وَقِفُوهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُم مَّسْـُٔولُونَ 24
Translations
And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."
Transliteration
Waqifuhum innahum mas'ulun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the angels to stop the disbelievers and hold them accountable, as they will be questioned about their deeds on the Day of Judgment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the angels questioning people about their actions in this life, particularly regarding their response to the message of Islam and how they lived. The ayah emphasizes divine accountability and the certainty that every soul will answer for its choices before Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the Meccan surah As-Saffat, which describes the scenes of the Day of Judgment and the fate of believers versus disbelievers. It is part of a broader passage (37:20-26) depicting the gathering on the Day of Resurrection where the disbelievers will be separated and questioned about their rejection of truth and their deeds in the worldly life.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The feet of a slave will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he earned it, and how he spent it, and his body and how he wore it out.' (Tirmidhi, classified as Hasan). This hadith directly relates to the concept of questioning (mas'ul) mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Every individual will be held accountable for their choices and actions in this life, making it essential to live consciously and righteously. This ayah serves as a powerful reminder for believers to examine their intentions and deeds regularly, knowing that ultimate justice and accountability belong to Allah alone.
Related Ayahs
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْمَسَاقُ
To your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَى ٱلْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَٰلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].
قَدْ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِلِقَآءِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا۟ يَـٰحَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ ۚ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
Those will have lost who deny the meeting with Allāh, until when the Hour [of resurrection] comes upon them unexpectedly, they will say, "Oh, [how great is] our regret over what we neglected concerning it [i.e., the Hour]," while they bear their burdens [i.e., sins] on their backs. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُو قَالَ أَكَذَّبْتُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِى وَلَمْ تُحِيطُوا۟ بِهَا عِلْمًا أَمَّاذَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
Until, when they arrive [at the place of Judgement], He will say, "Did you deny My signs while you encompassed them not in knowledge, or what [was it that] you were doing?"