Al-Hadid (The Iron)

13. On the Day when the hypocrites - men and women - will say to the believers: "Glance at us! Let us get something from your light!" It will be said: "Go back to your rear! Then seek light [from the world]!" Then, a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside [namely Paradise] it will be mercy and outside it will be torment [Hell]."

Those who failed to be delivered from the shadows of ignorance, polytheism, and discord shall stay in darkness on the Day of Resurrection beseeching believers to allow them to avail themselves of their luminescence.

Thus, the blessed Verse in question is saying that on that Day, hypocrites - men and women - shall ask them to glance at them so that they may make use of their light. The Arabic word iqtibas derives from q-b-s denoting take or seek to take fire but it connotes taking other things.

"Glance at us"

(anduruna) is uttered by hypocrites plunged into shadows beseeching believers to take a glance at them such that they may make use of their light to find the path.

The clause may also connote waiting, namely

"wait for us until we may reach you and find the path through your light.”

However, it is said unto them:

"God to your rear and seek light. It is no place for gaining light since you should have gained it in the world which you left by doing righteous good deeds. However, it is too late. Then, all of a sudden, a wall will be erected between the two groups in which there is a gate. The twain sides of such colossal wall or gate will be quite different - there is mercy within and torment without.

The Arabic word sur denotes the wall formerly surrounding cities and towns for security on which there were watch towers. It is worthy of note that the blessed Verse is saying that there is mercy within and torment without, namely believers like inhabitants of cities are protected within the walls but hypocrites, like strangers, will stay without.

Believers and hypocrites used to live in the same society, but there was a colossal wall between their beliefs and deeds. It shall be the same on the Day of Resurrection. The gate may be there so that hypocrites may see through it heavenly blessings and yearn or it may be there such that those with less impurities be able to pass through it and join believers.