قَالُوا۟ بَلْ أَنتُمْ لَا مَرْحَبًۢا بِكُمْ ۖ أَنتُمْ قَدَّمْتُمُوهُ لَنَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ ٱلْقَرَارُ 60
Translations
They will say, "Nor you! No welcome for you. You, [our leaders], brought this upon us, and wretched is the settlement."
Transliteration
Qalu bal antum la marhaba bikum antum qaddamtumuhu lana fa-bi'sa al-qarar
Tafsir (Explanation)
The inhabitants of Hell reject their leaders' excuses, declaring that the leaders themselves are unwelcome and that these followers had presented their leaders to them as guides in the worldly life. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah depicts the bitter mutual recriminations on the Day of Judgment, where the led blame the leaders for their misguidance, emphasizing that Hell is the worst of dwelling places. The phrase 'bi'sa al-qarar' (evil is the settlement/abode) underscores the finality and wretchedness of their punishment.
Revelation Context
Surah Sad is a Meccan surah primarily addressing disbelief and divine warnings. This ayah is part of a passage (38:59-64) describing the scene in Hell where the followers and leaders mutually accuse one another, reflecting the broader Quranic theme of accountability and the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
Tirmidhi reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The worst of people are those who will be in the lower depths of Hell, and the best of people are those who will be in the highest degrees of Paradise.' This relates to the hierarchy of responsibility described in Surah Sad 38:24-26 regarding leaders and followers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that neither blind following of leaders nor misleading others excuses one from personal accountability before Allah; each soul will answer for its own choices, and leaders bear special responsibility for those they influence away from truth.