وَقَليلٌ مِنَ الآخِرينَ
And a few from the latter ones.
EXPOSITION
The close ones or the foremost ones on the Day of Judgement will be composed of a multitude from the first ones, and a few from the last ones. But what is meant by former and latter, or first and last in these verses? Many possibilities have been suggested by the exegetes, which are briefly examined in Review of Tafsīr Literature. One apparent meaning is that most of the close ones will be from the people of the previous generations – those who lived in the early history of mankind – and only a few of the close ones will be from the generations that followed. This is how the Quran used ‘the former ones’ (al-awwalūn, al-awwalīn) in several verses, referring to those who lived before the time of the Prophet and the advent of Islam.
However, the Quran has an overall logic and spirit that emphasises the voluntary aspects of one’s acts and beliefs more than anything else. There are numerous verses that stress the idea that Every man is a hostage to what he has earned (52:21); That was a nation that has passed: for it there will be what it has earned, and for you there will be what you have earned, and you will not be questioned about what they used to do (2:134, 2:141). Given this Quranic view – and the points mentioned in Review of Tafsīr Literature – it is unlikely that former and latter in these verses concern the former and latter generations in history, unless the verses want to inspire a determination in its audience to make it among the few from the latter ones.
Meanwhile, former ones (al-awwalīn) should not be interpreted as a synonym for the foremost ones (al-sābiqūn) either. That is because the people of the right hand are also composed of a multitude of the former ones (verses 38-40).
A more plausible interpretation which has Quranic evidence and also complies with reason is that in every generation and among every people, there are some who take the lead and initiative toward faith and good deeds, and then there are those who follow (not to mention the defiant disbelievers). The first group would obviously be more committed to the truth and more steadfast on their path relative to the second group. However, taking the first step is not a sufficient condition to become one of the foremost ones. One should also remain as a leader in good deeds to qualify as one of the foremost ones. Therefore, these verses, along with verses 38-40, suggest that those who are initially quick in responding to the truth (i.e. al-awwalīn), sometimes remain as leaders to the end, whereby they become one of the close ones. But sometimes they subside to a lower pace – though still remaining on the right path – whereby they become one of the people of the right hand. And the followers (i.e. al-ākhirīn) will often remain as the people of the right hand, though they may rarely excel and take the lead in all the good works by Allah’s will (35:32). This could also be another reason for the repetition of al-sābiqūn: the first al-sābiqūn means the foremost ones initially (ḥudūthan), and the second al-sābiqūn means the foremost ones in continuation (baqāʾan).
In terms of reward, however, sometimes people of lower qualification are joined with their leading predecessors due to intercession, kinship, or God’s mercy: The faithful and their descendants who followed them in faith – We will make their descendants join them, and We will not stint anything from [the reward of] their deeds. Every man is a hostage to what he has earned (52:21; also see 13:23 and 40:8).
The inhabitants of hell are also classified into first and last where the two groups will curse each other (7:38-39). These two verses can be closely matched with verses 2:166-167, which describe the two groups as those who were followed and the followers. Likewise, the foremost ones and the latter ones among the righteous refer to the leaders and followers.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Most exegetes have interpreted the former ones to the nations that lived prior to the Prophet Muhammad (s), and the latter ones to the nation of the Prophet, meaning all generations from his time onwards. However, this idea neither complies with the Quran nor with reason. There are a few considerations that help to clarify the meaning of these verses:
- An important principle to keep in mind when interpreting these verses is God’s justice. God’s justice dictates that the judgement and retribution of people should be according to their voluntary acts, conscious beliefs, and acquired traits. The time in which one lives is beyond the person’s control and therefore cannot be a basis for one’s eternal judgement and outcome. If the ease or difficulty of people achieving high spiritual stations depends on their time, then that would be against God’s justice. One’s achievement of spiritual stations and eternal reward should only depend on one’s voluntary acts. This has been repeatedly emphasised in the Quran (2:134, 2:286, 6:152, 10:52, 27:89-90).
- It could be that the verses are not suggesting that one’s time of life determines the probability of his qualification as one of the close ones, but that it will so turn out that most of the close ones will be from the earlier generations and centuries, while only a few of them will be from the latter generations. In other words, time is not a cause of this phenomenon, but it will so happen to have a correlation with it. This solves the problem of God’s justice and voluntary acts, but raises another question: why, then, does God make mention of the time element? This is especially noteworthy given that apparently the former generations have already passed away, and the audience of the Quran is the latter ones. A possible answer is that the verses are intended to instil a drive, desire, and determination in the audience to make it among the few from the latter ones.
