Quran Universe
40:78

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلٗا مِّن قَبۡلِكَ مِنۡهُم مَّن قَصَصۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡ عَلَيۡكَۗ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأۡتِيَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ قُضِيَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ

Walaqad arsalna rusulan min qablika minhum man qasasna AAalayka waminhum man lam naqsus AAalayka wama kana lirasoolin an yatiya biayatin illa biithni Allahi faitha jaa amru Allahi qudiya bialhaqqi wakhasira hunalika almubtiloona

And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not related to you. And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign [or verse] except by permission of Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be concluded in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. أَرۡسَلۡنَاWe have sent
  3. رُسُلٗاMessengers
  4. مِّنbefore you
  5. قَبۡلِكَbefore you
  6. مِنۡهُمAmong them
  7. مَّن(are) who
  8. قَصَصۡنَاWe have related
  9. عَلَيۡكَto you
  10. وَمِنۡهُمand among them
  11. مَّن(are) who
  12. لَّمۡnot
  13. نَقۡصُصۡWe have related
  14. عَلَيۡكَۗto you
  15. وَمَاAnd not
  16. كَانَis
  17. لِرَسُولٍfor any Messenger
  18. أَنthat
  19. يَأۡتِيَhe brings
  20. بِـَٔايَةٍa Sign
  21. إِلَّاexcept
  22. بِإِذۡنِby (the) permission
  23. ٱللَّهِۚ(of) Allah
  24. فَإِذَاSo when
  25. جَآءَcomes
  26. أَمۡرُ(the) Command
  27. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  28. قُضِيَit will be decided
  29. بِٱلۡحَقِّin truth
  30. وَخَسِرَand will lose
  31. هُنَالِكَthere
  32. ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَthe falsifiers
Ghafir · 40:78Makkah

Many messengers, most of their stories untold.

Signs only by Allah's permission

The messengers
stories toldsome of them
stories not toldmany, many more
and
signsonly by His leave
Who makes miracles
the messengeron demand
Allahwhen He permits

Ibn Kathir says Allah consoles the Prophet ﷺ: many messengers came before, and those whose stories are not told are many more. None could bring a sign except by Allah's leave. When His command comes, it is decided with truth.

You think of the good people in history and know a handful of names. Most did their work unseen. Being unknown to people is not the same as being unknown to Allah.

If my good work is not known, it does not count.

Most of Allah's messengers are unnamed to us. He knows every one.

Try this

Do one good deed today that will never be posted, praised, or known.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:77)

So be patient, verily, the promise of Allah is true and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them, or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned (77)And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story. And of some We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah. But, when comes the commandment of Allah, the matter will be decided with truth, and the followers of falsehood will then be lost (78)

The Command to be Patient and Good News of Victory

Here Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to patiently bear the rejection of those who rejected him: 'Allah will fulfill His promise to you that you will be victorious and will prevail over your people, and you and those who follow you, will be the successful ones in this world and the Hereafter.'

فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ

(and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them,) means, in this world, and this is what happened, for Allah gave them the joy of humiliating the leaders and nobles (of the Quraysh), who were killed on the day of Badr, then Allah granted them victory over Makkah and the entire Arabian Peninsula during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.

أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ

(or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned.) means, 'and We shall inflict a severe punishment upon them in the Hereafter.' Then Allah says, consoling [His Prophet ﷺ]:

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ 

(And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story.) as Allah also says in Surat An-Nisa', meaning, 'We have revealed the stories of some of them and how their people disbelieved in them, but the Messengers ultimately prevailed.'

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ

(And of some We have not related to you their story,) and they are many, many more than those whose stories have been told, as has been stated in Surat An-Nisa'. Praise and blessings be to Allah.

وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ 

(and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah.) means, none of the Prophets was able to bring miracles to his people except when Allah granted him permission to do that as a sign of the truth of the message he brought to them.

فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ

(But, when comes the commandment of Allah,) means, His punishment and vengeance which will encompass the disbelievers,

 قُضِيَ بِالْحَقِّ

(the matter will be decided with truth,) so the believers will be saved and the disbelievers will be destroyed. Allah says:

وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

(and the followers of falsehood will then be lost.)