Ar-Room (The Romans)

57. “So on that Day their excuse shall not profit those who did injustice, nor will they be allowed to make amends.”

The man’s fate and the manner of his presence in Hereafter is in pledge of his own deed. Of course, repentance and apology are effective only in this world, and in the Hereafter such things are not useful.

The Arabic term /yusta‘tabun/ (to make amends) is derived from /‘utbah/ with the sense of distress and when it is used in this Arabic form it means repentance and the distress being dismissed.

However, when the guilty confront the painful facts of the Hereafter, they try to repent and apologize, but the Holy Qur’an says:

“So on that Day their excuse shall not profit those who did injustice…”

This matter is noteworthy that some verses of the Qur’an indicate that the guilty will never be allowed to apologize, for example, it says:

“Nor will it be open to them to put forth excuse,”1

but here it says:

“…their excuse shall not profit…”

which apparently means that they will apologize but it will not be useful.

Of course, there is not any contradiction between these verses, because Hereafter has different stages.

In some stages they are never allowed to apologize or even speak and their mouths will be sealed and only their hands, feet, and limbs, as well as the land on which they have committed sins, will speak about their deeds, while in some other stages their tongue will be relieved and they apologize, but it will not profit them.

One of their apologies is that they put their own sins on the shoulder of the chiefs of disbelief and hypocrisy.

They will tell them:

“…Has it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers.”2

But in answer to them, in Hereafter, they will say:

“…Was it we who kept you back from guidance after it reached you?…”3

And sometimes in the state of apology they try to accuse Satan for their own deviation and they will blame him for his temptations.

But Satan answers them:

“…therefore, do not blame me, but blame yourselves…”4

Satan says: he did not force them to do any things, he only invited them friendly and they accepted it, too.