Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 18

(Ayah 18) ➊ { وَ مَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا:} That is, there are many who wrong themselves, but there is none greater than the one who fabricates lies against Allah, for example, declaring a created being to possess the attributes of the Creator, considering idols, saints, and deities as having the audacity to intercede with Allah without His permission, declaring angels to be the daughters of Allah, or considering the Messiah (peace be upon him) or anyone else as Allah’s offspring, or as a part or piece of Him. In Mawduh it is stated that fabricating lies against Allah occurs in several ways, such as misreporting in knowledge. (Aal Imran: 78) Falsely claiming prophethood or revelation. (An’am: 93) Inventing dreams; it is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْرَی الْفِرٰی أَنْ يُّرِيَ عَيْنَيْهٖ مَا لَمْ تَرَ ] [ بخاري، التعبیر، باب من کذب فی حلمہ : ۷۰۴۳ ] “Among the greatest of lies is the one who claims his eyes saw what they did not see (i.e., narrates a false dream).” Bringing reasoning or intellect into matters of religion. (Qasas: 50)

➋ { اُولٰٓىِٕكَ يُعْرَضُوْنَ عَلٰى رَبِّهِمْ:} Allah will disgrace such fabricators, lying disbelievers, polytheists, and hypocrites before everyone on the Day of Resurrection, and witnesses will testify before all to their fabrications against their Lord, the Exalted. However, the case of sinful believers will be different. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُدْنِي الْمُؤْمِنَ فَيَضَعُ عَلَيْهِ كَنَفَهٗ وَيَسْتُرُهٗ فَيَقُوْلُ أَتَعْرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا ؟ أَتَعْرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا؟ فَيَقُوْلُ نَعَمْ أَيْ رَبِّ، حَتَّی قَرَّرَهٗ بِذُنُوْبِهِ وَرَأَی فِيْ نَفْسِهِ أَنَّهٗ هَلَكَ، قَالَ سَتَرْتُهَا عَلَيْكَ فِيْ الدُّنْيَا، وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ الْيَوْمَ، فَيُعْطَی كِتَابَ حَسَنَاتِهِ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ وَالْمُنَافِقُوْنَ فَيَقُوْلُ الْأَشْهَادُ: «{ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَبُوْا عَلٰى رَبِّهِمْ اَلَا لَعْنَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَى الظّٰلِمِيْنَ }» [هود:۱۸ ] [ بخاری، المظالم، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : « ألا لعنۃ اللّٰہ علی الظالمین » : ۲۴۴۱ ] “Allah will bring the believer close and will cover him with His garment and conceal him, then He will say, ‘Do you recognize such-and-such sin? Do you recognize such-and-such sin?’ He will say, ‘Yes, my Lord!’ until, when He has made him confess his sins and he thinks in his heart that he is doomed, (Allah) will say, ‘I concealed them for you in the world, and today I forgive you for them,’ then he will be given the record of his good deeds. As for the disbeliever and the hypocrite, the witnesses will say: «{ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَبُوْا عَلٰى رَبِّهِمْ اَلَا لَعْنَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَى الظّٰلِمِيْنَ }» ‘These are the ones who lied against their Lord. Behold! The curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.’”

➌ { وَ يَقُوْلُ الْاَشْهَادُ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الَّذِيْنَ …:} The witnesses refer to their prophets, or the angels who record deeds, and the scholars who conveyed Allah’s commands. All these witnesses will declare regarding the disbelievers that these are the ones who used to attribute falsehoods to their Lord.

18. 1. That is, those whom Allah has not given the authority to exercise control in the universe or the power of intercession in the Hereafter. Regarding them, it is said that Allah has given them this authority.

18. 2. In the hadith, its explanation is given as follows: "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will make a believer confess and acknowledge his sins, saying, 'Do you know that you committed such-and-such sin, and such-and-such sin?' The believer will say, 'Yes, that is correct.' Allah will say, 'I concealed these sins for you in the world, and today I also forgive them.' But the case of other people or disbelievers will be such that they will be called before witnesses, and the witnesses will testify that these are the people who lied against their Lord." (Sahih Bukhari)

18. And who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against Allah [22]? Such people will be presented before their Lord, and the witnesses will say [22.1], "These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Behold! The curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.

[22]
Different Forms of Lying Against Allah:

The meaning of "ifti raa" is to invent something oneself and attribute it to Allah, or to try to prove it from the Shariah, and this act is a major sin. Then, there are several types of "ifti raa." For example, to declare something lawful as unlawful or something unlawful as lawful and to establish it as a command of Shariah, or to consider someone other than Allah—such as a saint, prophet, or spiritual leader, or a shrine—as the owner of one's benefit or harm, or to think that if we are held accountable on the Day of Judgment, our spiritual leaders have enough power to save us, or not to consider divinely revealed speech as divinely revealed. All these things are shirk or similar to shirk. Such people will not be shown any leniency on the Day of Judgment. Their crime will be established before all witnesses, and they will be given the appropriate punishment, whereas other sinful believers will not be treated with such severity; rather, Allah Almighty will deal with them gently, as is made clear by the following hadith.

Those Who Hold the Belief of Easy Salvation Are Actually Deniers of the Hereafter:

Once, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umarؓ was performing tawaf when a person asked him: Ibn Umar! Have you heard anything from the Prophetﷺ about the "whispering" (which Allah Almighty will do with the believers on the Day of Judgment)? He replied: I heard the Prophetﷺ say: The believer will be brought close to his Lord until the Lord will draw him near to Himself, then He will inform him of all his sins and say, "Do you know about such-and-such sin?" The believer will say, "My Lord! I know." The same question and answer will happen again. Then Allah Almighty will say, "In the world, I concealed your sin, and today I forgive you." Then the record of his good deeds will be folded up (and given to him). As for the other people or the disbelievers, after the testimonies are completed regarding them, it will be announced that these are the people who lied against Allah. [ بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
[22۔ 1] ﴿اشهاد﴾ "Ashhad" is also the plural of "shaahid," just as "ashab" is the plural of "sahib," and "Ashhad" is also the plural of "shaheed," just as "ashraf" is the plural of "sharif." And these witnesses can be angels, the noble scribes, the prophets, the general public, and when they persist in not admitting their crime, then their own limbs and organs will testify against them, and based on these testimonies, the charge will be established that indeed these people lied against Allah.