- Another point to note is the difference between the number of people living before Islam and those who came afterwards. It is very difficult – rather impossible – to have an accurate estimate of the life of humankind; its beginning is unknown and so is its end. However, based on the population growth trends and medical and sanitary improvements, it is very well possible that the population of the latter generations amounts to a much larger number than the former generations (who lived before Islam). This makes this possibility very unlikely, because it claims that most of the foremost ones are from a relatively small population, and only a small group of them are from a much larger population that was exposed to the noble teachings of the most complete religion, Islam.
- God has clearly promised and foreshadowed that the believers and doers of good shall be the inheritors and successors of the earth (7:128, 21:105, 28:5-6), where they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me (24:55). It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions (9:33, 48:28, 61:9). On the contrary, the Quran has explicitly declared that most of the previous nations were astray, non-believers, polytheists, and transgressors: Certainly, most of the ancients went astray before them (37:71); Most of them were not believers (26:67 and many others); Say: ‘Travel over the land and then observe how was the fate of those who were before [you], most of whom were polytheists’ (30:42); Certainly We sent Noah and Abraham and We ordained among their descendants prophethood and the book. Some of them are [rightly] guided, and many of them are transgressors (57:26); These are the towns some of whose accounts We recount to you. Their apostles certainly brought them manifest proofs, but they were not the ones to believe in what they had denied earlier. Thus does Allah put a seal on the hearts of the faithless. We did not find in most of them any [loyalty to] covenants. Indeed We found most of them to be transgressors (7:101-102). Elsewhere, the Quran says that there were only a few people among the previous generations that stood against sin and corruption on the earth: Why were there not among the generations before you a remnant [of the wise] who might forbid corruption in the earth, except a few of those whom We delivered from among them? (11:116), and it explicitly names the tribes of many prophets that were mostly misguided (10:83, 12:38, 51:35-36).
Of course, it is still possible to say that the minority of believers in the early generations and nations compose most of the close ones, while the many more believers of the subsequent generations are mostly ordinary believers (i.e. the people of the right hand). This would especially be strengthened if we can assume that the foremost ones are mainly composed of the prophets and infallible individuals: there were thousands of them prior to Islam, but only a few in Islam. However, the path to maximum perfection and proximity to God is not limited to the prophets or infallibles; it is equally open to everyone. Indeed, on the Day of Judgement there will be some people ‘who are not prophets, but the prophets will envy them [their ranks]’.
Another suggested meaning for these verses is that the contrast between the former ones and the latter ones – here as well as in verses 39-40 – specifically concerns the people at the time of the Prophet, and not all mankind throughout the history. Thus, the verses would comply with the other verses in the Quran that praise those who took the initiative to accept the call of the Prophet, migrate for the sake of God, and fight in His way (4:95, 8:73, 9:19-20, 9:100, 57:10). There are even some prophetic narrations saying that ‘Both [or all] groups are from my [or this] nation’ as quoted earlier. Hence, al-sābiqūn were those who were foremost in embracing Islam and believing in God and His Messenger: our brethren who were our forerunners in the faith (59:10). This interpretation is quite plausible and might be somewhat confirmed with verse 35:32. Yet, it is more likely that these verses here as well as verse 35:32 are not limited to those living at the time of the Prophet. There are also some narrations against this interpretation, as discussed earlier, under Insights from Hadith. It should be noted that these verses were revealed in Mecca, while the verses that support the migrants and the supporters were revealed in Medina.
It has also been suggested that former and latter in these verses are the same as former and latter in verses 49 and 50: Say: ‘Indeed the former and latter generations will all be gathered for the tryst of a known day.’ However, there is a sign and evidence in those verses indicating that the subject of discussion is the former and latter generations in history: And they used to say: ‘What! When we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we be resurrected? And our forefathers too?’ (verses 47-48), while there is no such context here.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
- But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
[1] Jawādī Āmulī, audio lectures on tafsīr of Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, lecture 67.
[2] Qurtubi, 18/199; Alusi, 14/135; Furqan, 28/66-67.
[3] Tabatabai has discussed and proven that everyone can achieve these perfections in the third chapter of his Risālat al-Wilāyah.
[4] Hasakani, 1/354, h. 366; Shaʿīrī, Jāmiʿ al-Akhbār, p. 128; Suyuti, 3/310-311.
[5] Razi, 29/392; Mizan, 19/117.
[6] Alusi, 14/135.
[7] Mizan, 19/121; Furqan, 28/67.
[8] Matthew 20:16.
[9] Mark 10:31.