468 Page Notes

40 Surah Ghafir (continued)

Page 468 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 468 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 468 of the Quran covers Surah Ghafir (40), verses 8 through 16. This specific passage shifts from the prayers of the angels carrying the Throne of Allah to the intense, profound realities of the Day of Judgment.

Major classical works of Tafsir (exegesis) by scholars like Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Suyuti link these verses to several foundational Hadiths and Sunnah narratives.

1. Verses 8–9: The Angels Interceding for the Believers’ Families

"Our Lord, and admit them to gardens of perpetual residence which You have promised them and whoever was righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their offspring..."

The Sunnah of Gathering Families in Paradise

Classical commentators link this verse to the Prophet’s Sunnah explaining how Allah honors a righteous believer by elevating their family to join them in the highest ranks of Paradise, even if the family's deeds were lesser.

• Hadith Context: The Prophet ﷺ said:
  "When a person enters Paradise, he will ask about his parents, his wife, and his children. It will be said to him, 'They have not reached your level or your status.' He will say, 'O Lord! I strove for myself and for them.' Then they will be ordered to join him."

• Citation: This concept is preserved in a narration by Ibn Abbas collected in Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, explaining the practical application of Allah’s mercy referenced in verses 8 and 9.

2. Verse 11: The Two Deaths and Two Lives

"They will say, 'Our Lord, twice have You caused us to die and twice have You given us life. Now have we recognized our sins: is there any way out?'"

The Prophetic Commentary on the "Two Deaths"

The companions and early scholars used the Sunnah to explain what these two states of life and death mean.

• Hadith Context: When asked about this verse, Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abbas explained that this matches the pattern mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:28).

  1. First Death: You were lifeless matter (inanimate dust/not yet created).

  2. First Life: Allah brought you to life in this world.

  3. Second Death: The death you experience at the end of your worldly life.

  4. Second Life: The resurrection on the Day of Judgment.

• Citation: Recorded in Tafsir Al-Tabari and heavily cited in Tafsir Ibn Kathir via authentic chains (Athar) from the Senior Companions modeling the Prophet's methodology of explaining the Quran.

3. Verse 15: The Lord of the Throne

"Exalted in Rank, Lord of the Throne..."

The Grandeur of the Throne in the Sunnah

This verse establishes Allah as Dhu-l-'Arsh (Owner/Lord of the Throne). The Sunnah provides explicit physical and spiritual scale to what the Throne represents.

• Hadith Context: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "The seven heavens in comparison to the Footstool (Kursi) are nothing but like a ring thrown in a desert. And the excellence of the Throne ('Arsh) over the Footstool is like the excellence of that desert over that ring."

• Citation: Sahih Ibn Hibban (Hadith 361) and authenticated by Al-Albani in Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah (109).

4. Verse 16: "Whose is the Kingdom Today?"

"The Day when they will come forth, nothing of them will be hidden from Allah. [Allah will ask], 'Whose is the kingdom today?' [And He will answer], 'To Allah, the One, the Irresistible!'"

This is the most textually robust verse on page 468 regarding direct, verbatim prophetic Hadiths. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly described the exact scene depicted in this verse.

The Rolling Up of the Heavens

• Hadith Context: Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "Allah will fold up the heavens on the Day of Resurrection, then He will take them in His right hand and say: 'I am the King! Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant people?' Then He will fold up the earths in His left hand and say: 'I am the King! Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant people?'"

• Citation: Sahih Muslim (Book 52, Hadith 26) and Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7412).

The Cry of the Sole Creator

• Hadith Context: Another accompanying Hadith explains that when the first trumpet is blown, all creation will pass away until only Allah remains. He will then proclaim the words of verse 16:
  "Whose is the kingdom today?" Hearing no answer from anyone, He will answer Himself: "To Allah, the One, the Irresistible!"

• Citation: Detailed by Imam Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir under this verse, referencing accounts from Sahih al-Bukhari regarding the blowing of the Horn (Al-Sur).