Araf 38-39 | aamsaafanquran's Blog

Araf 38-39

38- COME AND JOIN IN THE FIRE NATIONS OF MANKIND AND JINN WHO LIVED BEFORE YOU, EVERY TIME A NATION IS ADMITTED, IT CURSES THE OTHER, UNTIL THEY ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER, THEN THE LAST WILL SAY TO THE FIRST: “OUR LORD THOSE MISGUIDED US, GIVE THEM TWICE AS MUCH PUNISHMENT OF THE FIRE”.  HE SAID: “EACH WILL HAVE TWICE AS MUCH, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW”.

39- AND THE FIRST OF THEM SAID TO THE LAST: “YOU HAVE NO ADVANTAGE OVER US; THEN TASTE THE PUNISHMENT FOR WHAT YOU EARNED”.

Allah the Highest narrates to us some of the things that are going to happen on the Day of Resurrection and after judgement.  In Arabic, this narration is in the past tense not in the future tense.  This is linguistically an affirmation that this will certainly happen.

The disbelievers and evil doers will be taken to the fire on the Day of Resurrection, where they will be blaming each other for what happens to them.  The later ones will blame the early ones for not believing, saying that had the early ones believed, the later ones would have followed suit.  Therefore they ask Allah the Highest to double the punishment for the early nations.  Allah the Highest does not accept this excuse and orders for the punishment of both to be doubled.

The Early nations will then tell the later ones that they are not better for both went astray and both sinned, and for that they both deserve punishment. 

All the above applies to mankind as well as the Jinn. 

We note that Allah the Highest said about the sins that they are earned.  This means that we should have the intention to commit the sin as well as put some effort into it.  Sins do not happen accidentally or against one’s well.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The pen does not write (in our book of deeds) the deeds of person who is asleep until he wakes up, the child until he reaches puberty and the mad until he regains his sanity”.  (A:6;100,101 & Ma:Talaq;15 & T:Hudod;1 & D:Hudod;17)

Also Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The responsibility is lifted of my nation for the deeds in cases of missing, forgetting and when compelled to do something”.

This shows us that on the Day of Judgement we cannot defend ourselves and our actions by blaming others to have misguided us, of who committed that sin first, and we followed their example.  The same applies on whether they are our forefathers or our contemporaries.  Everyone is responsible for his/her own action and will have to answer for them alone.  No one can blame another for the sins they earned. 

One have to know that being compelled does not mean that it is just to one’s advantage to do wrong or not to do right, but the compelling conditions has to include a definite threat to the life of the person or the loved in a situation that cannot be changed.  Every one of us should think what they will say to Allah the Highest on Judgement when they account for what they did claiming that they were compelled.