Quran Quote  :  Establish Prayer and pay Zakah and obey the Messenger so that mercy may be shown to you. - 24:56

Quran-40:78 Surah Ghafir English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

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

Transliteration:( Wa laqad arsalnaa Rusulam min qablika minhum man qasasnaa 'alaika wa minhum mal lam naqsus 'alaik; wa maa kaana li Rasoolin any yaatiya bi Aayatin illaa bi iznil laah; fa izaa jaaa'a amrul laahi qudiya bilhaqqi wa khasira hunaalikal mubtiloon (section 8) )

78. And certainly We sent many Messengers before you (0 Muhammad). But, there are some of them whom We have mentioned (196) to you, and there are some whom We have not mentioned to you (197), And it is not for any Messenger that he should bring any argument without Allah's permission (198). But when Command of Allah comes, the matter is justly decided, and then the people of falsehood and vanity shall remain losers (199) in grief. (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(78) 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 Allāh. So when the command of Allāh comes, it will be concluded [i.e., judged] in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all]. (Saheen International Translation)

Surah Ghafir Ayat 78 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

196. Clearly described in the Holy QURAN. It should be remembered that some names of the Prophets are mentioned clearly in the holy QURAN. but no mention is made of any incidents of theirs like Hazrat Yasa(On whom he peace), Incidents of some have been mentioned but their names have not been mentioned. like Hazrat Hızakeel and Khur (On them he peace) Some Prophets names and stories have been mentioned such as Hzrat Musa and Harun (On them he peace) But nothing has heen mentioned about the Prophets like Hazrat Danyaal, etc

However, all Prophets have been mentioned jointly should be remembered that only Prophets have been clearly mentioned in Holy QURAN.

197. Here, negation is not being made knowledge of the Holy Prophet but the negation is made of being mentioned in the Holy QURAN.

Otherwise, our Holy Prophet was aware of the condition of every prophet. Says Allah Almighty: "And all that We relate to you of the tidings of the Messengers" (S11:V120).

On the Night of Me'raaj, the Holy prophet ? met all the Prophets. He would even speak to them. Says Allah Almighty: "And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you" (S43:V45).

198. Reason for its revelation:

The infidels of Makkah were seeking new miracles from the Holy Prophet ? all the time.

They were not satisfied with what they had already seen. They were requesting mountains of gold, etc. This verse has been revealed in refutation of it. It should be remembered that all the miracles have been performed with the permission of Allah Almighty.

In the performance of some miracles, the Prophet is given the choice like the stick turning to a snake, while in some there is no choice as in the revelation of Quranic verses.

199. This means these will only believe now after they see the punishment or death, and the faith of that time would not be accepted.

Otherwise, seeing one miracle is enough for the acceptance of faith. But those infidels have the opportunity of seeing thousands of miracles.

Ibn-Kathir

The tafsir of Surah Muminun verse 78 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muminun ayat 77 which provides the complete commentary from verse 77 through 78.

(40:78) Indeed We sent many Messengers before you: of them there are some whose account We have narrated to you and there are others whose account We have not narrated to you.[107] It did not lie in any Messenger’s power to bring any Sign[108] except with Allah’s leave. So when Allah’s decree came, the matter was decided with justice, and those steeped in error courted utter loss,[109] then and there.

Ala-Maududi

(40:78) Indeed We sent many Messengers before you: of them there are some whose account We have narrated to you and there are others whose account We have not narrated to you.[107] It did not lie in any Messenger’s power to bring any Sign[108] except with Allah’s leave. So when Allah’s decree came, the matter was decided with justice, and those steeped in error courted utter loss,[109] then and there.


107. A new theme starts from here. The disbelievers of Makkah said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): We would not believe you to be Allah’s Messenger unless you showed us the miracle that we ask you to show us. In the following verses an answer is being given to this very demand without mentioning it. For the type of the miracles they demanded, see (Surah Houd, Ayat 12); (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayat 7); (Surah Bani Israil, Ayat 90-93); (Surah Al-Furqan, Ayat 21) and the E.Ns thereof.

108. That is, no Prophet ever showed a miracle by his own will and desire, nor had any Prophet the power to show a miracle by himself. Whenever a miracle was shown through a Prophet, it was shown when Allah willed it to be shown through him to the disbelievers. This is the first answer to the disbelievers’ demand.

109. That is, a miracle has never been shown for the mere fun of it. It is a decisive thing. If a nation does not believe even after a miracle has been shown, it is destroyed. You are demanding a miracle only for the sake of fun, but you have no idea that by making such a demand you are, in fact, inviting your own doom. This is the second answer to their demand. For details, please see (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayat 8) (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayat 58-60); (Surah Bani Israil, Ayat 59); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 5-9); (Surah Al-Furqan, Ayat 22-23); (Surah Ash- Shuara, Ayat 66-67) and the E.Ns thereof.

(78) 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 Allāh. So when the command of Allāh comes, it will be concluded [i.e., judged] in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].

Surah Ghafir All Ayat (Verses)

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