۞ ٱحْشُرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ وَأَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ 22
Translations
[The angels will be ordered], "Gather those who committed wrong, their kinds, and what they used to worship
Transliteration
Ihshurū alladhīna ẓalamū wa-azwājahum wa-mā kānū ya'budūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes a scene on the Day of Judgment where Allah commands the angels to gather together the wrongdoers (those who committed shirk and disbelief), their spouses, and all the false deities and objects of worship they served besides Allah. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that this gathering occurs to increase the humiliation and punishment of the disbelievers, as they will be confronted with the futility of their worship and the company of those who led them astray. The inclusion of their spouses indicates that those who participated in or supported their disbelief will share in their fate.
Revelation Context
Surah As-Saffat is a Meccan chapter focused on tawhīd (monotheism) and scenes from the Day of Judgment. This ayah appears within a broader passage (37:20-26) describing how the disbelievers will be presented before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The context emphasizes the certainty of the afterlife and divine justice against those who rejected monotheism.
Related Hadiths
Related thematically to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (ﷺ) described the gathering on the Day of Judgment: 'People will be gathered barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised.' Also relevant is the theme in Surah At-Tahrim (66:6) about families being gathered together based on their deeds, found in various hadith collections regarding family accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the ultimate accountability before Allah, where no excuse will avail the wrongdoers and their false gods will be powerless to help them. It serves as a powerful deterrent against shirk and emphasizes that our choices affect not only ourselves but those around us, motivating us to live righteously and guide our families toward divine truth.