ثُمَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ وَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ إِنَّ ٱلْخِزْىَ ٱلْيَوْمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 27
Translations
Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them and say, "Where are My 'partners' for whom you used to oppose [the believers]?" Those who were given knowledge will say, "Indeed disgrace, this Day, and evil are upon the disbelievers" -
Transliteration
Thumma yawma al-qiyamati yukhziihim wa yaqolu ayna shurakaa'i alladhina kuntum tushaqquun fihim, qala alladhina ututu al-ilma inna al-khizya al-yawma wa al-suu'u ala al-kafireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will humiliate the polytheists and ask them where are the partners they claimed to associate with Him and for whom they disputed so intensely. Those who were given knowledge (the believers and the angels) will respond that disgrace and evil on that Day belong solely to the disbelievers. This ayah emphasizes the futility of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the vindication of monotheistic belief on the Day of Reckoning, as classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that the question from Allah is rhetorical—meant to expose the falsity of their claims.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan Surah An-Nahl, which addresses the polytheistic practices of the Quraysh. The broader context (16:24-27) discusses how the disbelievers invented lies about Allah and followed the deities of their forefathers. This ayah specifically responds to their stubbornness and quarreling about idolatry by depicting their ultimate shame and regret on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'On the Day of Judgment, every betrayer will have a flag raised behind him, and it will be said: This is the betrayal of so-and-so' (Sahih Muslim 2584). This relates to the public exposure and humiliation of those who rejected Allah's oneness. Additionally, the ayah connects thematically with Surah Az-Zumar 39:60 regarding the shame of disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those who cling to falsehood and dispute over idolatry will face inevitable shame and regret, while sincere believers and those grounded in knowledge will be vindicated. It serves as a powerful reminder that attachment to anything other than Allah's worship is ultimately hollow and will bring only disgrace.