Al-'Ankabut: 13

Ayah

Word by Word

وَلَيَحۡمِلُنَّ

But surely they will carry

أَثۡقَالَهُمۡ

their burdens

وَأَثۡقَالٗا

and burdens

مَّعَ

with

أَثۡقَالِهِمۡۖ

their burdens

وَلَيُسۡـَٔلُنَّ

and surely they will be questioned

يَوۡمَ

(on the) Day

ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ

(of) the Resurrection

عَمَّا

about what

كَانُواْ

they used

يَفۡتَرُونَ

(to) invent

Translation

They will bear their own burdens, and (other) burdens along with their own, and on the Day of Judgments they will be called to account for their falsehoods.

Tafsir

The Command to be Good and Dutiful to Parents

Allah's saying;

وَوَصَّيۡنَا الاِۡنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيۡهِ حُسۡنًا

And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful to his parents;

Allah commands His servants to be dutiful to parents, after urging them to adhere to belief in His Tawhid, because a person's parents are the cause of his existence. So he must treat them with the utmost kindness and respect, his father for spending on him and his mother because of her compassion for him.

Allah says:

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعۡبُدُواۡ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالۡوَلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـناً إِمَّا يَبۡلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الۡكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوۡ كِلَهُمَا فَلَ تَقُل لَّهُمَأ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنۡهَرۡهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوۡلاً كَرِيمًا

وَاخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honor. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say:My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young. (17:23-24)

Although Allah orders us to show kindness, mercy and respect towards them in return for their previous kindness, He says:

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلۡمٌ فَلَإ تُطِعۡهُمَا

but if they strive to make associate with Me, which you have no knowledge of, then obey them not.

meaning, if they are idolators, and they try to make you follow them in their religion, then beware of them, and do not obey them in that, for you will be brought back to Me on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will reward you for your kindness towards them and your patience in adhering to your religion.

إِلَيَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأُنَبِّيُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

Unto Me is your return and I shall tell you what you used to do.

It is Allah Who will gather you with the group of the righteous, not with the group of your parents, even though you were the closest of people to them in the world. For a person will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection with those whom he loves, meaning, religious love.

Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُدۡخِلَنَّهُمۡ فِي الصَّالِحِينَ

And for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall make them enter with the righteous.

In his Tafsir of this Ayah, At-Tirmidhi recorded that Sa`d said:

Four Ayat were revealed concerning me -- and he told his story. He said:

Umm Sa`d said:`Did Allah not command you to honor your parents By Allah, I will not eat or drink anything until I die or you renounce Islam.'

When they wanted to feed her, they would force her mouth open. Then this Ayah was revealed:

وَوَصَّيۡنَا الاِۡنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيۡهِ حُسۡنًا وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلۡمٌ فَلَ تُطِعۡهُمَا

And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful to his parents; but if they strive to make you associate with Me, of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not.

This Hadith was also recorded by Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.

At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.

The Attitudes of the Hypocrites and the Ways in which Allah tests People

Allah mentions the descriptions of the liars who falsely claim faith with their lips, while faith is not firm in their hearts. When a test or trial comes in this world, they think that this is a punishment from Allah, so they leave Islam.

Allah says:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ امَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتۡنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ

Of mankind are some who say:We believe in Allah. But if they are made to suffer for Allah, they consider the trial of mankind as Allah's punishment;

Ibn Abbas said,

Meaning that their trial is leaving Islam if they are made to suffer for Allah.

This was also the view of others among the Salaf.

This Ayah is like the Ayah,

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعۡبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرۡفٍ فَإِنۡ أَصَابَهُ خَيۡرٌ اطۡمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنۡ أَصَابَتۡهُ فِتۡنَةٌ انۡقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجۡهِهِ

And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge:if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face... until:

ذلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَـلُ الۡبَعِيدُ

That is a straying far away. (22:11-12)

Then Allah says:

وَلَيِن جَاء نَصۡرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمۡ

and if victory comes from your Lord, they will say:Verily, we were with you.

meaning, if victory comes from your Lord, O Muhammad, and there are spoils of war, these people will say to you, `We were with you,' i.e., we are your brothers in faith.

