كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ 11
Translations
No! There is no refuge.
Transliteration
Kalla la wazara
Tafsir (Explanation)
This phrase, meaning 'No! There is no burden [of others' sins upon him],' is Allah's emphatic refutation of the false belief that on the Day of Judgment, one person can bear or intercede to remove the burden of another's sins. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes that each soul will be held accountable only for its own deeds, and no intercession or transference of burden will occur without Allah's permission. This establishes the principle of individual responsibility before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Qiyamah, a Meccan chapter that vividly describes the scenes of the Day of Judgment and the resurrection of the dead. The broader context (verses 75:10-15) discusses how people will flee from their closest relatives on that day, each soul concerned only with itself, reinforcing the theme of individual accountability that reaches its peak with this statement.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5), supported by hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet emphasized that no one bears the burden of another's sin. Also relevant is the hadith: 'A person will not move from the presence of Allah on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things' (Tirmidhi), emphasizing personal accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that ultimate accountability rests with each individual—we cannot rely on others to bear our spiritual burden, nor can we transfer our sins to others. For modern believers, this emphasizes the importance of personal spiritual development, sincere repentance, and righteous deeds, as we alone will answer for our choices before Allah.