40:6

وَكَذَٰلِكَ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ

Wakathalika haqqat kalimatu rabbika AAala allatheena kafaroo annahum ashabu alnnari

And thus has the word of your Lord come into effect upon those who disbelieved that they are companions of the Fire.

Word by word
  1. وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd thus
  2. حَقَّتۡhas been justified
  3. كَلِمَتُ(the) Word
  4. رَبِّكَ(of) your Lord
  5. عَلَىagainst
  6. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  7. كَفَرُوٓاْdisbelieved
  8. أَنَّهُمۡthat they
  9. أَصۡحَٰبُ(are) companions
  10. ٱلنَّارِ(of) the Fire
Ghafir · 40:6Makkah

The same word that came true before comes true again.

Past outcomes as a warning for the present


The word of your Lord
past nationsdenied and were seized
same word
the deniers of Makkahrejecting the Prophet ﷺ
What history teaches
that was thenit does not apply to us
the word holdsthen and now

Ibn Kathir explains: just as the word of punishment came true for past nations, it holds for those in Makkah who rejected the Prophet ﷺ and fought him. The stories before were not just history. They were a mirror.

You read about people who ignored every warning and think, I would never. Then you notice the warning you keep snoozing like an alarm. The lesson is for you, not for them.

Stories of past nations are about other people.

Allah's word does not change, so their story is a warning I can still use.

Try this

Think of one warning sign in your life you keep ignoring. Write down one step to act on it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:4)

None disputes in the Ayat of Allah but those who disbelieve. So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land (for their purposes) deceive you (4)The people of Nuh and the groups after them denied before these; and every nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. So I seized them, and how was My punishment (5)Thus has the Word of your Lord been justified against those who disbelieved, that they will be the dwellers of the Fire (6)

One of the Attributes of the Disbelievers is That they dispute the Ayat of Allah - and The Consequences of that

Allah tells us that no one rejects or disputes His signs after clear proof has come,

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(but those who disbelieve), i.e., those who reject the signs of Allah and His proof and evidence.

فَلَا يَغْرُرْكَ تَقَلُّبُهُمْ فِي الْبِلَادِ

(So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land deceive you!) means, their wealth and luxurious life. This is like the Ayah:

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ - مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

(Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.)(3:196-197)

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.)(31:24).

Then Allah consoles His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the rejection of his people. He tells him that he has an example in the Prophets who came before him, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them all, for their nations disbelieved them and opposed them, and only a few believed in them.

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ

(The people of Nuh denied before these;) Nuh was the first Messenger whom Allah sent to denounce and forbid idol worship.

وَالْأَحْزَابُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ

(and the groups after them) means, from every nation.

وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ 

(and every (disbelieving) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him,) means, they wanted to kill him by any means possible, and some of them did kill their Messenger.

وَجَادَلُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ 

(and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth.) means, they came up with specious arguments with which to dispute the truth which was so plain and clear.

فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ

(So I seized them) means, 'I destroyed them, because of the sins they committed.'

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ

(and how was My punishment!) means, 'how have you heard that My punishment and vengeance was so severe and painful.' Qatadah said, "It was terrible, by Allah."

وَكَذَٰلِكَ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ

(Thus has the Word of your Lord been justified against those who disbelieved, that they will be the dwellers of the Fire.) means, 'just as the Word of punishment was justified against those of the past nations who disbelieved, so too is it justified against these disbelievers who have rejected you and gone against you, O Muhammad, and it is even more justified against them, because if they have disbelieved in you, there is no certainty that they will believe in any other Prophet.' And Allah knows best.