وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ 7
Translations
And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses.
Transliteration
Wa hum 'alaa maa yaf'aloon bil-mu'mineen shuhood
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the disbelievers who witnessed and were aware of their own persecution and torture of the believers, yet they remained cognizant of their wrongful actions. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'shuhud' (witnesses/aware) emphasizes that the perpetrators could not claim ignorance—they deliberately and consciously committed these atrocities against the faithful. This highlights the gravity of their sin and their willful rejection of divine guidance despite knowing the injustice they inflicted.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Buruj was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense persecution of early Muslims. The broader context of this surah describes the fate of the People of the Ditch (Ashab al-Ukhdud), who burned believers in a fire pit. This ayah specifically emphasizes that the oppressors were fully aware of the cruelty they were committing, making their transgression even more culpable in the sight of Allah.
Related Hadiths
The persecution of believers is referenced in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim regarding the trials faced by early companions. Additionally, a relevant principle from Sunan Ibn Majah discusses how oppressors cannot claim ignorance of their deeds on the Day of Judgment, as their consciousness of wrongdoing is recorded.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that oppressors cannot escape accountability by claiming ignorance, and it offers comfort to persecuted believers that their suffering is witnessed by Allah. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of moral consciousness—that awareness of injustice carries greater responsibility, and that truth-seekers should never compromise their faith despite worldly pressure or persecution.