This is like the Ayat:

الَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمۡ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ فَتۡحٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ قَالُواۡ أَلَمۡ نَكُنۡ مَّعَكُمۡ وَإِن كَانَ لِلۡكَـفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُواۡ أَلَمۡ نَسۡتَحۡوِذۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَنَمۡنَعۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ

Those who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allah, they say:Were we not with you But if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them):Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers. (4:141)

فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِىَ بِالۡفَتۡحِ أَوۡ أَمۡرٍ مِّنۡ عِندِهِ فَيُصۡبِحُواۡ عَلَى مَأ أَسَرُّواۡ فِى أَنفُسِهِمۡ نَـدِمِينَ

Perhaps Allah may bring a victory or a decision according to His will. Then they will become regretful for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves. (5:52)

And Allah tells us about them here:

وَلَيِن جَاء نَصۡرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمۡ

(and if victory comes from your Lord, they will say:Verily, we were with you.)

Then Allah says:

أَوَلَيۡسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعۡلَمَ بِمَا فِي صُدُورِ الۡعَالَمِينَ

Is not Allah Best Aware of what is in the breasts of the creatures!

meaning, `does Allah not know best what is in their hearts and what they store secretly within themselves, even though outwardly they may appear to be in agreement with you!'

وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ الۡمُنَافِقِينَ

And indeed Allah knows those who believe, and verily He knows the hypocrites.

Allah will test the people with calamities and with times of ease, so that He may distinguish the believers from the hypocrites, to see who will obey Allah both in times of hardship and of ease, and who will obey Him only when things are going in accordance with their desires.

As Allah says:

وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُمۡ حَتَّى نَعۡلَمَ الۡمُجَـهِدِينَ مِنكُمۡ وَالصَّـبِرِينَ وَنَبۡلُوَ أَخۡبَـرَكُمۡ

And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard and the patient, and We shall test your facts. (47:31)

After the battle of Uhud, with its trials and tribulations for the Muslims, Allah said:

مَّا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ عَلَى مَأ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الۡخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ

Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good... (3:179

The Arrogant Claim of the Disbelievers that They would carry the Sins of Others if They would return to Disbelief

Allah tells:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا اتَّبِعُوا سَبِيلَنَا

And those who disbelieve say to those who believe:Follow our way,

Allah tells us that the disbelievers of Quraysh said to those who believed and followed the truth:leave your religion, come back to our religion, and follow our way;

وَلۡنَحۡمِلۡ خَطَايَاكُمۡ

and let us bear your sins.

meaning, `if there is any sin on you, we will bear it and it will be our responsibility'.

It is like a person saying:Do this, and your sin will be on my shoulders.

Allah says, proving this to be a lie:

وَمَا هُم بِحَامِلِينَ مِنۡ خَطَايَاهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَاذِبُونَ

Never will they bear anything of their sins. Surely, they are liars.

in their claim that they will bear the sins of others, for no person will bear the sins of another.

Allah says:

وَإِن تَدۡعُ مُثۡقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمۡلِهَا لَا يُحۡمَلۡ مِنۡهُ شَىۡءٌ وَلَوۡ كَانَ ذَا قُرۡبَى

and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. (35:18)

وَلَا يَسۡـَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيماً يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡ

And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition), though they shall be made to see one another. (70:10-11)

وَلَيَحۡمِلُنَّ أَثۡقَالَهُمۡ وَأَثۡقَالاً مَّعَ أَثۡقَالِهِمۡ

And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own.

Here Allah tells us that those who call others to disbelief and misguidance will, on the Day of Resurrection, bear their own sins and the sins of others, because of the people they misguided. Yet that will not detract from the burden of those other people in the slightest, as Allah says:

لِيَحۡمِلُواۡ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ كَامِلَةً يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَـمَةِ وَمِنۡ أَوۡزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُمۡ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ

That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. (16:25)

In the Sahih, it says:

مَنۡ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الاَۡجۡرِ مِثۡلُ أُجُورِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ مِنۡ غَيۡرِ أَنۡ يَنۡقُصَ مِنۡ أُجُورِهِمۡ شَيۡيًا

وَمَنۡ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ الاۡثۡمِ مِثۡلُ اثَامِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ مِنۡ غَيۡرِ أَنۡ يَنۡقُصَ مِنۡ اثَامِهِمۡ شَيۡيًا

Whoever calls others to true guidance, will have a reward like that of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their reward in the slightest.

Whoever calls others to misguidance, will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.

