وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ مَكَانَكُمْ أَنتُمْ وَشُرَكَآؤُكُمْ ۚ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ شُرَكَآؤُهُم مَّا كُنتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ 28
Translations
And [mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will gather them all together - then We will say to those who associated others with Allāh, "[Remain in] your place, you and your 'partners.'" Then We will separate them, and their "partners" will say, "You did not used to worship us,
Transliteration
Wa-yawma nahshuruhum jamee'an thumma naqoolu lillatheena ashrakoo makānakum antum wa-shurakā'ukum, fazayyalna baynahum wa-qāla shurakā'uhum mā kuntum iyyānā ta'budoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will gather all people together and command the polytheists and their false gods/idols to occupy their designated place, then He will separate them from one another. The partners (idols, demons, or misleading leaders) will disown the polytheists, declaring that they never received or desired their worship. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a moment of profound humiliation and disillusionment for those who associated partners with Allah, as their false deities openly reject them before all creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Yunus (a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam in Mecca). It appears within a broader section describing the scenes of the Day of Judgment, reinforcing the Quranic theme of accountability and the futility of polytheism. The context addresses the pagan Arabs' attachment to idols and intercession through false gods, clarifying that these false objects of worship will have no connection to their worshippers on the Day of Reckoning.
Related Hadiths
Related to this theme is a hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim (narrated by Abu Huraira) where the Prophet ﷺ described scenes of the Day of Judgment, including the separation and regret of those who followed misguidance. Additionally, Surah Al-A'raf (7:53) echoes similar imagery of false deities disowning their followers, which is supported by thematic hadith material on divine justice.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that false objects of worship—whether idols, wealth, status, or misguided leaders—will abandon those who relied upon them in this life. For modern believers, it emphasizes the critical importance of directing all worship and reliance solely toward Allah, and warns against the spiritual blindness of following anything or anyone other than divine guidance.