469 Page Notes

40 Surah Ghafir (continued)

Page 469 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 469 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 469 contains Surah Ghafir (40), verses 17 through 25. This section addresses the absolute accountability of the Day of Judgment, the piercing omniscience of Allah, and the historical warnings left by ancient, destroyed civilizations like the people of Pharaoh.

The canonical Hadith literature and classical exegesis (Tafsir) connect several foundational prophetic teachings directly to these verses.

1. Verse 17: "No Injustice Today! Indeed, Allah is Swift in Reckoning."

"This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allah is swift in account."

The Prophetic Prohibition of Oppression (Zulm)

This verse guarantees that absolute, flawless justice will be served on Judgement Day. The Sunnah underscores this by framing worldly oppression as a source of total darkness on that Day, assuring believers that every unaddressed wrong will be settled.

• Hadith Context: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "Be on your guard against oppression (Zulm), for oppression will be a darkness on the Day of Resurrection."

• Citation: Sahih Muslim, Book 45 (The Book of Virtue, Good Manners, and Joining Ties), Hadith 2578.

Settling Accounts Down to the Hornless Sheep

To explain what "swift in reckoning" and "no injustice" look like practically, the Prophet ﷺ gave a striking physical analogy regarding how thoroughly accounts will be balanced:

"The rights will surely be restored to those to whom they are due on the Day of Resurrection, to such an extent that a hornless sheep will get its retaliation from a horned sheep."

• Citation: Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 2582.

2. Verse 18: The Day When Hearts Reach the Throats

"And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Approaching Day, when hearts are at the throats, filling them with distress..."

The Intensity of Fear and the "Approaching Day" (Al-Aazifah)

The Sunnah emphasizes that the Day of Resurrection is called Al-Aazifah because it is rapidly closing in. The Prophet ﷺ frequently used physical gestures to remind his companions of its proximity to shock them out of complacency.

• Hadith Context: Sahl bin Sa'd reported that he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ point with his index and middle fingers together and say:
  "I have been sent and the Hour (is as close) as these two."

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 81 (To make the Heart Tender), Hadith 6504.

3. Verse 19: "He Knows the Treachery of the Eyes..."

"He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal."

This verse contains one of the most famous textual linkages to a specific historical event during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, explicitly defining what a "traitorous glance" means in Islamic law.

The Traitorous Glance of a Prophet

During the Conquest of Makkah, Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh—who had previously apostatized—was brought to the Prophet ﷺ by Uthman ibn Affan to pledge allegiance and ask for safety. The Prophet ﷺ remained silent for a long time before finally accepting his pledge.

• Hadith Context: After Uthman and Abdullah left, the Prophet ﷺ turned to his companions and said, "Was there not a wise man among you who, when he saw me hold back my hand from accepting his allegiance, would stand up and kill him?"
  The companions replied, "We did not know what was in your heart, O Messenger of Allah! Why did you not give us a stealthy glance/signal with your eye?"
  The Prophet ﷺ replied:
  "It is not fitting for a Prophet to have a treacherous eye (Khaa'inat al-A'yun)."

• Citation: Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 15 (The Book of Jihad), Hadith 2683; authenticated as Sahih by Al-Albani.

4. Verses 21–22: The Architecture and Ruin of Ancient Lands

"Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in power and in the impressions [they left] upon the earth..."

The Sunnah of Passing Through Destroyed Civilizations

Verses 21 and 22 command humanity to look at the ruins of past civilizations (like Mada'in Salih, Petra, or ancient Egypt) as warnings rather than simple tourist attractions. The Prophet ﷺ established a precise behavioral Sunnah when physically passing by these ruins.

• Hadith Context: When the Prophet ﷺ was passing through the valley of Al-Hijr (the stone carvings of the people of Thamud) during the expedition to Tabuk, he commanded his companions:
  "Do not enter the places of those who systematically wronged themselves unless you are weeping, lest you should be afflicted with what afflicted them." He then covered his head with his cloak and hurried his mount until he crossed the valley.

