah in this world, faith did not benefit them at that moment.
And His saying: ( سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ ) (the way of Allah which has already passed away among His servants). He says: Allah, blessed and exalted is He, refrained from granting them respite, from accepting their repentance, and from their return to faith in Allah and the affirmation of their messengers after their witnessing of His might. His way which has already passed away among His creation had descended upon them, and therefore He did not grant them respite and did not accept their repentance in that state.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ ) (the way of Allah which has already passed away among His servants). He says: Such was the way of Allah with those who passed away before them: when they witnessed the punishment of Allah, their faith did not benefit them at that moment.
And His saying: ( وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ ) (and there the disbelievers lost). He says: and they perished, at the coming of the might of Allah, and their exchange proved to be a losing one, and in their trade the Hereafter was exchanged for this world, forgiveness for punishment, and faith for disbelief — those who disbelieved (kāfir) in their Lord, the deniers of the oneness of their Creator, who took besides Him gods whom they worshipped instead of their Originator.
