Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 166

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Imagine the time) when those who were followed will disown their followers, and they (all) will see the punishment, and the bonds between them will be cut asunder,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Consider the Day˺ when those who misled others will disown their followers—when they face the torment—and the bonds that united them will be cut off.

Ruwwad Translation Center

[Consider] when those who were followed, they will disown their followers when they see the punishment, and all ties between them will be cut off.

A. J. Arberry

when those that were followed disown their followers, and they see the chastisement, and their cords are cut asunder,

Abdul Haleem

When those who have been followed disown their followers, when they all see the suffering, when all bonds between them are severed,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

When those who were followed shall quit themselves of those who followed, and they all shall behold the torment, and sundered between them shall be the Cords.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then would those who are followed clear themselves of those who follow (them); They would see the penalty, and all relations between them would be cut off.

Abul Ala Maududi

When He will inflict punishment, those very leaders and guides whom they followed in the world will disown them. But punishment they shall get and all their bonds shall be cut off.

Ahmed Ali

When those who were followed will disclaim those who followed them, and see the torment all ties between them shall be severed,

Ahmed Raza Khan

(The day) when the leaders will be disgusted with their followers – and they shall see their punishment, and all their links will be cut off.

Ali Quli Qarai

When those who were followed will disown the followers, and they will sight the punishment while all their means of recourse will be cut off,

Ali Ünal

At that time those who were followed (in the world as elders, heads, or leaders and loved as only God is to be loved) disown those who followed them and declare themselves innocent of their evil deeds, and they see the punishment, and the relations between them are cut off.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(At that time) when those who were followed (- the leaders) shall disown and sever themselves from their followers and they shall see the punishment (with their own eyes) and all their ties and means shall be cut asunder.

English Literal

When those who were followed declared innocence/renounced from those who followed (them), and they saw the torture, and the reasons/motives (were) cut off/separated with them.

Faridul Haque

(The day) when the leaders will be disgusted with their followers - and they shall see their punishment, and all their links will be cut off.

Hamid S. Aziz

When those who are Followed clear themselves of those who Follow them, they would see the Penalty, and the cords between them would be cut asunder.

Hilali & Khan

When those who were followed, disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

When those who were followed renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

When those who were followed shall renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(On the day) when those who were followed disown those who followed (them), and they behold the doom, and all their aims collapse with them.

Muhammad Sarwar

When the leaders see the torment and lose all their resources, they will denounce their followers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

when those who were followed disown those who followed, and they see the punishment and relationships are broken off,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

When those who were followed disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them.

Wahiduddin Khan

When they face their punishment, those who have been followed will disown their followers, and all their ties shall be cut asunder,

Talal Itani

Those who were followed will then disown those who followed them, and they will see the retribution, and ties between them will be severed.

Tafsir jalalayn

When (idh here substitutes for the previous idh) those who were followed, that is, the leaders, disown their followers, that is to say, [when] they have denied misleading them [the latter], and they have seen the chastisement, and the cords, the bonds of affection and kinship that were between them on earth, are cut away before them, from them (taqatta`at, `cut away', is a supplement to tabarra'a, `disown').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُواْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُواْ

When those who were followed disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who followed (them),

the angels, whom they used to claim that they worshipped, declare their innocence of them in the Hereafter, saying;

تَبَرَّأْنَأ إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُواْ إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ

We declare our innocence (from them) before You. It was not us they worshipped. (28;63)

and;

سُبْحَـنَكَ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِمْ بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ أَكْـثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّوْمِنُونَ

"Glorified be You! You are our Wali (Lord) instead of them. Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn; most of them were believers in them." (34;4)

The Jinn will also disown the disbelievers who worshipped them, and they will reject that worship.

Allah said;

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَأيِهِمْ غَـفِلُونَ

وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُواْ لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُواْ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَـفِرِينَ

And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them. And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping. (46;5-6)

Allah said;

وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمْ عِزّاً

كَلَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

And they have taken (for worship) alihah (gods) besides Allah, that they might give them honor, power and glory (and also protect them from Allah' punishment). Nay, but they (the so-called gods) will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them (on the Day of Resurrection). (19;81, 82)

Prophet Ibrahim said to his people;

إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَـناً مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ

You have taken (for worship) idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, you shall disown each other, and curse each other, and your abode will be the Fire, and you shall have no helper. (29;25)

Allah said;

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّـلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ لَوْلَا أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُوْمِنِينَ

قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ أَنَحْنُ صَدَدنَـكُمْ عَنِ الْهُدَى بَعْدَ إِذْ جَأءكُمْ بَلْ كُنتُمْ مُّجْرِمِينَ

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَأ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَاداً وَأَسَرُّواْ النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ اْلَعَذَابَ وَجَعَلْنَا الاْغْلَـلَ فِى أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

But if you could see when the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) will be made to stand before their Lord, how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant;"Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!"

And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak;"Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you! Nay, but you were Mujrimin (polytheists, sinners, disbelievers, criminals)."

Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant;"Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!" And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets (for disobeying Allah during this worldly life), when they behold the torment. And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught except what they used to do. (34;31-33)

Allah said;

وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَـنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّن سُلْطَـنٍ إِلاَّ أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِى فَلَ تَلُومُونِى وَلُومُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ مَّأ أَنَاْ بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَأ أَنتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِىَّ إِنِّى كَفَرْتُ بِمَأ أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

And Shaytan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided;"Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers). (14;22)

Allah then said;

وَرَأَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الَاسْبَابُ


and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them.

meaning, when they see Allah's torment, their power and means of salvation are all cut off, and they will have no way of making amends, nor will they find a way of escape from the Fire.

Ata reported that Ibn Abbas said about;
وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الَاسْبَابُ
(then all their relations will be cut off from them),

"meaning the friendship."

Mujahid reported a similar statement in another narration by Ibn Abu Najih.