سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 38
قَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِىٓ أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَكُوا۟ فِيهَا جَمِيعًا قَالَتْ أُخْرَىٰهُمْ لِأُولَىٰهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(Allâh) will say: "Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and jinn, into the Fire." Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before) until they will be gathered all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them: "Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire." He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He (will) say
ٱدْخُلُوا۟
ud'khulū
Enter
فِىٓ
fī
among
أُمَمٍۢ
umamin
(the) nations
قَدْ
qad
(who)
خَلَتْ
khalat
passed away
مِن
min
from
قَبْلِكُم
qablikum
before you
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْجِنِّ
l-jini
the jinn
وَٱلْإِنسِ
wal-insi
and the men
فِى
fī
in
ٱلنَّارِ ۖ
l-nāri
the Fire
كُلَّمَا
kullamā
Every time
دَخَلَتْ
dakhalat
entered
أُمَّةٌۭ
ummatun
a nation
لَّعَنَتْ
laʿanat
it cursed
أُخْتَهَا ۖ
ukh'tahā
its sister (nation)
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَا
idhā
when
ٱدَّارَكُوا۟
iddārakū
they had overtaken one another
فِيهَا
fīhā
in it
جَمِيعًۭا
jamīʿan
all
قَالَتْ
qālat
(will) say
أُخْرَىٰهُمْ
ukh'rāhum
(the) last of them
لِأُولَىٰهُمْ
liūlāhum
about the first of them
رَبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ
hāulāi
these
أَضَلُّونَا
aḍallūnā
misled us
فَـَٔاتِهِمْ
faātihim
so give them
عَذَابًۭا
ʿadhāban
punishment
ضِعْفًۭا
ḍiʿ'fan
double
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلنَّارِ ۖ
l-nāri
the Fire
قَالَ
qāla
He (will) say
لِكُلٍّۢ
likullin
For each
ضِعْفٌۭ
ḍiʿ'fun
(is) a double
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
[and] but
لَّا
lā
not
تَعْلَمُونَ
taʿlamūna
you know
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 38) ➊ {قَالَ ادْخُلُوْا فِيْۤ اُمَمٍ …… :} In this also is the description of the state of the disbelievers; from this verse it is understood that not all disbelievers will enter Hell together, rather some of them will enter first, and some will enter later. (Razi)
➋ The meaning of { كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ اُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ اُخْتَهَا: ’’ اُخْتٌ ‘‘} is "sister," that is, every nation entering later will curse its earlier co-religionist nation that entered Hell before it, for example, Jews upon other Jews, atheists upon other atheists, Christians upon other Christians, polytheists and those who call upon others besides Allah upon other polytheists and those who call upon others besides Allah.
➌ { حَتّٰۤى اِذَا ادَّارَكُوْا فِيْهَا جَمِيْعًا: ’’ ادَّارَكُوْا ‘‘} is originally {’’ تَدَارَكُوْا ‘‘}, meaning they will join one another.
➍ {قَالَتْ اُخْرٰىهُمْ لِاُوْلٰىهُمْ:} That is, those entering Hell later will say regarding those who entered before, or the followers among the masses will say regarding their leaders and chiefs.
➎ {رَبَّنَا هٰۤؤُلَآءِ اَضَلُّوْنَا …… :} That is, we continued to follow the path of shirk, innovation, and evils instead of faith by imitating our predecessors or being influenced by their words; these are the ones who led us astray. See also Surah Al-Ahzab (67, 68).
➏ {لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ: } The reason for a punishment for each is that if the former went astray themselves, the latter followed them and did not think for themselves, thus both became guilty. And the reason for double punishment is that the former led them astray, and they in turn led those after them astray, so both became deserving of double punishment. Razi has written that since the punishment of Hell will be continuous and never-ending, and after one period another will begin, in this sense, for each {’’ ضِعْفٌ ‘‘} "double" has been declared. See Surah An-Nahl (88). Such a conversation between both groups is also mentioned in Surah Saba (31, 32).
➋ The meaning of { كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ اُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ اُخْتَهَا: ’’ اُخْتٌ ‘‘} is "sister," that is, every nation entering later will curse its earlier co-religionist nation that entered Hell before it, for example, Jews upon other Jews, atheists upon other atheists, Christians upon other Christians, polytheists and those who call upon others besides Allah upon other polytheists and those who call upon others besides Allah.
➌ { حَتّٰۤى اِذَا ادَّارَكُوْا فِيْهَا جَمِيْعًا: ’’ ادَّارَكُوْا ‘‘} is originally {’’ تَدَارَكُوْا ‘‘}, meaning they will join one another.
➍ {قَالَتْ اُخْرٰىهُمْ لِاُوْلٰىهُمْ:} That is, those entering Hell later will say regarding those who entered before, or the followers among the masses will say regarding their leaders and chiefs.
➎ {رَبَّنَا هٰۤؤُلَآءِ اَضَلُّوْنَا …… :} That is, we continued to follow the path of shirk, innovation, and evils instead of faith by imitating our predecessors or being influenced by their words; these are the ones who led us astray. See also Surah Al-Ahzab (67, 68).
➏ {لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ: } The reason for a punishment for each is that if the former went astray themselves, the latter followed them and did not think for themselves, thus both became guilty. And the reason for double punishment is that the former led them astray, and they in turn led those after them astray, so both became deserving of double punishment. Razi has written that since the punishment of Hell will be continuous and never-ending, and after one period another will begin, in this sense, for each {’’ ضِعْفٌ ‘‘} "double" has been declared. See Surah An-Nahl (88). Such a conversation between both groups is also mentioned in Surah Saba (31, 32).
