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Ummah

Surah Ghafir · سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ · Juz 24

Q 40:78

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ قُضِىَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ

Translations

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 Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be concluded in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].
Sahih International · EN
Certes, Nous avons envoyé avant toi des Messagers. Il en est dont Nous t'avons raconté l'histoire; et il en est dont Nous ne t'avons pas raconté l'histoire. Et il n'appartient pas à un Messager d'apporter un signe [ou verset] si ce n'est avec la permission d'Allah. Lorsque le commandement d'Allah viendra, tout sera décidé en toute justice; et ceux qui profèrent des mensonges sont alors les perdants.
Muhammad Hamidullah · FR

Tafsir

O Messenger! I have sent many messengers before you to their people, but they rejected them and caused them harm. The messengers were patient upon the rejection and harm they faced. From among these messengers are those whom I have related their stories to you, and those whose stories I have not related. It is not correct for a messenger to bring a sign to his people from his Lord, except if He (may He be glorified) wishes for him to bring it. So, for the disbelievers to demand signs is wrong. When the decree of Allah for victory or judgement in favour of the messengers against their nations happens, the judgement will be made fairly. The disbelievers will then be destroyed and the messengers will be saved. At that point when the judgement is made between the servants, the people of falsehood will lose out by having put themselves in a position of doom by committing disbelief.

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
So be patient, verily, the promise of Allah is true and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them, or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned (77)And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story. And of some We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah. But, when comes the commandment of Allah, the matter will be decided with truth, and the followers of falsehood will then be lost (78) The Command to be Patient and Good News of Victory Here Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to patiently bear the rejection of those who rejected him: 'Allah will fulfill His promise to you that you will be victorious and will prevail over your people, and you and those who follow you, will be the successful ones in this world and the Hereafter.' فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ (and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them,) means, in this world, and this is what happened, for Allah gave them the joy of humiliating the leaders and nobles (of the Quraysh), who were killed on the day of Badr, then Allah granted them victory over Makkah and the entire Arabian Peninsula during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ (or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned.) means, 'and We shall inflict a severe punishment upon them in the Hereafter.' Then Allah says, consoling [His Prophet ﷺ]: وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ (And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story.) as Allah also says in Surat An-Nisa', meaning, 'We have revealed the stories of some of them and how their people disbelieved in them, but the Messengers ultimately prevailed.' وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ (And of some We have not related to you their story,) and they are many, many more than those whose stories have been told, as has been stated in Surat An-Nisa'. Praise and blessings be to Allah. وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ (and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah.) means, none of the Prophets was able to bring miracles to his people except when Allah granted him permission to do that as a sign of the truth of the message he brought to them. فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ (But, when comes the commandment of Allah,) means, His punishment and vengeance which will encompass the disbelievers, قُضِيَ بِالْحَقِّ (the matter will be decided with truth,) so the believers will be saved and the disbelievers will be destroyed. Allah says: وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ (and the followers of falsehood will then be lost.)

Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net