Surah Yunus (Jonah) 10 : 26

Overview (Verses 26 - 30)

This new passage touches the human conscience with a flow of observations that aim to put human nature face to face with clear evidence of God’s oneness, the truthful address of His Messenger and the concept of the Day of Judgement, the reckoning and justice that are certain to be administered to all on that day. These touches work on the whole of the human soul, taking it on a grand tour of the universe, opening up for it the broad horizons of its own world. It moves from ancient times to the present, and from this life to the real one beyond. The previous passage contained similar aspects, discussed in Chapter 1, but the present ones are clearer, certain to receive the right response from any person with an uncorrupted nature. The unbelievers genuinely feared that the Qur’ān would weaken them considerably. Hence they urged one another not to listen to it because they wanted to continue with their erring beliefs and practices.
 
When Deities Quarrel with Their Worshippers

For those who do good there is a good reward, and more besides. Neither darkness nor any disgrace will overcast their faces. These are destined for paradise, where they will abide. As for those who have done evil, an evil deed is rewarded with its like. Ignominy will overshadow them — for they will have none to protect them from God — as if their faces have been covered with patches of the night’s own darkness. Such are destined for the fire, where they will abide. (Verses 26-27)
 
The last verse in the preceding passage said: “God calls to the abode of peace, and guides him that wills to a straight path.” (Verse 25) Here we have an outline of the rules that determine the reward of those who follow God’s guidance and those who turn away from it. It shows God’s grace, mercy, fairness and justice in both types of reward.
 
Those who do well in their choice of belief and practice, recognizing the right path and understanding the universal law which leads to the ‘abode of peace’ will have a goodly reward which is the fair outcome of what they do. But they will also have something more of God’s unlimited bounty: ‘For those who do good there is a good reward, and more besides.’ (Verse 26) They will be spared the misery of the Day of Resurrection, and the stress experienced by others before judgement is passed on all creatures: “Neither darkness nor any disgrace will overcast their faces.” (Verse 26) The Arabic phrase incorporates two words for darkness and disgrace. The first denotes dust, darkness and a pale colour that comes as a result of unhappiness or distress. The other denotes humiliation, shame and subjection to insults. They are free of all this. The verse portrays a dense crowd, afflicted with misery, fear, and humiliation, as evidenced by the marks on people’s faces. To be spared all this is a great gain, an act of grace which is added to the expected reward.
 
Such people who enjoy this high position “are destined for paradise.” (Verse 26) They are its owners and dwellers, and there “they will abide.” (Verse 26)
 
“As for those who have done evil.” (Verse 27) A more literal translation of this phrase would be ‘those who have earned evil’. The earnings they have made out of the transaction of this life are simply evil. They will have their fair reward, which means that they will not have their punishment increased or doubled. They are simply given their reward, like for like. “An evil deed is rewarded with its like.” (Verse 27) They are the ones to endure humiliation which weighs down heavily on them: “Ignominy will overshadow them — for they will have none to protect them from God.” (Verse 27) There is simply no one to provide them with protection against the inevitable workings of divine law which metes out punishment to those who choose the path of evil.
 
The sūrah then paints an image of the mental darkness that overshadows them and leaves its impact on their terrified faces. They look ‘just as if their faces have been covered with patches of the night’s own darkness.’ (Verse 27) The whole atmosphere is dark, causing much fear and apprehension. People’s faces are made to look as if they are wearing the cover of the dark night.
 
Those who are abandoned in the midst of all this darkness ‘are destined for the fire.’ (Verse 27) They are its owners and dwellers, and there ‘they will abide.’ (Verse 27)
 
But where are those whom they claimed to be God’s partners and the ones they thought would intercede on their behalf? How come they could not provide them with any protection? What is happening to them on this fearful Day of Resurrection: “One day We shall gather them all together, and then We shall say to those who associated partners with God: ‘Keep to your places, you and those you associated with God as partners.’ We will then separate them from one another. Then those whom they associated as partners with God will say: ‘It was not us that you worshipped. God is sufficient as a witness between us and you. We were, for certain, unaware of your worshipping us. ‘There and then every soul will realize what it had done in the past; and all will be brought back to God, their true Lord Supreme. All their invented falsehood will have forsaken them.” (Verses 28-30)
 
What we have here is a scene depicting one aspect of the Day of Judgement. It is painted in such a way that makes it far more effective than a clear statement to the effect that the partners they associate with God and their intercessors will not protect their worshippers against God, and can avail them of nothing. They are all brought together: the unbelievers and the false deities they associated as partners with God. The Qur’ān describes the latter as ‘their partners’ in a sarcastic manner which also denotes that they are of their own invention, and hence never partners with God.
 
To all these, unbelievers and partners, an order is given: “Keep to your places, you and those you associated with God as partners.” (Verse 28) Stop where you are. That is the order. They must stand still the moment the order is issued, for an order given on that day is complied with immediately, without question. Then one group is set apart from the other: “We will then separate them from one another.” (Verse 28)
 
At this point the unbelievers do not speak. It is their claimed partners that speak to exonerate themselves from the crime committed by the unbelievers when they worshipped them in place of God, or in association with Him. They speak to make it clear that they were totally unaware of their being worshipped. As such, they have had no role in the crime. They appeal to God to be their witness: “Then those whom they associated as partners with God will say: ‘It was not us that you worshipped. God is sufficient as a witness between us and you. We were, for certain, unaware of your worshipping us.’” (Verse 29)
 
Thus is the status of those who were worshipped. They are weak, appealing to be exonerated of the sinful practices of their worshippers.
 
They seek to be absolved of an offence in which they took no part, and want God to be their witness.
 
At this point when everything is laid open, every soul will know the true nature of the deeds it did, realizing its inevitable outcome: “There and then every soul will realize what it had done in the past.” (Verse 30) What is abundantly clear to all at that moment is the fact that there is only one God to whom all shall return. Everything else is false: “All will be brought back to God, their true Lord Supreme.” (Verse 30)
 
There the idolaters will find nothing of what they used to claim and fabricate. All prove to have no real existence. “All their invented falsehood will have forsaken them.” (Verse 30) It is a vivid scene which is raised before our eyes so that we can examine all its details and the truth it reflects. It is painted in a few words which have an effect far superior to what a mere statement of facts supported by clear arguments would have produced.