Surah Ghafir, Ayah 49

The Dispute of the People of Hell

Allah tells us how the people of Hell will dispute and argue with one another, and Fir`awn and his people will be among them. The weak, who were the followers, will say to those who were arrogant, who were the leaders and masters:

إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا

(Verily, we followed you,) meaning, `we obeyed you and heeded your call to disbelief and misguidance in the world, '

فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيباً مِّنَ النَّارِ

(can you then take from us some portion of the Fire) means, `can you carry a part of our burden for us'

قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا كُلٌّ فِيهَآ

(Those who were arrogant will say: "We are all (together) in this (Fire)!...") meaning, `we will not bear any part of your burden for you; our own punishment is enough for us to bear.'

In the last verse cited here, it was said: النَّارُ‌ يُعْرَ‌ضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا ۖ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْ‌عَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ. (It is the Fire before which they are presented morning and evening. And on the day when the Hour (of final judgment) will take place, (the order will be released): "Admit the family of the Pharaoh into the most severe punishment."- 46). Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ explained this verse by saying, "Spirits of people from the House of Pharaoh are presented before the Jahannam in the form of black birds, twice every day, morning and evening, and by pointing out to the Jahannam, it is said to them: This is your abode." (Reported by Abd-ur-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Haim - Mazhari)

The true believer of Pharaoh’s court was not a prophet. But, in spite of his being alone, God saved him from the tyrannical plans of Pharaoh. This shows that even non-prophets—when they support the mission of truth—receive the same divine succour as was always promised by God to the prophets. Though the final decision about the fate of human beings will be taken on the Day of Judgement, when a man enters the other world after death, it is immediately clear to him as to what he had done in the previous world and what fate he is ordained to face. In this way, at a conscious level, he becomes involved in his final fate immediately after death and, while at a physical level, he will face it on the Day of Judgement, when God’s court is established.