وَقِفُوهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُم مَّسْـُٔولُونَ 24
Translations
And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."
Transliteration
Waqifuhum innahum mas'ulun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the angels to stop the disbelievers and hold them accountable, as they will be questioned about their deeds on the Day of Judgment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the angels questioning people about their actions in this life, particularly regarding their response to the message of Islam and how they lived. The ayah emphasizes divine accountability and the certainty that every soul will answer for its choices before Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the Meccan surah As-Saffat, which describes the scenes of the Day of Judgment and the fate of believers versus disbelievers. It is part of a broader passage (37:20-26) depicting the gathering on the Day of Resurrection where the disbelievers will be separated and questioned about their rejection of truth and their deeds in the worldly life.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The feet of a slave will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he earned it, and how he spent it, and his body and how he wore it out.' (Tirmidhi, classified as Hasan). This hadith directly relates to the concept of questioning (mas'ul) mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Every individual will be held accountable for their choices and actions in this life, making it essential to live consciously and righteously. This ayah serves as a powerful reminder for believers to examine their intentions and deeds regularly, knowing that ultimate justice and accountability belong to Allah alone.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ
And those who take as allies other than Him - Allāh is [yet] Guardian over them; and you, [O Muḥammad], are not over them a manager.
يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ ۖ وَبَرَزُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلْوَٰحِدِ ٱلْقَهَّارِ
[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens [as well], and they [i.e., all creatures] will come out before Allāh, the One, the Prevailing,
إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.
۞ يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ
[Be warned of] the Day when Allāh will assemble the messengers and say, "What was the response you received?" They will say, "We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen" -