40:34

وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمۡ يُوسُفُ مِن قَبۡلُ بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا زِلۡتُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّمَّا جَآءَكُم بِهِۦۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلۡتُمۡ لَن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ رَسُولٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَنۡ هُوَ مُسۡرِفٞ مُّرۡتَابٌ

Walaqad jaakum yoosufu min qablu bialbayyinati fama ziltum fee shakkin mimma jaakum bihi hatta itha halaka qultum lan yabAAatha Allahu min baAAdihi rasoolan kathalika yudillu Allahu man huwa musrifun murtabun

And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs, but you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you, until when he died, you said, 'Never will Allah send a messenger after him.' Thus does Allah leave astray he who is a transgressor and skeptic."

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd indeed
  2. جَآءَكُمۡcame to you
  3. يُوسُفُYusuf
  4. مِنbefore
  5. قَبۡلُbefore
  6. بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِwith clear proofs
  7. فَمَاbut not
  8. زِلۡتُمۡyou ceased
  9. فِيin
  10. شَكّٖdoubt
  11. مِّمَّاabout what
  12. جَآءَكُمhe brought to you
  13. بِهِۦۖ[with it]
  14. حَتَّىٰٓuntil
  15. إِذَاwhen
  16. هَلَكَhe died
  17. قُلۡتُمۡyou said
  18. لَنNever
  19. يَبۡعَثَwill Allah raise
  20. ٱللَّهُwill Allah raise
  21. مِنۢafter him
  22. بَعۡدِهِۦafter him
  23. رَسُولٗاۚa Messenger
  24. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  25. يُضِلُّAllah lets go astray
  26. ٱللَّهُAllah lets go astray
  27. مَنۡwho
  28. هُوَ[he]
  29. مُسۡرِفٞ(is) a transgressor
  30. مُّرۡتَابٌa doubter
Ghafir · 40:34Makkah

You doubted Yusuf while he lived and missed him once he died.

A people who obeyed a prophet only in worldly matters


Egypt and Yusuf
Yusufclear proofshigh office
met with
doubtobeyed in worldly matters only
after his death
no messenger after himwishful thinking
How they followed
follow on paperworkignore him on worship
follow the whole messagenot just the useful part

Ibn Kathir says Yusuf held high office in Egypt and called them to Allah with justice. They obeyed him in government matters but not in worshipping Allah. When he died they said Allah would send no messenger after him.

You take the parts of faith that help your life: the calm, the community, the good name. The parts that ask you to change, you leave. That was Egypt's way with Yusuf. Notice which parts you skip.

I can take the practical parts of guidance and leave the rest.

Following only the convenient part of a message is a quiet way of doubting it.

Try this

Name one teaching you follow only when it suits you. Follow it once today when it does not.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:30)

And he who believed said: "O my people! Verily, I fear for you an end like that day (of disaster) of the groups (of old)! (30)"Like the end of the people of Nuh, and 'Ad, and Thamud and those who came after them. And Allah wills no injustice for (His) servants. (31)"And, O my people! Verily, I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling. (32)A Day when you will turn your backs and flee having no protector from Allah. And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide (33)And indeed Yusuf did come to you, in times gone by, with clear signs, but you ceased not to doubt in that which he did bring to you, till when he died, you said: "No Messenger will Allah send after him." Thus Allah leaves astray him who is a transgressor and a skeptic (34)Those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority that has come to them, it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who believe. Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant, tyrant (35)

Here Allah tells us that this righteous man, the believer from among the family of Fir'awn, warned his people of the punishment of Allah in this world and the Hereafter, saying,

 يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِثْلَ يَوْمِ الْأَحْزَابِ

(O my people! Verily, I fear for you an end like that day (of disaster) of the groups (of old)!) meaning, those of the earlier nations who disbelieved the Messengers of Allah, such as the people of Nuh, 'Ad, Thamud and the disbelieving nations who came after them, how the punishment of Allah came upon them and they had no one to protect them or ward off that punishment.

وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِلْعِبَادِ

(And Allah wills no injustice for (His) servants.) means, Allah destroyed them for their sins and for their disbelief in and rejection of His Messengers; this was His command and His decree concerning them that was fulfilled. Then he said:

وَيَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمَ التَّنَادِ

(And, O my people! Verily, I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling.) meaning, the Day of Resurrection.

يَوْمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدْبِرِينَ

(A Day when you will turn your backs and flee) means, running away.

كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ - إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ

(No! There is no refuge! Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.)(75:11-12) Allah says:

مَا لَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ

(having no protector from Allah.) meaning, 'you will have no one to protect you from the punishment and torment of Allah.'

وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

(And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide.) means, whomever Allah sends astray will have no other guide except Him. Allah's saying:

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ يُوسُفُ مِنْ قَبْلُ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(And indeed Yusuf came to you, in times gone by, with clear signs,) refers to the people of Egypt. Allah sent a Messenger to them before the time of Musa, peace be upon him, in the person of Yusuf, peace be upon him, who attained a high position in the government of the people of Egypt. He was a Messenger who called his people to Allah with justice, but they did not obey him in matters of worshipping Allah, they only obeyed him in worldly matters that pertained to his position in the government. Allah says:

فَمَا زِلْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا جَاءَكُمْ بِهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلْتُمْ لَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رَسُولًا ۚ 

(but you ceased not to doubt in that which he brought to you, till when he died, you said: "No Messenger will Allah send after him.") means, 'you despaired, and said by way of wishful thinking,'

لَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رَسُولًا

(No Messenger will Allah send after him.) This was because of their disbelief and rejection (of the Messengers).

كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُرْتَابٌ

(Thus Allah leaves astray him who is a transgressor and a skeptic.) means, this is the state of the one whom Allah sends astray because of his sinful actions and the doubts in his heart.

الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۖ 

(Those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority that has come to them,) means, those who attempt to refute truth with falsehood and who dispute the proof without evidence or proof from Allah, Allah will hate them with the utmost loathing. Allah says:

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ 

(it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who believe.) meaning, the believers too will despise those who are like this, and whoever is like this, Allah will put a seal on his heart so that after that he will not acknowledge anything good or denounce anything evil. Allah says:

كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ 

(Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant.) meaning, so that they cannot follow the truth.

جَبَّارٍ

(tyrant.)