۞ وَيَـٰقَوْمِ مَا لِىٓ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ 41
Translations
And O my people, how is it that I invite you to salvation while you invite me to the Fire?
Transliteration
Wa ya qawmi ma li adAAookum ila al-najati wa tadAAoonna-i ila al-nari
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah represents the sincere plea of a believing man (mentioned in 40:28) from the family of Pharaoh, who calls his people toward salvation and Allah's path, while they invite him toward the Fire of Hell. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this verse illustrates the fundamental conflict between the believer's call to truth and the disbelievers' call to falsehood, emphasizing the believer's bewilderment at why people reject guidance when offered it with such sincerity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Surah Ghafir concerning the believer from Pharaoh's family who openly proclaimed faith and called his people to monotheism. The verse encapsulates his exasperation at the community's stubborn rejection of his dawah (call) and their persistent invitation toward destruction and disbelief.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (6471) where the Prophet ﷺ said: 'The best jihad is a word of justice before a tyrannical ruler,' relates to the courage required for such dawah. Also relevant is the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the virtue of calling people to Allah even when facing rejection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that sincere invitation to truth may be rejected, yet the responsibility to call others to righteousness remains unchanged; our duty is to convey the message with wisdom and compassion, leaving the outcome to Allah.