40:16

يَوۡمَ هُم بَٰرِزُونَۖ لَا يَخۡفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِنۡهُمۡ شَيۡءٞۚ لِّمَنِ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡوَٰحِدِ ٱلۡقَهَّارِ

Yawma hum barizoona la yakhfa AAala Allahi minhum shayon limani almulku alyawma lillahi alwahidi alqahhari

The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

Word by word
  1. يَوۡمَ(The) Day
  2. هُمthey
  3. بَٰرِزُونَۖcome forth
  4. لَاnot
  5. يَخۡفَىٰis hidden
  6. عَلَىfrom
  7. ٱللَّهِAllah
  8. مِنۡهُمۡabout them
  9. شَيۡءٞۚanything
  10. لِّمَنِFor whom
  11. ٱلۡمُلۡكُ(is) the Dominion
  12. ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖthis Day
  13. لِلَّهِFor Allah
  14. ٱلۡوَٰحِدِthe One
  15. ٱلۡقَهَّارِthe Irresistible
Ghafir · 40:16Makkah

Whose is the kingdom today? Allah's, the One.

The Day nothing is hidden and every king falls silent


That Day
everyoneout in the openno shade, no cover
asked
whose is the kingdomno one answers
Allah, the Onethe Irresistible
Who holds power
kings of the earthwhere are they
Allah alonesubdues all things

Ibn Kathir says on that Day people will appear in the open with nothing to shelter or cover them. He mentions the hadith where Allah asks, where are the kings of the earth, the tyrants, the proud? Then the answer: the kingdom is Allah's, the One.

You hide things well: the browser history, the side of you only your phone knows. And you fear people with power over you, the manager, the landlord. That Day, nothing is hidden and no one holds power but Allah.

The people with power over me now are the ones I really answer to.

Every title ends. The only kingdom left standing is Allah's, and I answer to Him.

Try this

Next time you fear someone's power over you, say quietly: the kingdom is Allah's.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:15)

(He is Allah) Owner of high ranks and degrees, the Owner of the Throne. He sends the revelation by His command to any of His servants He wills, that he may warn of the Day of Mutual Meeting (15)The Day when they will come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allah. Whose is the kingdom this Day? It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible (16)This Day shall every person be recompensed for what he earned. This Day no injustice. Truly, Allah is swift in reckoning (17)

Allah sends the Revelation to warn His Servants of the Day of Mutual Meeting

Allah tells us of His might and pride, and that His Mighty Throne is raised above all of His creation like a roof. This is like the Ayah:

مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ - تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

(From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent. The angels and the Ruh (Jibril) ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.)(70:3-4).

If Allah wills, we will discuss below which is the most correct view the distance between the Throne and the seventh earth according to a group of earlier and later scholars. More than one scholar said that the Throne is made of red rubies. The width between two corners of it is the distance of a fifty thousand year long journey and its height above the seventh earth is the distance of a fifty thousand years long journey.

يُلْقِي الرُّوحَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

(He sends the revelation of His command to any of His servants He wills,) This is like the Ayat:

يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَنْ أَنْذِرُوا أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاتَّقُونِ 

(He sends down the angels with the Ruh (revelation) of His command to whom of His servants He wills (saying): "Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshipped but I, so have Taqwa of Me.")(16:2), and

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ - نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ - عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ

(And truly, this is a revelation from the Lord of all that exits, Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down Upon your heart that you may be (one) of the warners.)(26:192-194) Allah says:

 لِيُنْذِرَ يَوْمَ التَّلَاقِ

(that he may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting.) 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Day of Mutual Meeting is one of the names of the Day of Resurrection, of which Allah warns His servants." That is the Day when everyone will find out about his deeds, good and bad.

يَوْمَ هُمْ بَارِزُونَ ۖ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ ۚ 

(The Day when they will come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allah.) means, they will all appear in the open, with nothing to give them shelter or shade, or cover them. Allah says:

يَوْمَ هُمْ بَارِزُونَ ۖ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ ۚ 

(The Day when they will come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allah.) meaning, everything will be equally known to Him.

 لِمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ۖ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ 

(Whose is the kingdom this Day? It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible!) We have already mentioned the Hadith of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah will roll up the heavens and the earth in His Hand and will say,

أَنَا الْمَلِكُ، أَنَا الْجَبَّارُ، أَنَا الْمُتَكَبِّرُ، أَيْنَ مُلُوكُ الْأَرْضِ؟ أَيْنَ الْجَبَّارُونَ؟ أَيْنَ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ؟

("I am the King, I am the Compeller, I am the Proud, where are the kings of the earth? Where are the tyrants? Where are the proud?") In the Hadith about the Trumpet, it says that Allah will take the souls of all of His creatures, and there will be none left but Him Alone, with no partner or associate. Then He will say, "Whose is the kingdom today?" three times, and He will answer Himself by saying,

لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

(It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible!) meaning, He is the Only One Who has subjugated all things.

الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۚ لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

(This Day shall every person be recompensed for what he earned. This Day no injustice (shall be done to anybody).

Truly, Allah is swift in reckoning.) Here Allah tells us of His justice when He judges between His creation; He does not do even a speck of dust's weight of injustice, whether it be for good or for evil. For every good deed He gives a tenfold reward and for every bad deed He gives recompense of one bad deed. Allah says:

لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ ۚ 

(This Day no injustice (shall be done to anybody).) It was reported in Sahih Muslim from Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that Allah said:

يَا عِبَادِي إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلىٰ نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا - إلى أن قال - يَا عِبَادِي إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا عَلَيْكُمْ ثُمَّ أُوَفِّيكُمْ إِيَّاهَا، فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَىٰ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَهُ

("O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself, and made it unlawful for you, so do not commit injustice to one another ...") up to: ("O My servants, these are your deeds, I record them for you then I will recompense you for them. Whoever finds something good, let him give praise to Allah, and whoever finds something other than that, let him blame no one but himself.")

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ 

(Truly, Allah is swift in reckoning.) means, He will bring all His creation to account as if He is bringing just one person to account. This is like the Ayah:

مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ۗ 

(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person)(31: 28).

وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ 

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.)(54:50)