وَلَن يَنفَعَكُمُ اليَومَ إِذ ظَلَمتُم أَنَّكُم فِي العَذابِ مُشتَرِكونَ
‘And today that will be of no avail to you. As you did wrong, so will you share in the punishment.’
EXEGESIS
The conjunctive particle wāw (and) at the beginning of the verse indicates that the statement is a continuation of an implied but unspoken response. This could be interpreted as something along the lines of, ‘there will be no distance between you today, and you will live together. And such distance would not have availed you anyway’. This reply highlights the futility of wishing for separation from one’s devilish companion, emphasising that such a desire is ultimately inconsequential in the face of divine judgement.
The expression idh ẓalamtum (as you did wrong) gives a reasoning for why such wishing will be of no avail. The final phrase, so will you share in the punishment, is a consequence of their wrongdoing. The verse is thus saying: your wishing will be of no avail to you because of your wrongdoing which will lead you to a shared punishment.
Some exegetes have suggested that there is an implicit yuqālu lahum (they will be told) at the beginning of the verse after And, because this verse is a reply to their wishing that was mentioned in the previous verse.
The plural form of address in no avail to you is to include all those who turned a blind eye from the remembrance of the All-Beneficent as well as their respective devil companions.
The object in As you did wrong is left unmentioned, so the expression is general and does not specify the target of the wrongdoing, which allows for various interpretations. On one hand, it could refer to wronging oneself by neglecting the divine truth and turning away from the remembrance of God, ultimately leading to self-harm. Alternatively, it might encompass the idea of wronging the prophets and their divine messages, as they were meant to be followed and embraced.
EXPOSITION
The syntax of this verse lends itself to various interpretations, and in the following analysis we will present two distinct ways of understanding the syntactical connections between the phrases. These different perspectives reveal the rich complexity of the Quranic text, demonstrating how the structure of the language can influence our comprehension of its deeper meanings.
The first view is that the subject of the verb will be of no avail to you is so will you share in the punishment. In other words, the fact that they will share in the punishment will be of no avail to them. Based on this view, the verse challenges the notion that one might find solace in witnessing the suffering of other people, especially an adversary who caused them harm in this world. While this belief may hold some psychological truth in earthly life, the dynamic changes drastically on the Day of Judgement. Those who have neglected the remembrance of the All-Beneficent will not find any consolation or relief in observing their devilish companions sharing their punishment. On the contrary, being connected to these companions in hellfire will only add another layer of suffering to their already dire fate. The verse clarifies any misconceptions in this regard, and emphasises that no satisfaction or relief will be derived from witnessing the punishment of others in the afterlife.
Numerous exegetes have proposed an alternative understanding of this notion, focusing on the nature of shared experiences in this world versus the hereafter. In earthly life, when two individuals face hardships together, they can offer mutual support, alleviating the burden and providing solace to one another. However, the verse highlights that this dynamic does not apply to the punishment awaiting in the afterlife. Unlike earthly difficulties, sharing in the punishment of the hereafter will provide no comfort or benefit. There are two primary reasons for this; firstly, the severity of the divine punishment is so intense that it consumes the individual’s entire attention and focus, rendering them entirely oblivious to the fact that their companion is facing a similar fate. Secondly, unlike in the earthly realm, it becomes impossible for individuals to offer any form of assistance or comfort to their companion when both are subject to divine judgement and punishment.
Notwithstanding, despite the understanding that shared punishment does not provide relief or comfort in the afterlife, the Quran contains other verses wherein individuals implore God to inflict more severe punishment upon those whom they believe have led them astray. This plea is born from intense feelings of regret and remorse that arise upon realising the role that these other groups played in their own misguidance; And they will say: ‘Our Lord! We obeyed our leaders and elders, and they led us astray from the way. Our Lord! Give them a double punishment and curse them with a mighty curse’ (33:67-68); He will say: ‘Enter, along with the nations who passed before you of jinn and humans, into the fire!’ Every time that a nation enters [hell], it will curse its sister [nation]. When they all rejoin in it, the last of them will say about the first of them: ‘Our Lord, it was they who led us astray; so give them a double punishment of the fire.’ He will say: ‘It is double for each [of you], but you do not know’ (7:38).
However, one may argue that the context of these verses is different from the context of the verse under review.
The second view on the semantics of the verse is that the subject of the verb will be of no avail to you is the act of wishing described in the previous verse, I wish there had been between me and you the distance between east and west! In this interpretation, the phrase so will you share in the punishment provides the reasoning behind the futility of such a wish, explaining that the shared nature of the punishment precludes any benefit derived from being distanced from one’s companion. In essence, this understanding posits that the act of wishing for separation from one’s devilish companion will prove futile due to the fact that both parties will ultimately face punishment together, thus negating any potential relief or comfort that such distance may have otherwise provided.
[1] Amthal, 16/57.
[2] Abu al-Futuh, 17/173; Muhit, 9/374.
[3] Mizan, 18/103.
[4] Qaraati, 8/456.
[5] Mizan, 18/103.
[6] Mizan, 18/103; Tibyan, 9/200; Qaraati, 8/456.
[7] Tabrisi, 9/48; Kashif, 6/550; Razi, 27/633; Qutb, 5/3190; Maraghi, 25/91.
[8] Razi, 27/634.
[9] Amthal, 16/56.