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60 (Book of Prophets), Hadith 3381; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2980.

Surah Ghafir (40), Verse 25—located on page 468 of the Quran—addresses a dark and brutal turning point in the historical confrontation between the Prophet Moses (Musa) and Pharaoh (Fir’awn):

"So when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, 'Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and keep their women alive.' But the plot of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."

In classical exegesis (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qurtubi), scholars point out that this verse describes a second, retaliatory wave of infanticide. Pharaoh had famously slaughtered the Israelite newborn boys prior to Moses' birth; this verse records his command to resume the systematic slaughter of newborn sons specifically to break the spirit of the newly formed community of believers.

The Sunnah and authentic Hadith literature connect to this verse through the Prophet’s absolute prohibition of killing women and children during war, directly countering the lawless tyrannical standard set by Pharaoh.

1. The Prophetic Rejection of Pharaoh’s Doctrine: Prohibition of Killing Children and Women

While Pharaoh actively institutionalized the killing of children and the subjugation of women as political warfare ("Kill their sons and keep their women alive"), the Sunnah established a revolutionary, strict ethical code that explicitly criminalized this behavior, even in the heat of military conflict.

A. The Commander's Instructions

Whenever the Prophet ﷺ dispatched an army, he would personally issue an ethical manifesto that directly dismantled the military tactics of ancient tyrants:

Ibn Umar narrated that during a battle, a woman was found dead. Upon seeing this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ strongly condemned it and forbade the killing of women and children.

Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 56 (Book of Jihad), Hadith 3014; Sahih Muslim, Book 32 (Book of Jihad and Expedition), Hadith 1744.

B. The Universal Standard for Commanders

The Prophet ﷺ gave specific, mandatory operational guidelines to his military leaders that served as a direct moral contrast to the verse on page 468:

Buraydah narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ appointed a commander over an army, he would say: “Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah... Do not break your pledges, do not mutilate bodies, and do not kill a newborn child.”

Source Citation: Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1731.

2. The Divine Law Protecting Children: The Dialogue of Khidr and Moses

To explain the cosmic rules governing the lives of children, classical commentaries link Pharaoh’s unlawful slaughter in verse 25 with the famous historical narrative of Moses and Al-Khidr detailed by the Prophet ﷺ in the Sunnah.

In that narrative, Khidr took the life of a single boy based on explicit, direct divine revelation regarding the boy's future choices—a highly specialized exception that the Prophet ﷺ used to establish that no human ruler has the right to mimic this power or dictate who lives or dies.

• The Prophetic Boundary: Ibn Abbas narrated a conversation with Najdah ibn Amir, who asked whether the Prophet ﷺ ever killed children in war. Ibn Abbas replied:
  "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not kill any children of the enemy, and you should not kill them either, unless you possess the exact, absolute divine knowledge that Al-Khidr possessed regarding the boy he killed [which is impossible for normal humans to possess]."
  Source Citation: Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1812.

3. "The Plot of the Disbelievers is Only in Futility" (Dalaal)

The verse concludes with a profound psychological law: “But the plot of the disbelievers is not except in error.” This means that tyrants who systematically murder and oppress to secure their power are caught in a cosmic trap—their actions directly accelerate their own destruction.

The Sunnah maps out this rule through the concept of Imlaa' (Allah granting a tyrant rope to hang himself). The Prophet ﷺ explained that a tyrant's apparent success in carrying out plots (like Pharaoh's infanticide) is an illusion:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, Allah gives respite to the oppressor (Zalim), but when He finally seizes him, He never lets him go." The Prophet ﷺ then recited: "And such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the cities while they are committing wrong. Indeed, His seizure is painful and severe." (Surah Hud 11:102).

Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65 (Book of Prophetic Commentary), Hadith 4686; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2583.