Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL A'RAAF [38]

38. (Allah) will say: ”Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and Jinn, into the Fire.'' Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before) until they are all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them: ”Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire.'' He will say: ”For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.'' 39. The first of them will say to the last of them: ”You were not better than us, so taste the torment for what you used to earn.''

(Enter you in the company of nations), who are your likes and similar to you in conduct,

(Who passed away before you) from the earlier disbelieving nations,

(Of men and Jinn, into the Fire.) Allah said next,

(Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before)) Al-Khalil (Prophet Ibrahim), peace be upon him, said,

(”But on the Day of Resurrection, you shall deny each other) ﴿29:25﴾. Also, Allah said,

(When those who were followed declare themselves innocent of those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them. And those who followed will say: ”If only we had one more chance to return (to the worldly life), we would declare ourselves as innocent from them as they have declared themselves as innocent from us.'' Thus Allah will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And they will never get out of the Fire) ﴿2:166-167﴾. Allah's statement,

(until they are all together in the Fire) means, they are all gathered in the Fire,

(The last of them will say to the first of them) that is, the nation of followers that enter last will say this to the first nations to enter. This is because the earlier nations were worse criminals than those who followed them, and this is why they entered the Fire first. For this reason, their followers will complain against them to Allah, because they were the ones who misguided them from the correct path, saying,

(”Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire.'') multiply their share of the torment. Allah said in another instance,

(On the Day when their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say: ”Oh! Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.'' And they will say: ”Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (right) way. Our Lord! Give them a double torment.'') ﴿33:66-68﴾. Allah said in reply,

(He will say: ”For each one there is double (torment)...''), We did what you asked, and recompensed each according to their deeds.' Allah said in another Ayah,

(Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, for them We will add torment)ï´¿16:88ï´¾. Furthermore, Allah said,

(And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own) ï´¿29:13ï´¾ and,

(And also (some thing) of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge) ï´¿16:25ï´¾.

(The first of them will say to the last of them) meaning, the followed will say to the followers,

(”You were not better than us. ..'') meaning, you were led astray as we were led astray, according to As-Suddi.

(”So taste the torment for what you used to earn.'') Allah again described the condition of the idolators during the gathering (of Resurrection), when He said;

(And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak: ”Did we keep you back from guidance after it come to you Nay, but you were criminals.'' Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: ”Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!'' And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets, when they behold the torment. And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught except what they used to do) ﴿34:32-33﴾