Surah 40

Surah 40:62

"That is God, your Lord, Creator of everything. (There is) no god but Him. How are you (so) deluded?"
Signs of the Power and Oneness of Allah Verses 40:61-65
Show Full Scripture Context (40:61-65) — 5 Verses
Verse 61

ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ لِتَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَٱلنَّهَارَ مُبۡصِرًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشۡكُرُونَ

(It is) God who made the night for you to rest in, and the day to see. Surely God is indeed full of favor to the people, but most of the people are not thankful (for it).

Verse 62

ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمۡ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤۡفَكُونَ

That is God, your Lord, Creator of everything. (There is) no god but Him. How are you (so) deluded?

Verse 63

كَذَٰلِكَ يُؤۡفَكُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجۡحَدُونَ

In this way those who denied the signs of God were (also) deluded.

Verse 64

ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ قَرَارٗا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءٗ وَصَوَّرَكُمۡ فَأَحۡسَنَ صُوَرَكُمۡ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمۡۖ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

(It is) God who made the earth a dwelling place for you, and the sky a dome. He fashioned you, and made your forms well, and provided you with good things. That is God, your Lord. Blessed (be) God, Lord of the worlds!

Verse 65

هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدۡعُوهُ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَۗ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

He is the Living One. (There is) no god but Him. Call on Him, devoting (your) religion to Him. Praise (be) to God, Lord of the worlds!

Allah reminds us of His grace towards His creation in that He has given them the night in which they rest and relax from their activities so that they can go back to them for their livelihood during the day. He has given them the day with its light, so that they can undertake their journeys and engage in their business.

Quoted Scripture
"Truly, Allah is full of bounty to mankind; yet, most of mankind give no thanks."

means, they do not express gratitude for the favors which Allah bestows upon them. Then Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things, La ilaha illa Huwa."

means, the One Who does all of these things is Allah, the One, the Unique, the Creator of all things, besides Whom there is no other god or lord.

{How then are you turning away?} means, 'How can you worship idols which cannot create anything but are themselves hand-made and carved?'

Quoted Scripture
"Thus were turned away those who used to deny the Ayat of Allah."

means, just as these people (Quraysh) were led astray by their worship of gods other than Allah, those who came before them also disbelieved and worshipped others, with no proof or evidence, but on the basis of ignorance and desires. They denied the signs and proof of Allah.

Quoted Scripture
"Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place"

means, "He made it stable and spread it out for you, so that you might live on it and travel about in it; He strengthened it with the mountains so that it does not shake with you."

{and the sky as a canopy,} means, 'a roof covering and protecting the world.'

Quoted Scripture
"and has given you shape and made your shapes good"

means, 'He created you in the best and most perfect form.'

{and has provided you with good and pure things.} means, of food and drink in this world. Allah states that that He is the Creator of the dwelling place and of the inhabitants and of the provision; He is the Creator and Provider, as He says in Surat Al-Baqarah:

Quoted Scripture
"[O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may have Taqwa. Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allah while you know.](quran/2/21-22)"

And here Allah says, after mentioning the creation of all these things:

Quoted Scripture
"That is Allah, your Lord, so Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all that exists."

meaning, exalted and sanctified and glorified be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. Then He says:

Quoted Scripture
"He is the Ever Living, La ilaha illa Huwa;"

means, He is the Ever Living, from eternity to eternity, Who was, is and shall be, the First and the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden.

{La ilaha illa Huwa} means, there is none comparable or equal to Him.

Quoted Scripture
"so invoke Him making the religion for Him Alone."

means, affirm His Oneness by testifying that there is no God but He. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Imam Ahmad recorded that after ending every prayer, 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr used to say:

«There is no (true) God except Allah Alone with no partner or associate, to Him belongs the dominion and praise, for He is able to do all things; there is no strength and no power except with Allah; there is no (true) God except Allah and we worship none but Him; to Him belong blessings and virtue and goodly praise; there is no (true) God except Allah, we worship Him in all sincerity even though the disbelievers may hate that.»

He said, "The Messenger of Allah used to say the Tahlil in this fashion after every prayer." Similar was also recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 496-499)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.