Tafsir of Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 64

The Idolators and Their Partners and the Emnity between Them in the Hereafter

Allah informs of how He will rebuke the idolators on the Day of Resurrection, when He will call them and say:

أَيْنَ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

("Where are My (so-called) partners whom you used to assert") meaning, `where are the gods which you used to worship in the world, the idols and rivals Can they help you or save you' This is said in the nature of a rebuke and warning, as in the Ayah,

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَّا خَوَّلْنَـكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَمَا نَرَى مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَآءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَآءُ لَقَد تَّقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

(And truly, you have come unto Us alone as We created you the first time. You have left behind you all that which We had bestowed on you. We see not with you your intercessors whom you claimed to be partners with Allah. Now all relations between you and them have been cut off, and all that you used to claim has vanished from you.) (6:94) His saying:

قَالَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ

(Those about whom the Word will have been fulfilled) means the Shayatin and evil Jinn, and those who used to advocate disbelief.

رَبَّنَا هَـؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ أَغْوَيْنَآ أَغْوَيْنَـهُمْ كَمَا غَوَيْنَا تَبَرَّأْنَآ إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُواْ إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ

("Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray. We led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. We declare our innocence before You. It was not us they worshipped.") They will testify against them and say that they led them astray, then they will declare their innocence of their worship. This is like the Ayat:

وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمْ عِزّاً

كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

(And they have taken gods besides Allah, that they might give them honor, power and glory. Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them.) (19:81-82)

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَآئِهِمْ غَـفِلُونَ - وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُواْ لَهُمْ أَعْدَآءً وَكَانُواْ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَـفِرِينَ

(And who is more astray than one who calls besides Allah, who will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls to them And when mankind are gathered, they will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.) (46:5-6). Ibrahim Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, said to his people:

إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَـناً مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً

(You have taken idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, you shall disown each other, and curse each other.) (29:25)

إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُواْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُواْ وَرَأَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الاٌّسْبَابُ

(When those who were followed disown those who followed, and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them) until:

وَمَا هُم بِخَـرِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ

(And they will never get out of the Fire.) (2:166-167). Allah says:

وَقِيلَ ادْعُواْ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ

(And it will be said (to them): "Call upon your partners,") meaning, `to save you from the predicament you are in, as you hoped that they would do in this world.'

فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ وَرَأَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ

(and they will call upon them, but they will give no answer to them, and they will see the torment.) means, they will realize for sure that they are inevitably destined for the Fire. His saying:

لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ يَهْتَدُونَ

(If only they had been guided!) means, when they see the punishment with their own eyes, they will wish that they had been among the guided in this world. This is like the Ayah,

وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ نَادُواْ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّوْبِقاً - وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُواْ عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا

(And the Day He will say: "Call those partners of Mine whom you claimed." Then they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them, and We shall put a Mawbiq (a barrier) between them. And the criminals, shall see the Fire and apprehend that they have to fall in it. And they will find no way of escape from there.) (18:52-53) Their attitude towards the Messengers on the Day of Resurrection

وَيَوْمَ يُنَـدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أَجَبْتُمُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(And the Day He will call to them, and say: "What answer gave you to the Messengers") The first call will be concerning the issue of Tawhid, which includes evidences of the prophethood -- `What was your response to the Messengers who were sent to you How did you deal with them' This is like the questions which will be asked of a person in his grave: `who is your Lord who is your Prophet and what is your religion' The believer will testify that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger, but the disbelievers will say, "Oh, oh, I do not know." So he will have no answer on the Day of Resurrection except to remain silent, because whoever is blind in this world (i.e., does not see Allah's signs and believes not in Him), will be blind in the Hereafter, and more astray. Allah says:

فَعَمِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الاٌّنبَـآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَهُمْ لاَ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

(Then the news of a good answer will be obscured to them on that Day, and they will not be able to ask one another.) Mujahid said: "The proof will be obscured from them," so they will not be able to ask one another for help by virtue of their blood ties. Allah's saying:

فَأَمَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً

(But as for him who repented, believed, and did righteous deeds,) means, in this world.

فَعَسَى أَن يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ

(then perhaps he will be among those who are successful.) means, on the Day of Resurrection. And the word; perhaps (`Asa), when used in reference to Allah, may He be exalted, implies that the thing described will inevitably come to pass, and this will undoubtedly happen by the grace and mercy of Allah.

Commentary

The very first question infidels and disbelievers will be asked at the Tumultuous Place (mahshar) will be about shirk (associating someone else with Allah), that is, ` where are those Shaitans today whom you used to associate with Us? Can they provide you any help today?' In response to these queries the disbelievers would say that it was not a fault of theirs, as they did not associate them with Allah on their own. It was the Shaitan who deluded them. Then Allah Ta’ ala would ask the Shaitans to say if they had anything in their defense; who, while accepting their role of deceit, would plead that they had only misled them but did not force them to act upon the same. Thus, the Shaitans would confess that they did commit the crime, but the infidels too were not free from its commission. Because just as they led them astray, similarly at the same time, the prophets and their deputies also guided them towards the Right Path with sound arguments; making the Truth crystal clear to them . They rejected the Truth presented by the prophets and instead listened to us using their free will and discretion. So, how could they be free from the blame? It proves that if someone chooses to follow those who wish to put him on the wrong path on his own good will, despite the fact that he has before him clear cut arguments against them and the righteous way to follow, then he has no excuse-to offer.

When a man denies the Truth in this life, he does so after placing his reliance on something or someone. In the Hereafter he will be asked to invoke those on whom he relied, so that they may save him from the consequences of his denial. But this will be the Day of God’s appearance and who can help anybody against God? In the world, man does not just silently accept defeat. Here he finds words to counter any argument. But all these words will prove false on the Day of Judgement. Then he will regret that, for the sake of small gains, he gave up a very great blessing. Almighty God creates human beings. Then He selects some individuals from among them for some particular work. This selection is not made on the basis of any mysterious reason, but depends on God’s own decision. Therefore, to treat such persons as holy and to give them the status of God is absolutely baseless. There is no scope for this in this world of God. Man denies the Truth on the basis of some personal (selfish) considerations, but talks as if his arguments were based on rationality. In the Hereafter this veil of pretence will be removed. At that time it will be known clearly that what he had in his heart, was very different from what he was saying—purely to maintain his prestige.