The Holy Quran 24:40 — Surah An-Nur

Arabic text

أَوْ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ

Translation

Or (another striking example is that of the condition of a Kaafir which is) like a multitude of darkness beneath a deep ocean (which itself is dark because of the depth). (To add to the darkness,) There covers him a wave, above which is another wave, above which there is a cloud (which prevents even the vaguest forms of outside light from reaching him). Darkness upon darkness. (The darkness is so intense that) He is unable to see his own hand when he extends it before himself (Similarly, the Kaafir is engulfed by the darkness of kufr, Shirk, sins, opposition to Islaam and many other evils. So deep in darkness is he that no light of guidance can reach him). There can be no light for the one for whom Allaah has not ordained any light (such people are destined to leave this world as Kuffaar).

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

That is, at the bottom of the sea there is the darkness of the deep itself; above it, stormy waves surging one upon another; then over everything, the darkness of a dense cloud; and if it is supposed to be night-time, these darknesses will increase still further.

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