Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 21

(Ayah21){وَ بَرَزُوْا لِلّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا …:’’ تَبَعًا ‘‘} This is the plural of {’’تَابِعٌ‘‘}, just as {’’خَادِمٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’خَدَمٌ‘‘}, meaning that on that day all hiding places in the world will come to an end. The heights of the mountains, the depths of the seas, and the curvature of the earth’s surface will be eliminated, and all creatures will be presented before Allah Almighty on a plain land as flat as bread. In the world, the weak and the strong, the disciple and the spiritual guide, the subjects and the leaders will all stand before Allah with the same humility and helplessness. Then the weak will say to their misguiding leaders that we used to follow you, and because of this we denied the prophets and disbelieved in Allah, so can you now be of any help to us in saving us from Allah’s punishment? The meaning of {’’ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ‘‘} is that if not all the punishment, then at least reduce as much of it as possible. They will put all the blame on Allah and, declaring themselves innocent, will apologize for being unable to help them in any way. Thus, they will say, if Allah had guided us, we would have guided you, as if all the fault lies with Allah Almighty who did not guide us. [ اَلْعِیَاذُ بِاللّٰہِ ] Just as Satan, by refusing to prostrate, put the blame for his misguidance on Allah Almighty, he said: «{ قَالَ فَبِمَاۤ اَغْوَيْتَنِيْ }» [ الأعراف : ۱۶] “He said, ‘Since You have led me astray.’” Whereas Allah Almighty had given guidance, shown both paths, he said: «{اِنَّا هَدَيْنٰهُ السَّبِيْلَ اِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَّ اِمَّا كَفُوْرًا }» [ الدھر : ۳ ] “Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.” Now it was your choice; He neither compelled you to evil nor to good, and this is the wisdom of the test which was the reason for the creation of jinn and mankind. Well, after being caught in such a punishment from which there is no way to escape, there are only two options before us: either express panic or be patient. Neither will be of any benefit, nor is there any way out from here. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that apparently this mutual argument of theirs will take place after entering Hell. See Surah Al-Mu’min (47), Surah Al-A’raf (38), and Surah Saba (32, 33). In any case, this dispute of theirs can occur both in the field of resurrection and in Hell.

21. 1. That is, all will be present before Allah in the plain of Mahshar; no one will be able to hide anywhere.

21. 2. Some say that the people of Hell will say among themselves that the people of Paradise attained Paradise because they used to cry and plead before Allah; let us also supplicate and lament in the court of Allah. So they will weep and lament profusely. But it will be of no benefit. Then they will say that the people of Paradise attained Paradise because of their patience; let us also show patience. They will demonstrate patience to the fullest, but that too will be of no benefit. Thus, at that time, they will say whether we are patient or impatient, now there is no way of escape. This mutual conversation of theirs will take place inside Hell. The Noble Quran has mentioned this in several other places as well, for example, Surah Mu’min (وَاِذْ يَتَـحَاۗجُّوْنَ فِي النَّارِ فَيَقُوْلُ الضُّعَفٰۗؤُا لِلَّذِيْنَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْٓا اِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا فَهَلْ اَنْتُمْ مُّغْنُوْنَ عَنَّا نَصِيْبًا مِّنَ النَّارِ 47؀ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْٓا اِنَّا كُلٌّ فِيْهَآ ۙ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ 48؀) 40. Al-Mu’min: 47-48), Surah A’raf (قَالَ ادْخُلُوْا فِيْٓ اُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْاِنْسِ فِي النَّارِ ۭكُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ اُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ اُخْتَهَا ۭ حَتّٰى اِذَا ادَّارَكُوْا فِيْهَا جَمِيْعًا ۙ قَالَتْ اُخْرٰىهُمْ لِاُوْلٰىهُمْ رَبَّنَا هٰٓؤُلَاۗءِ اَضَلُّوْنَا فَاٰتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ ڛ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَّلٰكِنْ لَّا تَعْلَمُوْنَ 38؀ وَقَالَتْ اُوْلٰىهُمْ لِاُخْرٰىهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلٍ فَذُوْقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْسِبُوْنَ 39؀) 7. Al-A’raf: 38-39) (يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوْهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُوْلُوْنَ يٰلَيْتَنَآ اَطَعْنَا اللّٰهَ وَاَطَعْنَا الرَّسُوْلَا 66؀ وَقَالُوْا رَبَّنَآ اِنَّآ اَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاۗءَنَا فَاَضَلُّوْنَا السَّبِيْلَا 67؀) 33. Al-Ahzab: 66-67). Besides this, they will also quarrel among themselves and lay the blame of misguidance on each other. Imam Ibn Kathir states that the quarrel will take place in the plain of Mahshar. Its further details have been mentioned by Allah Almighty in Surah Saba (وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَنْ نُّؤْمِنَ بِھٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنِ وَلَا بالَّذِيْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۭ وَلَوْ تَرٰٓى اِذِ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ مَوْقُوْفُوْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ ښ يَرْجِــعُ بَعْضُهُمْ اِلٰى بَعْضِۨ الْقَوْلَ ۚ يَقُوْلُ الَّذِيْنَ اسْتُضْعِفُوْا لِلَّذِيْنَ اسْـتَكْبَرُوْا لَوْلَآ اَنْتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِيْنَ 31؀ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْا لِلَّذِيْنَ اسْتُضْعِفُوْٓا اَنَحْنُ صَدَدْنٰكُمْ عَنِ الْهُدٰى بَعْدَ اِذْ جَاۗءَكُمْ بَلْ كُنْتُمْ مُّجْرِمِيْنَ 32؀ وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ اسْتُضْعِفُوْا لِلَّذِيْنَ اسْـتَكْبَرُوْا بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ اِذْ تَاْمُرُوْنَــنَآ اَنْ نَّكْفُرَ باللّٰهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهٗٓ اَنْدَادًا ۭ وَاَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَاَوُا الْعَذَابَ ۭ وَجَعَلْنَا الْاَغْلٰلَ فِيْٓ اَعْنَاقِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا ۭ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ اِلَّا مَا كَانُوْا يَعْمَلُوْنَ 33؀) 34. Saba: 31 to 33).

And when they will all appear before Allah, the weak will say to those who were arrogant, "We were your followers, so can you help us at all against Allah’s punishment?" They will reply, "If Allah had guided us, we would have guided you [24]. It makes no difference now whether we are patient or impatient; there is no escape for us."

[24]
On the Day of Judgment, Both the Obedient and the Obeyed Will Be Equally Helpless:

In this verse, the blind following of people is mentioned. That is, those who in the world are accustomed to following others blindly, or who consider their own weakness a reasonable excuse and obey learned people, or who, considering their elders as pious, continue to follow them blindly—when they will be present in the court of Allah, they will ask their elders, whom they used to follow: In the world, we spent our whole lives considering you great and obeying you. Tell us, in this difficult moment today, can you support us in any way so that our punishment may be lessened? They will say: Today, both you and we are equally helpless. If we had walked on the straight path in the world, we would have guided you as well, but when we ourselves were misguided, how could we have guided you? And its second meaning is that if Allah had taught us the way to be saved from this punishment, we would have told you as well, but today both of us are equally guilty and afflicted with the same calamity, and no way of salvation is visible. Neither does remaining silent and patient seem to be of any benefit, nor does panicking and crying out.