Surah Ghafir 40:35

يقَوْمِ إِنِّى أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّثْلَ يَوْمِ الاٌّحْزَابِ

(O my people! Verily, I fear for you an end like that day (of disaster) of the groups (of old)!) meaning, those of the earlier nations who disbelieved the Messengers of Allah, such as the people of Nuh, `Ad, Thamud and the disbelieving nations who came after them, how the punishment of Allah came upon them and they had no one to protect them or ward off that punishment.

وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْماً لِّلْعِبَادِ

(And Allah wills no injustice for (His) servants.) means, Allah destroyed them for their sins and for their disbelief in and rejection of His Messengers; this was His command and His decree concerning them that was fulfilled. Then he said:

وَيقَوْمِ إِنِّى أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمَ التَّنَادِ

(And, O my people! Verily, I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling.) meaning, the Day of Resurrection.

يَوْمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدْبِرِينَ

(A Day when you will turn your backs and flee) means, running away.

كَلاَّ لاَ وَزَرَ - إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ

(No! There is no refuge! Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.) (75:11-12) Allah says:

مَا لَكُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ

(having no protector from Allah.) meaning, `you will have no one to protect you from the punishment and torment of Allah.'

وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

(And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide.) means, whomever Allah sends astray will have no other guide except Him. Allah's saying:

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُـمْ يُوسُفُ مِن قَبْلُ بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ

(And indeed Yusuf came to you, in times gone by, with clear signs,) refers to the people of Egypt. Allah sent a Messenger to them before the time of Musa, peace be upon him, in the person of Yusuf, peace be upon him, who attained a high position in the government of the people of Egypt. He was a Messenger who called his people to Allah with justice, but they did not obey him in matters of worshipping Allah, they only obeyed him in worldly matters that pertained to his position in the government. Allah says:

فَمَا زِلْتُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا جَآءَكُـمْ بِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلْتُمْ لَن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ رَسُولاً

(but you ceased not to doubt in that which he brought to you, till when he died, you said: "No Messenger will Allah send after him.") means, `you despaired, and said by way of wishful thinking,'

لَن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ رَسُولاً

(No Messenger will Allah send after him.) This was because of their disbelief and rejection (of the Messengers).

كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُّرْتَابٌ

(Thus Allah leaves astray him who is a transgressor and a skeptic. ) means, this is the state of the one whom Allah sends astray because of his sinful actions and the doubts in his heart.

الَّذِينَ يُجَـدِلُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـنٍ أَتَـهُمْ

(Those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority that has come to them,) means, those who attempt to refute truth with falsehood and who dispute the proof without evidence or proof from Allah, Allah will hate them with the utmost loathing. Allah says:

كَبُرَ مَقْتاً عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who believe.) meaning, the believers too will despise those who are like this, and whoever is like this, Allah will put a seal on his heart so that after that he will not acknowledge anything good or denounce anything evil. Allah says:

كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُـلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ

(Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant.) meaning, so that they cannot follow the truth.

جَبَّارٍ

(tyrant.)

Kemudian Allah menjelaskan bagaimana tindakan orang-orang yang bersifat tamak dan selalu meragukan kebenaran wahyu itu. Mereka itu selalu menolak kebenaran ayat-ayat Allah yang disampaikan kepada mereka. Mereka juga selalu mempermasalahkan bukti-bukti yang disampaikan mengenai kebenaran wahyu itu. Akan tetapi, penolakan mereka itu tidak memiliki kekuatan apa pun. Kepercayaan mereka hanya berdasar tradisi nenek moyang mereka, dan itu hanyalah kepatuhan membabi buta tanpa dipikirkan. Kepatuhan seperti ini tidak dibenarkan karena Allah memberi manusia pendengaran, penglihatan, dan akal pikiran. Oleh karena itu, orang yang menolak kebenaran wahyu dan lebih percaya pada tradisi nenek moyang itu tidak tahu lagi mana yang benar dan mana yang salah. Dengan demikian, mereka sangat dibenci Allah dan orang-orang yang beriman.

Selanjutnya Allah menerangkan hukum-hukum-Nya bagi orang yang menutup hatinya untuk menerima kebenaran wahyu, yaitu bahwa Ia akan menutup hati mereka. Hati yang tertutup terjadi karena mereka selalu menolak kebenaran wahyu dan mempermasalahkannya. Penolakan yang terus-menerus akan membawa kepada kesombongan. Selalu mempermasalahkan kebenaran akan membawa kepada kesewenang-wenangan. Karena sombong dan sewenang-wenang itu, maka mereka akan selalu menolak dan menentang kebenaran. Akhirnya hati mereka tertutup dengan sendirinya. Demikian hukum yang ditentukan Allah bagi tertutupnya hati manusia.