Surah Saba Ayat 40 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 40
And [mention] the Day when He will gather them all and then say to the angels, “Did these [people] used to worship you?”
One Day He will gather them all together, and say to the angels, “Was it you that these men used to worship?”
And on the Day when He will muster them all and will ask the angels: “Are they the ones who worshipped you?”
And (remember) the Day when He will gather them all together, and then will say to the angels: “Was it you that these people used to worship?”
And on the day when He will gather them all together, He will say unto the angels: Did these worship you?
And on the Day when He will muster them altogether, thereafter He will say to the Angels, “Was it you (only) these were worshiping?”
On the Day He gathers them all together, He will say to the angels, ‘Was it you these people worshipped?’
اور ان سب کو اللہ اس دن جمع کرکے فرشتوں سے دریافت فرمائے گا کہ کیا یہ لوگ تمہاری عبادت کرتے تھے
Quran 34 Verse 40 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Saba ayat 40, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(34:40) And on the Day when He will muster them all and will ask the angels: “Are they the ones who worshipped you?”[61]
61. Since the earliest times the polytheists in every age have been looking upon the angels as gods and goddesses and carving their idols and worshipping them. One has been regarded as the god of rain, another of lightning and another of wind; one is the goddess of wealth, another of knowledge and another of life and death. About this Allah says that on the Day of Resurrection the angels will be asked: Were you being worshipped as deities by these people? This question is not meant merely to find out the truth, but to ask: Did you approve of their worship? Did you tell the people that you were their deities, so they should worship you? Or, did you wish that the people should do obeisance to you? This question will not only be asked of the angels but of all those beings who have been worshipped as gods in the world. In Surah Al-Furqan it has been said: “On that Day (Allah) will gather all these people together as well as their deities, whom they worship beside Allah. Then he will ask them: Did you mislead these servants of Mine, or did they themselves go astray? (Ayat 17).
Ibn-Kathir
40. And (remember) the Day when He will gather them all together, then He will say to the angels: “Was it you that these people used to worship” 41. They (the angels) will say: “Glorified be You! You are our Protector instead of them. Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn; most of them were believers in them.” 42. So Today, none of you can profit or harm one another. And We shall say to those who did wrong: “Taste the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.”
Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, He will rebuke the idolators before all of creation. He will ask the angels whom the idolators used to worship, claiming that their idols were in the form of these angels and that they could bring them nearer to Allah. He will ask the angels:
(Was it you that these people used to worship) meaning, `did you command them to worship you’ Allah says in Surat Al-Furqan:
(Was it you who misled these My servants or did they (themselves) stray from the (right) path) (25:17). And He will say to `Isa, peace be upon him:
(Did you say unto men: “Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah,’ He will say: “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say).”) (5:116). Similarly, the angels will say:
Glorified be You! meaning, exalted and sanctified be You above the notion that there could be any god besides You.
You are our Protector instead of them. means, we are Your servants and we disown these people before You.
(Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn;) meaning, the Shayatin, because they are the ones who made idol worship attractive to them and who misguided them.
most of them were believers in them. This is like the A0yah:
(They invoke nothing but females besides Him, and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel! Allah cursed him) (4:117-118). Allah says:
(So Today, none of you can profit or harm one another.) means, `none of those idols and rivals whom you hoped would benefit you, will be of any avail to you, those whom you worshipped in the hope that they would help you at times of stress and calamity. Today they will have no power either to benefit you or to harm you.’
And We shall say to those who did wrong: — meaning the idolators —
(“Taste the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.”) meaning, this will be said to them by way of rebuke.
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