24.40. Aw kadhulumatin fii bahrinludschdschiyyin yaghschahu mawdschun min fawqihi mawdschun min fawqihisahabun dhulumatun baAAduhafawqa baAAdin idha akhradscha yadahu lam yakad yarahawaman lam yadschAAali Allahu lahu nuuran fama lahu minnuurin
24.40. Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. (Pickthall)
24.40. Oder wie die tiefe Finsternis in einem bodenlosen Meer, eingehüllt von Wogen, über denen Wogen sind, über denen Wolken sind, tiefe Finsternis, eine davon über der anderen, - wenn einer seine Hand ausstreckt, fast sieht er sie nicht, und für wen Allah kein Licht macht, für den gibt es kein Licht. (Ahmad v. Denffer)
24.40. Oder (sie sind) wie Finsternisse in einem abgrundtiefen Meer, das von Wogen überdeckt ist, über denen (nochmals) Wogen sind, über denen (wiederum) Wolken sind: Finsternisse, eine über der anderen. Wenn er seine Hand ausstreckt, kann er sie kaum sehen. Und wem Allah kein Licht schafft, für den gibt es kein Licht. (Bubenheim)
24.40. Oder sie sind wie die Finsternis in einem stürmischen Meer, die Wogen über Wogen bedecken und darüber Wolken, Finsternis über Finsternis. Wenn der Ungläubige dort die Hand außtreckt, kann er sie kaum sehen. Wem Gott kein Licht gibt, der findet auch kein Licht. (Azhar)
24.40. Oder (sie ähnelt) den Finsternissen im einem tiefen Meer, das von einer Woge bedeckt wird, über der noch eine Woge liegt, und darüber eine Wolke ist. Es sind Finsternisse, die einen über den anderen, wenn er seine Hand außtreckt, beinahe sieht er sie nicht. Und wem ALLAH kein Licht gewährt, für den gibt es kein Licht. (Zaidan)
24.40. Oder (die Handlungen der Ungläubigen sind) wie Finsternis in einem abgrundtiefen Meer, das von einer Woge bedeckt wird, über der eine (weitere) Woge liegt, und über der (auch noch) eine Wolke liegt, - eine Finsternis über der anderen: Wenn man seine Hand ausstreckt, kann man sie (vor Dunkelheit) kaum sehen. Wem Allah kein Licht verschafft, der hat (überhaupt) keines. (Paret)
24.40. Oder (die Ungläubigen sind) wie Finsternisse in einem tiefen Meer: Eine Woge bedeckt es, über ihr ist (noch) eine Woge, darüber ist eine Wolke; Finsternisse, eine über der anderen. Wenn er seine Hand ausstreckt, kann er sie kaum sehen; und wem Allah kein Licht gibt - für den ist kein Licht. (Rasul)
Tafsir von Maududi für die Ayaat 39 bis 40
(On the other hand,) the deeds of those who disbelieved, ( 70 ) maybe likened to a mirage in a waterless desert, which the thirsty one took for water; but when he reached there he found nothing to drink; nay, he found there Allah Who settled his full account, and Allah is very swift at reckoning. ( 71 ) Or (their efforts may be likened to those of a man trying to swim in) a deep dark ocean, covered with billows, one over the other, and above it a cloud: darkness upon darkness: so much so that if he stretches out his hand, he cannot see ( 72 ) it. There is no light for the one whom Allah does not give light. ( 73 )
Desc No: 70 That is, they refused to accept sincerely the Divine Message which was brought by the Prophets, and which at that time was being given by the Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). These verses clearly show that the truthful and righteouse believers only can benefit from Allah's Light. In contrast to them, the state of those people is being described here, who refused to believe and obey the Holy Prophet, who was the real and sole means of attaining the Light of Allah.
Desc No: 71 This parable describes the condition of those people who, in spite of disbelief and hypocrisy, practise some good deeds and also believe, among other things, in the life after death in the hope that their good deeds will be of some help to thetas in the Hereafter even if they did not believe and follow the Prophet and lacked the qualities of true believers. In this parable they are being told that their expectations of reaping benefits of their ostentatious deeds of virtue in the Hereafter are no more than a mirage. Just as a traveller in the desert takes the glittering sands for a surging pool of water and runs towards it for quenching his thirst, so are these people travelling on the road to death cherishing false hopes on account of their good deeds. But just as the one running towards a mirage does not find anything there to quench his thirst, so will these people find nothing to avail them when they enter the state of death. On the contrary, they will find Allah there, Who will require them to account for their disbelief, hypocrisy and misdeeds, which they committed along with their ostentatious deeds of virtue, and will deal with them in full justice.
Desc No: 72 This parable describes the condition of all the disbelievers and the hypocrites including those who perform good deeds for ostentation. It is being stated that such people are passing their life in a state of absolute and complete ignorance, whether otherwise they are the most learned people in the world and leaders in their respective fields of learning. They are like the mart who is lost in complete darkness where no ray of light can reach him. They think that knowledge merely consists in producing atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, supersonic planes and moon rockets, or in attaining excellence in economics and finance and law and philosophy. But they little understand that real knowledge is something entirely different and they have no idea of it. Thus considered they are just ignorant, and an illiterate peasant who has gained some acquaintance of the Divine Truth is wiser than they.
Desc No: 73 . Here is stated the real object of the discourse which began with: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." When in fact there is no light in the universe except the Light of Allah and all manifestation of reality is due to that Light, where from can the one whom Allah does not give light have light? There exists no other source of light from where he can receive a ray . "
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