Al-Qasas (The Stories)

62. “And on the Day (when) He will call them and say: ‘Where are My associates whom you were asserting?’”

63. “Those against whom the sentence has been confirmed will say: ‘Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray; we led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. To You we declare ourselves to be clear (of them). They were not unto us worshipping’.”

64. “And it will be said (unto them): ‘Call your associate (gods)’. So they will call upon them, but they will not answer them, and they will see the punishment and would wish that they had been guided aright.”

Whoever calls others towards himself instead of Allah, the punishment of Allah is certain for him. We must not do something that we remain unable to answer for that thing on the Day of Hereafter.

Through these verses, the Qur’an illustrates the scenes of Resurrection for pagans in a way that its consideration brings horror and causes man’s body to shake.

The verse says:

“And on the Day (when) He will call them and say: ‘Where are My associates whom you were asserting?’”

It is evident that this question is an objurgatory question, for on the Hereafter Day, when the curtains will be removed and everything is manifest, neither paganism is meaningful nor pagans have remained on their belief. So, this question is only a kind of reproach and punishment, or a kind of reprimand and retribution.

But instead of pagans, that must answer this question themselves, their objects of worship will start speaking and express their hatred from them. We know that their objects of worship were sometimes idols made of stone and wood, and sometimes some sacred beings such as angels and Jesus Christ, and sometimes Jinns and Satans.

Here, the third group will speak who will be referred to in this verse, which says:

“Those against whom the sentence has been confirmed will say: ‘Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray; we led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. To You we declare ourselves to be clear (of them). They were not unto us worshipping’.”

The abovementioned verse is similar to Surah Yunus, No. 10, verse 28 which says:

“…and their associates shall say: ‘It was not us (indeed) that you used to worship’.”

Thus, the seductive objects of worship, such as: Pharaoh, Namrud, and Satans and Jinns will proclaim their hatred from such worshippers and defend themselves. They will also negate even aberration from themselves and implicitly say that the worshippers followed them with their own accord.

But it is clear that neither this negation has any effect nor that hatred and repudiation are useful, and they will surely share the sin of their worshippers.

It is worthy to note that on that Day every one of these sinful deviated persons will repudiate the other one and each of them try to put his own sin on another’s shoulder.

This is just like the thing we see its small example in this world with our own eyes. A group of persons gather with together to commit a crime. Then, after being captured, and attending in the court, they hate each other and try to put the fault on the neck of another one. This is the fate of the criminals and astray ones in this world and the next.

Also, Surah ’Ibrahim, No. 14, verse 22 indicates that, on the Day of Hereafter, Satan will say to his followers as follows:

“…and I did not have any authority over you except that I called you and you responded me. Therefore, do not blame me, but blame yourselves…”

Concerning pagans, in Surah As-Saffat, No. 37, we recite that they will conflict with each other and every one will count another a guilty one, but those whose work is temptation will explicitly reply them:

“Nor had we any authority over you. Nay, it was you who were a people in obstinate rebellion!”1

However, after that they will be questioned about their objects of worship and they will remain impotent to answer.

Their situation is explained as follows:

“And it will be said (unto them): ‘Call your associate (gods)’…”

They are told to call their gods to help them but they, who know their objects of worship cannot do anything there, as a result of the intense horror and that they find nothing to help them, or because of obeying the command of Allah, Who wants to disgrace such pagans and their astray objects of worship before the public, they will go to their gods and ask them to help them, but it is clear that they will not answer them.

At this time, they will see the chastisement of Allah by their own eyes, and they gain nothing but failure and disgrace, because the only way of salvation is Faith and righteous deed which they do not have.

The verse says:

“…So they will call upon them, but they will not answer them, and they will see the punishment and would wish that they had been guided aright.”