قالوا رَبَّنا مَن قَدَّمَ لَنا هٰذا فَزِدهُ عَذابًا ضِعفًا فِي النّارِ
They say: ‘Our Lord! Whoever has prepared this for us, double his punishment in the fire!’
EXPOSITION
After the argument of the previous verses has ended, the followers supplicate against the leaders that led them astray, saying: Our Lord! Whoever has prepared this for us, double his punishment in the fire!
It is similar to the statement: 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).
It has been said that this double punishment is called for, since not only were they evil themselves, but called others to it well.
This supplication really underlines the theme of defiance, or divisive nature of the faithless that was brought up in verse 2; the interminable spitefulness that has become part of their very being. Despite themselves being sufferers of hell and its punishment, they still turn to curse each other, wishing for the punishment of the other to be increased. This notion of blind spite, where one wishes to hurt others even at the cost of hurting themselves, is soon raised again in the following verses in the example of its paragon, Iblīs.
Also related to this, earlier in the surah, the reader was shocked and surprised when hearing of the mocking supplication of the Meccan elite: Our Lord! Hasten on for us our share before the Day of Reckoning (verse 16). This is paralleled now again, in the bizarre supplication of the people of hell. By relating this story of the bickering inmates of hell, God is reminding His Prophet and the believers that they should not be surprised when the faithless say such things; it is part of their nature.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- It has been reported from both Prophet Muhammad (s) and Imam al-Bāqir (a): ‘Whoever establishes a just tradition that is then followed, he will have the reward of whomever acts on it, without their actions being diminished in any way; and whoever establishes an evil tradition that is then followed, he will have the burden of anyone who acts on it, without their burdens being lightened in any way.’
[1] Tibyan, 8/577; Razi, 26/405.
[2] Amali.M, p. 191; Ahmad, 4/362; Muslim, 8/61.