Surah 41

Surah 41:40

"Surely those who pervert Our signs are not hidden from Us. Is the one who is cast into the Fire better, or the one who comes (out) secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do whatever you please. Surely He sees what you do."
The Punishment of the Deniers and the Description of the Qur'an Verses 41:40-43
Show Full Scripture Context (41:40-43) — 4 Verses
Verse 40

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلۡحِدُونَ فِيٓ ءَايَٰتِنَا لَا يَخۡفَوۡنَ عَلَيۡنَآۗ أَفَمَن يُلۡقَىٰ فِي ٱلنَّارِ خَيۡرٌ أَم مَّن يَأۡتِيٓ ءَامِنٗا يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ ٱعۡمَلُواْ مَا شِئۡتُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

Surely those who pervert Our signs are not hidden from Us. Is the one who is cast into the Fire better, or the one who comes (out) secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do whatever you please. Surely He sees what you do.

Verse 41

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِٱلذِّكۡرِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَكِتَٰبٌ عَزِيزٞ

Surely those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it comes to them – surely it is a mighty Book indeed!

Verse 42

لَّا يَأۡتِيهِ ٱلۡبَٰطِلُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَلَا مِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦۖ تَنزِيلٞ مِّنۡ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٖ

Falsehood does not come to it, (either) from before it or from behind it. (It is) a sending down from One wise, praiseworthy.

Verse 43

مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدۡ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبۡلِكَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغۡفِرَةٖ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٖ

Nothing is said to you except what has already been said to the messengers before you. Surely your Lord is indeed full of forgiveness, but (also) full of painful retribution.

Quoted Scripture
"Verily, those who Yulhiduna Fi Our Ayat"

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Al-Ilhad means putting words in their improper places." Qatadah and others said, "It means disbelief and obstinate behavior."

{are not hidden from Us.} This is a stern warning and dire threat, stating that He, may He be exalted, knows who denies His signs, Names and attributes, and He will punish them for that. He says:

Quoted Scripture
"Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection?"

means, are these two equal? They are not equal. Then Allah warns the disbelievers:

{Do what you will.} Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and 'Ata' Al-Khurasani said that

{Do what you will.} is a threat. Meaning, 'do what you will of good or evil, for He knows and sees all that you do.' He says:

Quoted Scripture
"Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do."

"Verily, those who disbelieved in the Reminder when it came to them."

Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and Qatadah said, "This is the Qur'an."

Quoted Scripture
"And verily, it is an honorable well-fortified respected Book."

means, it is protected and preserved, and nobody can produce anything like it.

Quoted Scripture
"Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it,"

means, there is no way to corrupt it, because it has been sent down by the Lord of the worlds. Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"(it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise."

meaning, He is Wise in all that He says and does, Praiseworthy in all that He commands and forbids; everything that He does is for praiseworthy purposes and its consequences will be good.

Quoted Scripture
"Nothing is said to you except what was said to the Messengers before you."

Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said, "Nothing is said to you by way of rejection and disbelief, that was not said to the Messengers who came before you. Just as you have been rejected, they were also rejected. Just as they bore their people's insults with patience, so too you must bear your people's insults with patience."

{Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness,} means, for those who turn to Him in repentance.

{and (also) the Possessor of painful punishment.} means, for those who persist in disbelief, transgression and stubborn opposition.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 547-549)

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.