Ghafir (The Forgiver)

73. Then it will be said to them: “Where are [all] those whom you used to associate in worship as partners

74. Besides Allah?” They will say: “They have vanished from us [then thus they will lie]: Nay, we did not invoke anything before.” Thus Allah leads astray the disbelievers.

The Day of Resurrection is the day of manifestation of truths and fruitlessness of polytheism. The blessed Verses are saying that besides inflicting physical torments upon them, they shall suffer from psychological excruciating torments.

“Where are [all] those whom you used to associate in worship as partners Besides Allah”

so that they may intercede on your behalf and save you from such painful torments and the blazing Hellfire? Now, where are they to intercede on your behalf?

Bowing their heads in shame, they will reply:

“They have vanished from us and perished such that we know nothing of them.”

As reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an, these false objects of worship are indubitably in Hell and most probably they are beside their former worshippers, but since they are ineffective, it seems as if they are deaf and blind!

Then they notice that their former confession to their praiseworthiness is a stigma of disgrace on them; as a consequence of which they deny their praiseworthiness, saying:

“Nay, we did not invoke anything before.”

They try to say that they were not but illusions, like a mirage in the desert of life that we regarded as real springheads; however they now know that they were names devoid of meaning whose worship was solely vanity and error. Thus they express an indubitable reality.

Another possible interpretation is that they try to tell lies, assuming that they may deliver themselves from disgrace and shame through lying, as reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹ :

“there will then be [left] no excuses for them but to say: ‘By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah.’ Behold! How they lie against themselves! But the [lie] which they invented will disappear from them.”

Thus Verse 74 closes:

“Thus Allah leads astray the disbelievers.”

Their disbelief and obduracy serve as veils covering their hearts and thought, as a consequence of which they deviate from the Straight Path and go astray. On the Day of Resurrection, they shall be deprived of Paradise and shall enter Hell. Thus God Almighty leads disbelievers astray.