Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-A'raf -> Idolators enjoy Their destined Share in This Life, but will lose Their Supporters upon Death

Allah said,

﴿ظپظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط¸ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظ…ظگظ…ظ‘ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظپظ’طھظژط±ظژظ‰ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظƒظژط°ظگط¨ظ‹ط§ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظƒظژط°ظ‘ظژط¨ظژ ط¨ظگط¢ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat) meaning, none is more unjust than whoever invents a lie about Allah or rejects the Ayat that He has revealed. Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said that,

﴿ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ظٹظژظ†ظژط§ظ„ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ†ظژطµظگظٹط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظگ﴾

(For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book) refers to each person's deeds, alloted provisions and age. Similar was said by Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Allah said in similar statements,

﴿ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظپظ’طھظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظژط°ظگط¨ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظڈظپظ’ظ„ظگط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظ…ظژطھظژظ€ط¹ظŒ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط¬ظگط¹ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ظ†ظڈط°ظگظٹظ‚ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژط¯ظگظٹط¯ظژ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژظƒظ’ظپظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful. (A brief) enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.) ﴿10:69-70﴾ and,

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظƒظژظپظژط±ظژ ظپظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط­ظ’ط²ظڈظ†ظƒظژ ظƒظڈظپظ’ط±ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط¬ظگط¹ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژظ†ظڈظ†ظژط¨ظ‘ظگط¦ظڈظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ط¹ظژظ…ظگظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ط¨ظگط°ظژط§طھظگ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظڈط¯ظڈظˆط±ظگ ظ†ظڈظ…ظژطھظ‘ظگط¹ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژظ„ظگظٹظ„ط§ظ‹﴾

(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). We let them enjoy for a little while.) ﴿31:23-24﴾. Allah said next,

﴿ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط±ظڈط³ظڈظ„ظڈظ†ظژط§ ظٹظژطھظژظˆظژظپظ‘ظژظˆظ’ظ†ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls.) Allah states that when death comes to the idolators and the angels come to capture their souls to take them to Hellfire, the angels horrify them, saying, "Where are the so-called partners (of Allah) whom you used to call in the life of this world, invoking and worshipping them instead of Allah Call them so that they save you from what you are suffering.'' However, the idolators will reply,

﴿ط¶ظژظ€ظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط§﴾

("They have vanished and deserted us'') meaning, we have lost them and thus, we do not hope in their benefit or aid,

﴿ظˆظژط´ظژظ‡ظگط¯ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط£ظژظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’﴾

(And they will bear witness against themselves) they will admit and proclaim against themselves,

﴿ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظƒظژظ€ظپظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(that they were disbelievers.)

﴿ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط§ط¯ظ’ط®ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط£ظڈظ…ظژظ…ظچ ظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط®ظژظ„ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط§ظ„ظ’ط¬ظگظ†ظ‘ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط¥ظگظ†ظ’ط³ظگ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظگ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط¯ظژط®ظژظ„ظژطھظ’ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژط¹ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ط£ظڈط®ظ’طھظژظ‡ظژط§ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط§ط¯ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظژظƒظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ط¬ظژظ…ظگظٹط¹ظ‹ط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژطھظ’ ط£ظڈط®ظ’ط±ظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ط§ظ‘ظچظˆظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظژظ†ظژط§ ظ‡ظژظ€ط¤ظڈظ„ط§ط،ظگ ط£ظژط¶ظژظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆظ†ظژط§ ظپظژظ€ظژط§طھظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظ‹ط§ ط¶ظگط¹ظ’ظپظ‹ط§ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظگ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ظ„ظگظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظچ ط¶ظگط¹ظ’ظپظŒ ظˆظژظ„ظژظ€ظƒظگظ† ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژطھظ’ ط£ظڈظˆظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط®ظ’ط±ظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ† ظپظژط¶ظ’ظ„ظچ ظپظژط°ظڈظˆظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†طھظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظ’ط³ظگط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(38. (Allah) will say: "Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and Jinn, into the Fire.'' Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before) until they are all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them: "Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire.'' He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.'') (39. The first of them will say to the last of them: "You were not better than us, so taste the torment for what you used to earn.'')