Al-Ankaboot (The Spider)

25. “And said (Abraham): ‘You have chosen only idols instead of Allah; the love between you is only the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection some of you shall deny the others, and some of you shall curse the others and your abode shall be the (Hell) Fire, and for you shall not be any helpers.”

Among the idolater tribes the idols were the axis and every tribe had a particular idol; for example, Quraysh had an idol called ‘Uzza, Thaqif had an idol called Lat, the idol of tribes ’Aus and Khazraj was called Manat, and these idols were the means of the link of idolaters with their ancestors.

However, by the grace of Allah, Abraham (as) delivered extraordinarily from that great fire, but he only did not desist from stating his aims but also strengthened it with more speed and enthusiasm.

The verse says:

“And said (Abraham): ‘You have chosen only idols instead of Allah; the love between you is only the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection some of you shall deny the others, and some of you shall curse the others and your abode shall be the (Hell) Fire, and for you shall not be any helpers.”

How was the choice of idols as the cause of love between the idolaters?

This question can be answered in different ways:

The first is that worshipping an idol in every tribe was the secret of unity between them and for every tribe there was a chosen idol. It has been cited about the famous idols of the Age of Ignorance that the people of every city or tribe had an idol, (including the idol of (‘Uzza belonged to Quraysh, Lat belonged to Thaqif tribe and Manat was particular to ’Aus and Khazraj).¹

Another matter was that worshipping idols had created a relation between them and their ancestors and they often pretended by the same pretext that those things were the traces of their ancestors which they followed.

Besides, the chiefs of the pagans invited their followers to worship idols and this was a ring of join between ‘the chiefs’ and their ‘followers’.

But on the Day of Hereafter, all these chaffy and rotten links will be broken, and everyone puts its sin on another one’s shoulder while he curses him and repudiates the deed of the other.

Even their objects of worship that they wrongly thought they were the means of their relation with Allah and about which they said:

“…‘We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah…”2 ,

will repudiate them, as the Qur’an says:

“No, soon they (gods) shall deny their worship, and become adversaries against them.”3

Therefore, the purpose of ‘denying some of them the others and some of them shall curse the others’ is that on that Day they will repudiate each other, and what was the cause of their link and false love in this world will change into enmity and hatred in Hereafter, as the Qur’an, in Surah Az-Zukhruf, No. 43, verse 67 says:

“Friends on that Day will be foes, one to another, except the pious ones.”

It is understood from some Islamic narrations that this meaning is not particular to idol worshippers but all those who chose a false leader for them and followed him, and had covenant of love with him, on Hereafter Day, will be foes of each other.²

The love connection between the believers is based upon Monotheism, theism, and obedience of the command of Allah in this world, which will take the colour of perpetuance here and will be become stronger there.

It is understand from some traditions that in Hereafter the believers even ask forgiveness and intercession for each other, while the polytheists will be busy cursing each other.³