Al-Ma'aarij (The Ascending Stairways)

10. And no intimate friend shall ask a friend about his condition,

11. They shall be made to meet one another [but they are preoccupied with their own affairs], such that the sinner would desire to ransom himself from the chastisement of that Day by his children,

12. And his wife and his brother,

13. And his tribe who protected him at all times,

14. And all the people on the earth, so that he may find deliverance.

On Resurrection day in the new world, mankind shall be so preoccupied with the records of their past deeds that they never think about others, even their intimate friends, but they think about their own deliverance from torments.

The same theme is reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹ :

“Everyone on that Day shall have enough to make him careless of others.”

The blessed Verse 11 is saying that people shall recognize their intimate friends, since they shall be made to meet their friends, but they are careless of them owing to being preoccupied with their own affairs and they shall stand in such awe that they shall never think about others.

Proceeding with further depiction of that awe inspiring scene, the blessed Verse further adds that the sinners would desire to victimize their children so that they may find deliverance from the torments in store for them on that Day.

The blessed Verses 12-14 say:

“And his wife and his brother, his tribe who protected him at all times, and all the people on the earth, so that he may find deliverance.”

The torments to be inflicted upon them on that Day shall be so awe inspiring that man shall desire to ransom himself by victimizing his beloved ones, his children, wives, brothers, and kith and kin who used to protect him at all times. He shall even desire to victimize all the people so that he may find deliverance from the torments on the Day of Resurrection.

The Arabic verbal form

yawaddu (“he would desire”) derives from w-d-d denoting “desire.”

The Arabic verbal form

yaftadi (“ransom oneself from”)

derives from f-d-’ implying protecting oneself from afflictions against some payment.

The Arabic nominal form fasila is used in the sense of the tribe and family from whom one descends (literally: is cut off), though it connotes offering shelter and safe haven. At any rate, filial ties as well as those with one’s spouse, brothers, and kith and kin shall all fall victims to deliverance from torments, though they shall be of no avail.

It is noteworthy that we are supposed to turn into the people of Hell for the sake of the welfare of our spouse and children and obtaining the satisfaction of our friends and relatives, since they shall be of no avail to us on the Day of Resurrection.