In the Sahih, it also says:

مَا قُتِلَتۡ نَفۡسٌ ظُلۡمًا إِلاَّ كَانَ عَلَى ابۡنِ ادَمَ الاۡاَوَّلِ كِفۡلٌ مِنۡ دَمِهَا لاِاَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنۡ سَنَّ الۡقَتۡل

No person is killed unlawfully, but a share of the guilt will be upon the first son of Adam, because he was the first one to initiate the idea of killing another.

وَلَيُسۡأَلُنَّ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَفۡتَرُونَ

and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.

means, the lies they used to tell and the falsehood they used to fabricate.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah conveyed the Message with which he was sent, then he said:

إِيَّاكُمۡ وَالظُّلۡمَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَعۡزِمُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ فَيَقُولُ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَلِي لَا يَجوزُنِي الۡيَوۡمَ ظُلۡمٌ ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادٍ فَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ فُلَنُ بۡنُ فُلَنٍ فَيَأۡتِي يَتۡبَعُهُ مِنَ الۡحَسَنَاتِ أَمۡثَالَ الۡجِبَالِ فَيَشۡخَصُ النَّاسُ إِلَيۡهَا أَبۡصَارَهُمۡ حَتَّى يَقُومَ بَيۡنَ يَدَيِ الرَّحۡمنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ثُمَّ يَأۡمُرُ الۡمُنَادِيَ فَيُنَادِي مَنۡ كَانَتۡ لَهُ تِبَاعَةٌ أَوۡ ظَلَمَةٌ عِنۡدَ فُلَنِ بۡنِ فُلَنٍ فَهَلُمَّ فَيُقۡبِلُونَ حَتَّى يَجۡتَمِعُوا قِيَامًا بَيۡنَ يَدَيِ الرَّحۡمنِ فَيَقُولُ الرَّحۡمنُ اقۡضُوا عَنۡ عَبۡدِي فَيَقُولُونَ كَيۡفَ نَقۡضِي عَنۡهُ فَيَقُولُ خُذُوا لَهُمۡ مِنۡ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَلَ يَزَالُونَ يَأۡخُذُونَ مِنۡهَا حَتَّى لَا يَبۡقَى مِنۡهَا حَسَنَةٌ وَقَدۡ بَقِيَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَابِ الظَّلَمَاتِ فَيَقُولُ اقۡضُوا عَنۡ عَبۡدِي فَيَقُولُونَ لَمۡ يَبۡقَ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ فَيَقُولُ خُذُوا مِنۡ سَيِّيَاتِهِمۡ فَاحۡمِلُوهَا عَلَيۡه

Beware of injustice, for Allah will swear an oath of the Day of Resurrection and will say:

By My glory and majesty, no injustice will be overlooked today.

Then a voice will call out, Where is so-and-so the son of so-and-so?

He will be brought forth, followed by his good deeds which appear like mountains while the people are gazing at them in wonder, until he is standing before the Most Merciful.

Then the caller will be commanded to say:Whoever is owed anything by so-and-so the son of so-and-so, or has been wronged by him, let him come forth.

So they will come forth and gather before the Most Merciful, then the Most Merciful will say:Settle the matter for My servant.

They will say, How can we settle the matter?

He will say, Take from his good deeds and give it to them.

They will keep taking from his good deeds until there is nothing left, and there will still people with scores to be settled.

Allah will say, Settle the matter for My servant.

They will say, He does not have even one good deed left.

Allah will say, Take from their evil deeds and give them to him.

Then the Prophet quoted this Ayah:

وَلَيَحۡمِلُنَّ أَثۡقَالَهُمۡ وَأَثۡقَالاً مَّعَ أَثۡقَالِهِمۡ وَلَيُسۡأَلُنَّ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَفۡتَرُونَ

And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own; and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.

There is a corroborating report in the Sahih with a different chain of narration:

إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَأۡتِي يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ بِحَسَنَاتٍ أَمۡثَالِ الۡجِبَالِ وَقَدۡ ظَلَمَ هَذَا وَأَخَذَ مَالَ هَذَا وَأَخَذَ مِنۡ عِرۡضِ هَذَا فَيَأۡخُذُ هَذَا مِنۡ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنۡ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِذَا لَمۡ تَبۡقَ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ أُخِذَ مِنۡ سَيِّيَاتِهِمۡ فَطُرِحَ عَلَيۡه

A man will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like mountains, but he had wronged this one, taken the wealth of that one and slandered the honor of another. So each of them will take from his good deeds. And if there is nothing left of his good deeds, it will be taken from their evil and placed on him.