walaqad arsalnā rusulan min qablika min'hum man qaṣaṣnā ʿalayka wamin'hum man lam naqṣuṣ ʿalayka wamā kāna lirasūlin an yatiya biāyatin illā bi-idh'ni l-lahi fa-idhā jāa amru l-lahi quḍiya bil-ḥaqi wakhasira hunālika l-mub'ṭilūna
Translation
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 Allāh. So when the command of Allāh comes, it will be concluded [i.e., judged] in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].
Verse 78 of Surah Ghafir (40:78), a Meccan surah, is in juz 24, on page 476 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 78 of Surah Ghafir
78 recitations by 72 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
All voices (78)
Tafsir of verse 78
Al-Mukhtasar
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.
We have sent messengers before you; of them are some whose stories We have told you, and some We have not. It was not for a messenger to bring a sign except with Allah’s permission. But when the decree of Allah comes, judgment will be passed with justice, thereupon the people of falsehood will be in utter loss.
And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): of some of them We have related to you their story.10 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 Allâh. But, when comes the Commandment of Allâh, the matter will be decided with truth, and the followers of falsehood will then be lost.
Notes
[10] (V.40:78) There are many Prophets and Messengers of Allâh. About twenty-five of them are mentioned in the Qur’an; out of these twenty-five, only five are of strong will, namely: Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Nûh (Noah), Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsâ (Moses), and ‘Îsâ (Jesus) - son of Maryam (Mary) عليهم السلام .
Verily We sent messengers before thee, among them those of whom We have told thee, and some of whom We have not told thee; and it was not given to any messenger that he should bring a portent save by Allah's leave, but when Allah's commandment cometh (the cause) is judged aright, and the followers of vanity will then be lost.
We did aforetime send messengers before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. It was not (possible) for any messenger to bring a sign except by the leave of Allah: but when the Command of Allah issued, the matter was decided in truth and justice, and there perished, there and then those who stood on Falsehoods.
And certainly We sent messengers before you: there are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you, and it was not meet for a messenger that he should bring a sign except with Allah's permission, but when the command of Allah came, judgment was given with truth, and those who treated (it) as a lie were lost.
And indeed We already sent Messengers even before you. Among them are the ones whom We related to you, and (some) We have not related to you; and in no way (could) any Messenger come up with a sign except by the permission of Allah. Then when the Command of Allah comes, (their end) is decreed with the Truth, and there over the wrong-doers (Literally: doers of void "deeds") will lose.
And We have already sent messengers before you and assigned to them wives and descendants. And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allāh. For every term is a decree.
