Quran Universe
7:37

فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يَنَالُهُمۡ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوۡنَهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالُواْ ضَلُّواْ عَنَّا وَشَهِدُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ أَنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ كَٰفِرِينَ

Faman athlamu mimmani iftara AAala Allahi kathiban aw kaththaba biayatihi olaika yanaluhum naseebuhum mina alkitabi hatta itha jaathum rusuluna yatawaffawnahum qaloo ayna ma kuntum tadAAoona min dooni Allahi qaloo dalloo AAanna washahidoo AAala anfusihim annahum kanoo kafireena

And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie or denies His verses? Those will attain their portion of the decree until when Our messengers come to them to take them in death, they will say, "Where are those you used to invoke besides Allah?" They will say, "They have departed from us," and will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

Word by word
  1. فَمَنۡThen who
  2. أَظۡلَمُ(is) more unjust
  3. مِمَّنِthan (one) who
  4. ٱفۡتَرَىٰinvented
  5. عَلَىagainst
  6. ٱللَّهِAllah
  7. كَذِبًاa lie
  8. أَوۡor
  9. كَذَّبَdenies
  10. بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓۚHis Verses
  11. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
  12. يَنَالُهُمۡwill reach them
  13. نَصِيبُهُمtheir portion
  14. مِّنَfrom
  15. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِۖthe Book
  16. حَتَّىٰٓuntil
  17. إِذَاwhen
  18. جَآءَتۡهُمۡcomes to them
  19. رُسُلُنَاOur messengers (Angels)
  20. يَتَوَفَّوۡنَهُمۡ(to) take them in death
  21. قَالُوٓاْthey say
  22. أَيۡنَWhere are
  23. مَاthose (whom)
  24. كُنتُمۡyou used to
  25. تَدۡعُونَinvoke
  26. مِنfrom
  27. دُونِbesides
  28. ٱللَّهِۖAllah
  29. قَالُواْThey say
  30. ضَلُّواْThey strayed
  31. عَنَّاfrom us
  32. وَشَهِدُواْand they (will) testify
  33. عَلَىٰٓagainst
  34. أَنفُسِهِمۡthemselves
  35. أَنَّهُمۡthat they
  36. كَانُواْwere
  37. كَٰفِرِينَdisbelievers
Al-A'raf · 7:37Makkah

At death they ask: where are your helpers now?

Every false support disappears at the end

The question at death
the angelscome to take the soul
ask
where are they?those you called on
answer
they vanisheddeserted us
What I lean on
they will be therewhen I need them
only Allah stayseverything else departs

Those who lie about Allah still get their share of provision and life, the tafsir says, until death comes. Then the angels ask where the others they invoked have gone. They answer: they have vanished and deserted us, and confess against themselves.

The boss you flatter, the connections, the savings, the lucky ritual you do before exams. All of it leaves the room at the end. Ask now what you would answer if asked where they are.

The people and things I rely on will carry me through.

Only Allah remains when every other support leaves.

Try this

Name one thing you lean on more than Allah, and give it back to its proper size today.

Related10:6931:23
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat? For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book (of Decrees) until Our messengers (the angel of death and his assistants) come to them to take their souls, they (the angels) will say: "Where are those whom you used to invoke and worship besides Allah," they will reply, "They have vanished and deserted us." And they will bear witness against themselves, that they were disbelievers (37)

Idolators enjoy Their destined Share in This Life, but will lose Their Supporters upon Death

Allah said,

فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ

(Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat?) meaning, none is more unjust than whoever invents a lie about Allah or rejects the Ayat that He has revealed. Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi said that,

أُولَٰئِكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ

(For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book) refers to each person's deeds, alloted provisions and age. Similar was said by Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Allah said in similar statements,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ - مَتَاعٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

(Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful. (A brief) enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.)[10:69-70] and,

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ - نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا

(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). We let them enjoy for a little while.)[31:23-24].

Allah said next,

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ

(until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls.) Allah states that when death comes to the idolators and the angels come to capture their souls to take them to Hellfire, the angels horrify them, saying, "Where are the so-called partners (of Allah) whom you used to call in the life of this world, invoking and worshipping them instead of Allah? Call them so that they save you from what you are suffering." However, the idolators will reply,

ضَلُّوا عَنَّا

("They have vanished and deserted us") meaning, we have lost them and thus, we do not hope in their benefit or aid,

وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(And they will bear witness against themselves) they will admit and proclaim against themselves,

أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ

(that they were disbelievers.)