28:63

قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَغۡوَيۡنَآ أَغۡوَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا غَوَيۡنَاۖ تَبَرَّأۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَۖ مَا كَانُوٓاْ إِيَّانَا يَعۡبُدُونَ

Qala allatheena haqqa AAalayhimu alqawlu rabbana haolai allatheena aghwayna aghwaynahum kama ghawayna tabarrana ilayka ma kanoo iyyana yaAAbudoona

Those upon whom the word will have come into effect will say, "Our Lord, these are the ones we led to error. We led them to error just as we were in error. We declare our disassociation [from them] to You. They did not used to worship us."

Word by word
  1. قَالَ(Will) say
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose
  3. حَقَّ(has) come true
  4. عَلَيۡهِمُagainst whom
  5. ٱلۡقَوۡلُthe Word
  6. رَبَّنَاOur Lord
  7. هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِThese
  8. ٱلَّذِينَ(are) those whom
  9. أَغۡوَيۡنَآwe led astray
  10. أَغۡوَيۡنَٰهُمۡWe led them astray
  11. كَمَاas
  12. غَوَيۡنَاۖwe were astray
  13. تَبَرَّأۡنَآWe declare our innocence
  14. إِلَيۡكَۖbefore You
  15. مَاNot
  16. كَانُوٓاْthey used (to)
  17. إِيَّانَاworship us
  18. يَعۡبُدُونَworship us
Al-Qasas · 28:63Makkah

The ones who misled you will disown you.

When leaders and followers turn on each other


On that Day
the misleadersdevils, callers to disbelief
say
we led them astrayas we were astray
then
not uswe disown them
What following them gets you
loyaltythey will stand by me
disownedleft alone

Ibn Kathir says these are the devils and those who called people to disbelief. They will testify against their followers and declare their innocence. He cites Ibrahim's words: on the Day of Resurrection you shall disown each other.

The friend who said "everyone does it" and talked you into it. The influencer whose advice you followed blindly. When it goes wrong, they will not stand next to you. Choose whose lead you follow with that in mind.

The people pushing me toward wrong will share the blame.

Those who mislead me will disown me, so I must own my choices now.

Try this

Think of one voice that pulls you toward wrong. Mute or step back from it this week.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 28:62)

And (remember) the Day when He will call to them and say: "Where are My (so-called) partners whom you used to assert? (62)Those about whom the Word will have been fulfilled will say: "Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray. We led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. We declare our innocence before You. It was not us they worshipped. (63)And it will be said: "Call upon your partners," and they will call upon them, but they will give no answer to them, and they will see the torment. If only they had been guided (64)And the Day He will call to them, and say: "What answer gave you to the Messengers? (65)Then the news of a good answer will be obscured to them on that Day, and they will not be able to ask one another (66)But as for him who repented, believed, and did righteous deeds, then perhaps he will be among those who are successful (67)

The Idolators and Their Partners and the Emnity between Them in the Hereafter

Allah informs of how He will rebuke the idolators on the Day of Resurrection, when He will call them and say:

أَيْنَ شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

("Where are My (so-called) partners whom you used to assert?") meaning, 'where are the gods which you used to worship in the world, the idols and rivals Can they help you or save you?' This is said in the nature of a rebuke and warning, as in the Ayah,

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَىٰ كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَا خَوَّلْنَاكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ ۖ وَمَا نَرَىٰ مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَاءُ ۚ لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْكُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

(And truly, you have come unto Us alone as We created you the first time. You have left behind you all that which We had bestowed on you. We see not with you your intercessors whom you claimed to be partners with Allah. Now all relations between you and them have been cut off, and all that you used to claim has vanished from you.)(6:94) His saying:

قَالَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ

(Those about whom the Word will have been fulfilled) means the Shayatin and evil Jinn, and those who used to advocate disbelief.

رَبَّنَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَغْوَيْنَا أَغْوَيْنَاهُمْ كَمَا غَوَيْنَا ۖ تَبَرَّأْنَا إِلَيْكَ ۖ مَا كَانُوا إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ

("Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray. We led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. We declare our innocence before You. It was not us they worshipped.") They will testify against them and say that they led them astray, then they will declare their innocence of their worship. This is like the Ayat:

وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لِيَكُونُوا لَهُمْ عِزًّا - كَلَّا ۚ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا 

(And they have taken gods besides Allah, that they might give them honor, power and glory. Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them.)(19:81-82)

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ- وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ

(And who is more astray than one who calls besides Allah, who will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls to them? And when mankind are gathered, they will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.)(46:5-6). Ibrahim Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, said to his people:

 إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَانًا مَوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا 

(You have taken idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, you shall disown each other, and curse each other.)(29:25)

إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ

(When those who were followed disown those who followed, and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them) until:

وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ

(And they will never get out of the Fire.)(2:166-167). Allah says:

وَقِيلَ ادْعُوا شُرَكَاءَكُمْ

(And it will be said (to them): "Call upon your partners,") meaning, 'to save you from the predicament you are in, as you hoped that they would do in this world.'

فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُمْ وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ

(and they will call upon them, but they will give no answer to them, and they will see the torment.) means, they will realize for sure that they are inevitably destined for the Fire. His saying:

لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَهْتَدُونَ

(If only they had been guided!) means, when they see the punishment with their own eyes, they will wish that they had been among the guided in this world. This is like the Ayah,

وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ نَادُوا شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَوْبِقًا - وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ مُوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا

(And the Day He will say: "Call those partners of Mine whom you claimed." Then they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them, and We shall put a Mawbiq (a barrier) between them. And the criminals, shall see the Fire and apprehend that they have to fall in it. And they will find no way of escape from there.)(18:52-53)

Their attitude towards the Messengers on the Day of Resurrection

وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أَجَبْتُمُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(And the Day He will call to them, and say: "What answer gave you to the Messengers?") The first call will be concerning the issue of Tawhid, which includes evidences of the prophethood – 'What was your response to the Messengers who were sent to you? How did you deal with them?' This is like the questions which will be asked of a person in his grave: 'who is your Lord? who is your Prophet? and what is your religion?' The believer will testify that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, but the disbelievers will say, "Oh, oh, I do not know." So he will have no answer on the Day of Resurrection except to remain silent, because whoever is blind in this world (i.e., does not see Allah's signs and believes not in Him), will be blind in the Hereafter, and more astray. Allah says:

فَعَمِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَنْبَاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَهُمْ لَا يَتَسَاءَلُونَ

(Then the news of a good answer will be obscured to them on that Day, and they will not be able to ask one another.) Mujahid said: "The proof will be obscured from them," so they will not be able to ask one another for help by virtue of their blood ties. Allah's saying:

فَأَمَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا

(But as for him who repented, believed, and did righteous deeds,) means, in this world.

فَعَسَىٰ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ

(then perhaps he will be among those who are successful.) means, on the Day of Resurrection. And the word; perhaps ('Asa), when used in reference to Allah, may He be exalted, implies that the thing described will inevitably come to pass, and this will undoubtedly happen by the grace and mercy of Allah.