Ibrahim (Abraham)

21. “And they shall come forth in front of Allah all together. Then the week shall say to those who were the arrogant: ‘Verily we were your followers (in the world). Can you avert from us any part of the chastisement of Allah? They would say: ‘If Allah had guided us we too would have definitely guided you. It is all the same to us whether we cry or we are patient; there is no way for us to escape.”

The Arabic term /burūz/ denotes ‘exit’, and the word /mub ariz/ refers to the person who comes forth out of the line of the army and who declares his intention and readiness for combating the enemy.

We had references made to the hard punishment and severe and painful chastisement of the obstinate disbelievers in some of the previous verses; the Qur’an follows this matter up and supplements it in this verse as well.

It first declares that all of them will appear in Allah’s court on the day of resurrection, (the oppressors, the pagans, the tyrants, including the ones who were authors or those who were subordinate in positions, the ones who led or the ones who followed).

The verse says:

“And they shall come forth in front of Allah all together…”

At this moment, the oppressed ones, that is, those ignorant lot who misled themselves to the sphere of darkness because of their blind obedience and imitation, addressing the seduced oppressors say: We were your followers and have been fallen into this entanglement of disastrous plight because of your leadership. Are you then ready to bear part of our burden?

The verse says:

“…Then the week shall say to those who were the arrogant: ‘Verily we were your followers (in the world). Can you avert from us any part of the chastisement of Allah?…”

But they immediately will answer them:

“…They would say: ‘If Allah had guided us we too would have definitely guided you…”

Nevertheless, what a pity that there is no more room left for such complaints. It is all the same for us whether we become restless or go on crying; whether we are persevering or impatient as there is no way out of our plight for us.

The verse says:

“…It is all the same to us whether we cry or we are patient; there is no way for us to escape.”