Surah Saba — Verse 40

Word Meanings:

• Yaḥshuruhum — He gathers them and brings them all together on the Day of Resurrection.
• Jamīʿan — all of them, without exception, both those who worshipped and those who were worshipped.
• Iyyākum — you (addressed to the angels), meaning: "Was it you they worshipped?"

Explanation of the Verse:

O Messenger, remind the people of that awesome Day when Allah will gather all of humanity — the polytheists, their leaders, and the followers — together in one plain for judgment. Then, in a scene of majestic divine justice, Allah will address the angels directly, and He will ask them — not because He does not know, but to expose the falsehood of the polytheists and to establish the proof against them — "Were these people worshipping you in the worldly life?"

This question is not a genuine inquiry, but rather a rebuke and a humiliation directed at those who associated partners with Allah. The angels, of course, are pure and innocent — they never asked to be worshipped, nor did they accept such worship. They are honored servants of Allah who obey His commands and never disobey Him. The question is posed in their presence so that the polytheists themselves may hear the angels' denial and their complete disavowal of any claim to divinity.

This verse carries a profound lesson for every human being: those who devote their worship, their love, their fear, and their hope to anyone other than Allah — whether angels, prophets, saints, idols, or worldly desires — will face utter disappointment on that Day. Their false deities will disown them, and they will stand alone before their true Lord, the Only One worthy of worship.

A Call to Reflection:

Dear reader, reflect on this scene with your heart: the angels whom some people took as intercessors and objects of devotion will themselves declare their innocence. How foolish it is to turn away from the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Sustainer who provides for you every moment, and to bow instead to His creation!

The Qur'an invites you today, before that Day arrives, to purify your worship for Allah alone. He is the One who hears your prayers, answers your calls, forgives your sins, and grants you from His boundless mercy. Do not wait until the Day when excuses will be of no avail and every soul will see what it has sent forth. Turn to Allah now with a sincere heart — He is the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving, and He loves those who repent and return to Him.