وَنَزَعْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَـٰنَكُمْ فَعَلِمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ 75
Translations
And We will extract from every nation a witness and say, "Produce your proof," and they will know that the truth belongs to Allāh, and lost from them is that which they used to invent.
Transliteration
Wa nazaʿnā min kulli ummatin shahīdan faqulnā hātū burhānakum faʿalimū anna al-ḥaqqa lillāh wa ḍalla ʿanhum mā kānū yaftarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will bring forth a witness from each nation to testify against them regarding their deeds and beliefs. When commanded to produce their proof (evidence for their false gods and doctrines), they will recognize that all truth belongs to Allah alone, and the false deities and fabrications they invented will have abandoned them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this witness refers to each nation's prophet or righteous leader who will testify about how the people rejected guidance, establishing Allah's justice on that day.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Qasas, a Meccan surah that emphasizes the stories of prophets and divine justice. It is thematically connected to the broader Quranic discourse on the Day of Judgment and the accountability of nations. The ayah illustrates how every community will be held responsible through their own prophet's testimony, reinforcing the theme of divine justice that runs throughout the surah.
Related Hadiths
The concept is related to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet ﷺ states that he will be a witness over his nation on the Day of Judgment. Additionally, the ayah connects to the theme in Surah An-Nahl (16:89) about the Messenger being a witness, as mentioned in various hadith collections regarding prophetic testimony.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that on the Day of Judgment, our deeds and beliefs will be examined with absolute justice, and no false claims or invented doctrines will benefit us. We should reflect on our current beliefs and practices, ensuring they align with authentic truth from Allah rather than human fabrications.