Al-Qur'an Surah Ghafir Verse 85

Mufti Taqi Usmani

But, their profession of faith was not (competent) to benefit them, once they had seen Our punishment - a customary practice of Allah that has been there all along in the matter of His servants - and hence, the disbelievers became the losers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our torment. This has ˹always˺ been Allah’s way ˹of dealing˺ with His ˹wicked˺ servants. Then and there the disbelievers were in ˹total˺ loss.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our punishment. This has always been Allah’s way with His slaves; whereupon the disbelievers were in utter loss.

A. J. Arberry

But their belief when they saw Our might did not profit them -- the wont of God, as in the past, touching His servants; then the unbelievers shall be lost.

Abdul Haleem

but believing after seeing Our punishment did not benefit them at all- this has always been God’s way of dealing with His creatures- there and then the disbelievers were lost.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

But their belief profited them naught when they saw our prowess. This hath been Allah's dispensation that hath- been in regard to His bondmen. And then there were lost the infidels.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them. (Such has been) Allah's Way of dealing with His Servants (from the most ancient times). And even thus did the Rejecters of Allah perish (utterly)!

Abul Ala Maududi

But their believing after they had seen Our chastisement did not avail them. That has been Allah's Way concerning His servants. And the unbelievers courted utter loss, then and there.

Ahmed Ali

But then their affirming served them nothing after they had seen Our torment. This is the law of God that has prevailed among His creatures, Then the unbelievers went to rack and ruin.

Ahmed Raza Khan

So their accepting of faith did not benefit them when they saw Our punishment; the tradition of Allah which has passed among His bondmen; and there were the disbelievers ruined.

Ali Quli Qarai

But their faith was of no benefit to them when they sighted Our punishment—Allah’s precedent, which has passed among His servants, and it is thence that the faithless will be losers.

Ali Ünal

But their faith when they actually saw Our mighty punishment could not avail them: (that is) God’s way (of dealing with humankind, a way) which has always been in effect for His servants. And so the unbelievers have lost altogether.

Amatul Rahman Omar

But their belief was of little use to them when they have (actually) seen Our calamity. Such is the law of Allâh that has ever been in vogue in respect of His servants. It is at such times that the disbelievers suffer a loss (and are reminded).

English Literal

So their belief did not be beneficial (to) them when they saw/understood Our might/power , God`s law/manner which had past in His worshippers/slaves , and the disbelievers lost at that place and time.346

Faridul Haque

So their accepting of faith did not benefit them when they saw Our punishment; the tradition of Allah which has passed among His bondmen; and there were the disbelievers ruined.

Hamid S. Aziz

But their belief could not avail them when they had seen Our punishment; this is Allah´s law, which has indeed held true for His servants, and then the disbelievers perished (or were ruined).

Hilali & Khan

Then their Faith (in Islamic Monotheism) could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His slaves. And there the disbelievers lost utterly (when Our Torment covered them).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So when they saw Our punishment, they said: We believe in Allah alone, and we deny what we used to associate with Him.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But their belief was not going to profit them when they had seen Our punishment; (this is) Allah's law, which has indeed obtained in the matter of His servants, and there the unbelievers are lost.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom. This is Allah's law which hath ever taken course for His bondmen. And then the disbelievers will be ruined.

Muhammad Sarwar

Their faith proved to be of no benefit to them when they became subject to Our torment. Such was God's prevailing tradition among His servants in the past. Thus were the unbelievers destroyed.

Qaribullah & Darwish

But when they saw Our Might their belief did not benefit them! It is the way of Allah that has passed concerning His worshipers. There, the unbelievers shall be lost.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then their Faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants. And there the disbelievers lost utterly.

Wahiduddin Khan

but believing after seeing Our punishment did not benefit them at all: this is the law of God to deal with His creatures, and thus the disbelievers were the losers.

Talal Itani

But their faith could not help them once they witnessed Our might. This has been God’s way of dealing with His servants. And there and then the disbelievers lost.

Tafsir jalalayn

But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our doom -- [This is] God's way (sunnata'Llhi is in the accusative because it functions as a verbal noun from an implicit verb of the same expression) with the believers, among all communities, which is that faith is of no benefit to them once the chastisement has been sent down, which has its precdent; and it is thence that the disbelievers will be losers -- [it is thence that] their status as losers will become apparent to all [of mankind], even though they will have always been losers before that. Meccan; it consists of 53 or 54 verses, revealed after [srat] Ghfir.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا سُنَّتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ

Then their Faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants.

means, this is the ruling of Allah concerning all those who repent only when they actually see the punishment;He does not accept that from them.

It is said in the Hadith;

إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَالَمْ يُغَرْغِر

Allah will accept the repentance of His servant so long as the death rattle is not sounding in his throat.

Once the death rattle is sounding and the soul has reached the throat, and the dying person actually sees the angel (of death), then he can no longer repent.

Allah says;

وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ



And there the disbelievers lost utterly.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ghafir. Praise and thanks be to Allah