وَبَرَزُوا۟ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَـٰٓؤُا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَيْنَـٰكُمْ ۖ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَجَزِعْنَآ أَمْ صَبَرْنَا مَا لَنَا مِن مَّحِيصٍ 21
Translations
And they will come out [for judgement] before Allāh all together, and the weak will say to those who were arrogant, "Indeed, we were your followers, so can you avail us anything against the punishment of Allāh?" They will say, "If Allāh had guided us, we would have guided you. It is all the same for us whether we show intolerance or are patient: there is for us no place of escape."
Transliteration
Wa-barazoo lillaahi jamee'an faqaala ad-dhu'afaa'u lilladhina stakbaroo inna kunna lakum taba'an fahal antum mughnoon anna min adhabi Allahi min shay'. Qaloo law hadana Allahu lahadaynakum. Sawaa'un alayna ajazijna am sabirnaa ma lana min mahees.
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, the weak followers address those who were arrogant and misled them, asking if the arrogant can protect them from Allah's punishment. The arrogant respond with despair, admitting that even if Allah had guided them, they could not have guided the followers, and that they face inevitable torment with no escape. This ayah demonstrates the mutual rejection and desperation of both groups on the Day of Judgment, emphasizing that each soul bears responsibility for its own choices and that the arrogant cannot intercede for their followers.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ibrahim (a Meccan surah), which discusses the consequences of disbelief and the Day of Judgment. The broader context describes the scene of Resurrection where Allah's signs become apparent to all people. This particular ayah illustrates the dialogue between the arrogant leaders and their weak followers, highlighting the breakdown of all relationships and loyalties on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5, thematically related). Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, there are descriptions of the Day of Judgment where relationships are severed and each person stands alone before Allah, reflecting the desperation portrayed in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that on the Day of Judgment, no one can save another from Allah's punishment, and blind following of leaders without personal accountability is futile. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of independent moral reasoning, taking responsibility for one's own faith journey, and recognizing that leaders and influencers cannot absolve us of our spiritual obligations before Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍۭ ۖ بَلْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا طَـٰغِينَ
And we had over you no authority, but you were a transgressing people.
يُنَادُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَٱرْتَبْتُمْ وَغَرَّتْكُمُ ٱلْأَمَانِىُّ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَغَرَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْغَرُورُ
They [i.e., the hypocrites] will call to them [i.e., the believers], "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allāh. And the Deceiver [i.e., Satan] deceived you concerning Allāh.
يُعْرَفُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَـٰهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِٱلنَّوَٰصِى وَٱلْأَقْدَامِ
The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.
وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ تَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ
And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied about Allāh [with] their faces blackened. Is there not in Hell a residence for the arrogant?