30:13 Ar-Room (The Romans)

{ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِهِمْ } التي عبدوها مع اللّه { شُفَعَاءُ وَكَانُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ } تبرأ المشركون ممن أشركوهم مع اللّه وتبرأ المعبودون وقالوا: { تَبَرَّأْنَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُوا إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ } والتعنوا وابتعدوا، وفي ذلك اليوم يفترق أهل الخير والشر كما افترقت أعمالهم في الدنيا.

"ولم يكن لهم من شركائهم شفعاء" أي ما شفعت فيهم الآلهة التي كانوا يعبدونها من دون الله تعالى وكفروا بهم وخانوهم أحوج ما كانوا إليهم.

اللَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ

(Allah originates the creation, then He will repeat it,) Just as He was able to create it in the first place, so He is also able to repeat it.

ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(then to Him you will be returned.) on the Day of Resurrection, when each will be requited according to his deeds. Then Allah says:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

(And on the Day when the Hour will be established, the criminals will be plunged into destruction with despair.) Ibn `Abbas said, "The sinners will be filled with despair." Mujahid said, "The sinners will be exposed;" according to another report he said, "The sinners will grieve."

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ مِّن شُرَكَآئِهِمْ شُفَعَاءُ

(No intercessors will they have from those whom they made equal with Allah,) means, the gods whom they used to worship instead of Allah will not intercede for them; they will reject them and betray them despite their desperate need of them. Then Allah says:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ

(And on the Day when the Hour will be established -- that Day shall (all men) be separated.) Qatadah said: "By Allah, this refers to the separation after which there will be no reunion." In other words, if one person is taken up to the highest heights and another is sent down to the lowest depths of Hell, that is the last they will ever see of one another. Allah says:

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ فَهُمْ فِى رَوْضَةٍ يُحْبَرُونَ

(Then as for those who believed and did righteous good deeds, such shall be honored and made to enjoy a luxurious life in a Garden of Delight.) Mujahid and Qatadah said, "This means, they will enjoy a life of luxury."

And none from among those partners of theirs those whom they ascribed as partners of God namely the idols to intercede for them shall be intercessors for them and they shall disavow these partners of theirs in other words they shall dissociate from them.

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُ‌وا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Have they not travelled on earth - 30:9). It means that the Makkans live in a land where there is neither any cultivation and industry nor any tall and beautiful buildings, but for the sake of trade they do travel to Syria and Yemen. So, have they not seen, during the course of their trips, what was the fate of the earlier people, whom Allah Ta’ ala had endowed with skills to make use of the land? For instance, they had the skill to draw underground water by excavating the earth for irrigating fields and gardens, and dig out concealed precious minerals, such as gold and silver, and make use of them to their benefit. For their advanced skills and way of living, they were regarded as civilized nations. But they got engrossed so much in material life, transitory luxuries and comforts that they forgot Allah Ta’ ala and the Hereafter. Then, Allah Ta’ ala sent prophets and books to remind them of their duties, but they did not pay any heed. Ultimately, they were overtaken by Allah's wrath even in this world. The ruins of their desolate cities still stand witness to their destruction. At the end of the verse it is suggested to ponder whether they were subjected to any oppression from Allah Ta’ ala, or they subjected themselves to their own cruelty by accumulating causes of the divine punishment.