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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
38. Allah will say: "Join the communities of jinn and humans who have entered the Fire before you." Every time a group enters, it will curse its predecessor group, until when all have joined together in the Fire, the last of them will say about the first: "Our Lord! These are the ones who led us astray, so give them a double punishment of the Fire [38]." Allah will say: "For all of you it is double [39], but you do not understand."
[38] Here, by the first and later group is meant the predecessors and successors of the same kind, for example, among the Jews, Christians, polytheists, or Muslims, one party being the misleader and the other being misled. Those who were misled will say to Allah, "O Allah, give our predecessors double punishment, because not only were they themselves astray, but they also dragged us down with them." And the misleaders will say to their successors, "O accursed ones! If we fell into the pit, were you blind that you also fell into the same pit? In what way is your crime any less?" Thus, both will try to put the blame for their sins and misfortune on each other.
[39]
The Demands of Retribution for Deeds:
Allah Ta'ala will say that all will have double punishment because this is what the law of retribution for deeds demands. For example, if a person named Zaid invents a polytheistic custom, and then his son, grandson, great-grandson, and so on, the following generations continue to practice this polytheistic custom, then Zaid will not only be punished for inventing the custom himself, but for every person who practices this custom after him, Zaid will also receive a share of their sin, and it will continue to be recorded in his book of deeds. The crime of Zaid's son and his descendants is not only that they continued to practice their father's polytheistic custom, but also that, despite being advised by Allah's obedient servants and without any investigation, they blindly followed their forefathers, whereas following forefathers itself is a major sin and akin to shirk. Then, Zaid's sons and the generations after them will not only be punished for their own crimes, but they will also receive a share of the sins of those who follow them in this act. In this way, the originator of any polytheistic or innovative custom and its followers become deserving of many times more punishment than just for their own crime. This foundation of retribution for deeds (i.e., being given the full recompense for one's actions) has been repeated many times in the Noble Quran. For example, where the story of Adam'sؑ murderous son is mentioned, it is said: "For this reason, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unjustly, it is as if he has killed all mankind." [5: 32] And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Wherever an unjust killing occurs, a portion of the sin of that murder is also placed in the account of Adam'sؑ son who initiated this practice." Also, Allah Ta'ala said in another place: "We will keep increasing the punishment for such people." [16: 88] And He said: "They will bear their own burdens and the burdens of others as well." [29: 13] And in another place He said: "They will also bear the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge." [16: 25] And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever initiates a good practice, he will receive a reward like that of those who act upon it, and whoever initiates a bad practice, he will also bear a share of the sin of those who act upon it." [مسلم۔ كتاب العلم، باب من سن سنة حسنة او سيئة]
The Necessity of the Day of Judgment for Retribution for Deeds:
The principle of retribution for deeds demands that after death, a person should be granted a long, indeed unlimited, period of life so that he can receive the full reward or punishment for his actions. For example, see: if a person kills fifty people unjustly, then in retribution for one murder, his life can be taken, or according to British law, he can be sentenced to 14 years, 21 years, or life imprisonment. But how can he bear the punishment for the remaining 49 murders in this world? Or, for example, if a person becomes the cause of a war in which hundreds of thousands of people die unjustly, how can he be punished for this crime in this world, when his lifespan is limited and the punishment requires an unlimited period? Therefore, the demand of retribution for deeds and justice is that after death, a person should be granted unlimited life so that he can be given the full reward or punishment for his actions.
[38] Here, by the first and later group is meant the predecessors and successors of the same kind, for example, among the Jews, Christians, polytheists, or Muslims, one party being the misleader and the other being misled. Those who were misled will say to Allah, "O Allah, give our predecessors double punishment, because not only were they themselves astray, but they also dragged us down with them." And the misleaders will say to their successors, "O accursed ones! If we fell into the pit, were you blind that you also fell into the same pit? In what way is your crime any less?" Thus, both will try to put the blame for their sins and misfortune on each other.
[39]
The Demands of Retribution for Deeds:
Allah Ta'ala will say that all will have double punishment because this is what the law of retribution for deeds demands. For example, if a person named Zaid invents a polytheistic custom, and then his son, grandson, great-grandson, and so on, the following generations continue to practice this polytheistic custom, then Zaid will not only be punished for inventing the custom himself, but for every person who practices this custom after him, Zaid will also receive a share of their sin, and it will continue to be recorded in his book of deeds. The crime of Zaid's son and his descendants is not only that they continued to practice their father's polytheistic custom, but also that, despite being advised by Allah's obedient servants and without any investigation, they blindly followed their forefathers, whereas following forefathers itself is a major sin and akin to shirk. Then, Zaid's sons and the generations after them will not only be punished for their own crimes, but they will also receive a share of the sins of those who follow them in this act. In this way, the originator of any polytheistic or innovative custom and its followers become deserving of many times more punishment than just for their own crime. This foundation of retribution for deeds (i.e., being given the full recompense for one's actions) has been repeated many times in the Noble Quran. For example, where the story of Adam'sؑ murderous son is mentioned, it is said: "For this reason, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unjustly, it is as if he has killed all mankind." [5: 32] And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Wherever an unjust killing occurs, a portion of the sin of that murder is also placed in the account of Adam'sؑ son who initiated this practice." Also, Allah Ta'ala said in another place: "We will keep increasing the punishment for such people." [16: 88] And He said: "They will bear their own burdens and the burdens of others as well." [29: 13] And in another place He said: "They will also bear the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge." [16: 25] And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever initiates a good practice, he will receive a reward like that of those who act upon it, and whoever initiates a bad practice, he will also bear a share of the sin of those who act upon it." [مسلم۔ كتاب العلم، باب من سن سنة حسنة او سيئة]
The Necessity of the Day of Judgment for Retribution for Deeds:
The principle of retribution for deeds demands that after death, a person should be granted a long, indeed unlimited, period of life so that he can receive the full reward or punishment for his actions. For example, see: if a person kills fifty people unjustly, then in retribution for one murder, his life can be taken, or according to British law, he can be sentenced to 14 years, 21 years, or life imprisonment. But how can he bear the punishment for the remaining 49 murders in this world? Or, for example, if a person becomes the cause of a war in which hundreds of thousands of people die unjustly, how can he be punished for this crime in this world, when his lifespan is limited and the punishment requires an unlimited period? Therefore, the demand of retribution for deeds and justice is that after death, a person should be granted unlimited life so that he can be given the full reward or punishment for his actions.
