Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:23
Other than Allah, and guide them to the path of Hellfire
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ (٢٢) مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْجَحِيمِ (٢٣) (and what they used to worship (22) besides Allah; then guide them to the path of Hellfire (23)).
In these words there is something omitted, the mention of which was deemed superfluous on the strength of the indication of what is in fact stated; and that is: then it is said: "Gather those who have committed wrong." Its meaning is: bring together those who in the worldly life were unbelieving with regard to Allah and disobedient to Him, along with their likes and their followers, in the condition of unbelief toward Allah in which they were, and what they used to worship besides Allah as gods.
And the exegetes have said something similar to what we have said about this.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Simāk ibn Ḥarb, on the authority of al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr, on the authority of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, concerning احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their spouses/counterparts): he said: their likes.
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their spouses/counterparts): he says: their peers.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his words احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their spouses/counterparts): he means: their followers, and whoever among the wrongdoers resembles them.
Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, saying: I asked Abū al-ʿĀliya about the word of Allah احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their spouses/followers and what they used to worship besides Allah): he said: those who have committed wrong and their followers.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, that concerning this verse احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their followers) he said: he said: and their followers.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, the like of it.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, his words احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their followers): that is to say: and their followers, the unbelievers together with the unbelievers.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning his words احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their likes): he said: and their likes.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his words احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their spouses): he said: their likes in deeds, and he recited وَكُنْتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ. وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ (And you will be three groups: the companions of the right hand — what are the companions of the right hand! And the companions of the left hand — what are the companions of the left hand! And the foremost, the foremost). So the foremost are a group, the companions of the right hand are a group, and the companions of the left hand are a group. He said: everyone who belonged to one of these, that one Allah gathered with him. And he recited وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ (And when the souls are joined together): he said: they are joined together on the basis of deeds; for each of these there is a like. Allah joined some of them together with others: He joined the companions of the right side with the companions of the right side, the companions of the left hand with the companions of the left hand, and the foremost with the foremost. He said: this then is His word احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (Gather those who have committed wrong and their likes): he said: the likes in deeds whom Allah has joined together with them.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, his words وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ (and their likes): he said: their counterparts.
And His word وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْجَحِيمِ (and what they used to worship besides Allah; then guide them to the path of Hellfire): He, exalted be His mention, says: gather these polytheists (mushrikīn) and their gods which they used to worship besides Allah, and lead them to the path of Hellfire.
And the exegetes have said something similar to what we have said about this.
