Appearance
Sūrah al-Isrāʾ, verse 71
يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
Yawma nad'u kulla unasin bi-imamihim fa-man utiya kitabahu bi-yaminihi fa-ula'ika yaqra'una kitabahum wa la yuzlamuna fatilan
The day We shall call every group of people with their Imam. So whoever is given his book in his right hand—they will read their book, and they will not be wronged a single date-thread.
Context and significance
Several profound questions emerge from this verse. First, which “Day” does the verse refer to? The Qur’an often speaks of al-Yawm—“the Day”—as shorthand for the Day of Resurrection, the final reckoning when all humanity will be gathered. Here, the emphasis on summoning each community highlights the collective dimension of that event.
The phrase “summon all people” also requires careful reflection. It conveys not only the universality of the gathering—no nation or group is excluded—but also the principle of accountability according to leadership, guidance, and collective identity. Each people will be brought forth with their Imam. But what is the meaning of Imam in this verse? Does it signify prophets and messengers, leaders and rulers, scriptures and records of deeds, or—as some traditions emphasize—the divinely appointed guides of each community? The connotation of Imam shapes our understanding of how humanity is categorized and judged in the Hereafter.
The verse then singles out those who receive their record in their right hand. Why is this detail mentioned here? The Qur’an elsewhere explains that being given the book in the right hand is a mark of success, righteousness, and divine acceptance, while receiving it in the left or behind the back signifies failure and ruin. In this context, the mention of the right hand underscores not only the justice of divine judgment but also the hope of salvation for those who faithfully followed their true Imam and lived in sincerity.
By weaving together these elements—the universality of the gathering, the accountability under each people’s Imam, and the destiny marked by the record in the right hand—verse opens a window onto the Qur’an’s vision of ultimate justice. It affirms that leadership matters, that communities are bound to their guides, and that each soul’s outcome will be measured with absolute fairness.
What the exegetes say
At a glance
The question: What is the 'imām' with which each people is summoned: a record of deeds, a scripture, or the leaders people actually followed?
Ibn KathīrFavours the record of deeds, citing 36:12, 18:49 and 45:28–29 and the verse's mention of the book in the right hand; the prophets remain present as witnesses over their communities.
ʿAllāmah ṬabāṭabāʾīHolds it means the leaders people followed, guided or misguided: scripture excludes peoples without a book, the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ is one for all, and a deeds-record follows rather than leads.
Al-QurṭubīCatalogues many views and leans to the record of deeds or the scripture, taking the right-hand book as strongest evidence for the record; rejects the reading of imām as 'mothers'.
Al-ṬabarsīRecords leaders, scriptures and records of deeds, but privileges the infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, citing al-Riḍā and al-Ṣādiq: God summons people only with an authoritative guide.
How each exegete answers the question, in one line. Click a name to read his reading in full.
Ibn Kathīr
The verse, "The Day when We shall summon every people with their Imām" (), is explained by Ibn Kathīr as a profound description of the Day of Resurrection, where accountability and divine justice will be manifested in a manner both comprehensive and precise. He begins by noting the diversity of scholarly opinion regarding the term Imām, which literally means a leader, guide, or something that is followed. The exegetical debate centers on whether this refers to prophets, revealed scriptures, or individual records of deeds.
Mujāhid and Qatādah held that the verse means each nation will be summoned alongside its Prophet, for the prophets served as the leaders of their communities, guiding them through revelation and serving as witnesses over their conduct. Ibn Kathīr remarks that this interpretation represents an honor for the people of each prophet, since they will be judged in the presence of their divinely appointed leader.
A second group of scholars, including Ibn Zayd and al-Ṭabarī, understood the Imām to refer to the Book revealed to each Prophet, since it contained the divine law and was the standard by which the community was guided and ultimately judged. This interpretation underscores the centrality of revelation itself as the touchstone for judgment, ensuring that every people is assessed according to the guidance sent specifically to them.
A third and widely held interpretation, narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, Abū al-ʿĀliyah, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk, is that the Imām denotes the Book of deeds – the personal record in which all human actions are meticulously inscribed. Ibn Kathīr favors this explanation, supporting it by citing several Qur'anic passages: "And all things We have enumerated in a Clear Book" (), "And the Book will be placed, and you will see the criminals fearful of what is therein" (), and "Each nation will be called to its record; this Our record speaks about you in truth" (). These verses, he argues, show that the Book of deeds is itself the most immediate and direct Imām for every individual and community, since it represents an unerring account of their earthly lives.
This, however, does not negate the role of the Prophets or revealed scriptures. Ibn Kathīr explains that the Prophet will indeed be present as a witness over his ummah, testifying to their faithfulness or their neglect, but the term Imām in this verse most strongly aligns with the record of deeds. This interpretation is reinforced by the continuation of the verse: "So whoever is given his record in his right hand, they will read it..." The connection between Imām and the Book of deeds provides a seamless reading of the verse, linking guidance, accountability, and ultimate judgment.
Ibn Kathīr expands on the imagery of the Day of Judgment by citing other verses that describe the contrasting fates of people based on how they receive their records. Those who are given their records in their right hand will be overwhelmed with joy and eagerness, proudly inviting others to read their accounts, as reflected in : "Here, read my record! Indeed, I knew that I would meet my account." By contrast, those who are given their records in their left hand will be engulfed in despair and humiliation, lamenting that they were ever given a record at all, as in : "Would that my record had not been given to me, and I had not known what my account was."
On the phrase "...and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least (fatīlan)," Ibn Kathīr emphasizes the perfection of divine justice. He explains that fatīl refers to the thin thread inside the groove of a date-pit, one of the Qur'an's ways of symbolizing the smallest imaginable unit. Thus, on the Day of Judgment, not even the tiniest injustice will occur, as every deed – good or evil – will be recompensed precisely as it was.
To further illustrate this scene, Ibn Kathīr cites a narration from Abū Hurayrah describing the contrasting states of the believer and the disbeliever when summoned with their Imām. The believer will receive his record in his right hand, his face radiant and adorned with a crown of pearls, spreading glad tidings to his companions. The disbeliever, by contrast, will appear darkened and grotesque, causing terror even among his peers, who will pray for him to be kept away from them. This vivid imagery serves to underline both the honor awaiting the righteous and the disgrace awaiting the wicked.
In conclusion, Ibn Kathīr interprets Qur'an as a reminder of the certainty and precision of divine accountability. While acknowledging the multiplicity of interpretations regarding Imām—prophets, revealed books, or records of deeds—he ultimately gives precedence to the last view, since it harmonizes most directly with the context of the verse. The commentary thus underscores three interlinked themes: the centrality of guidance through revelation, the inescapable reality of accountability through one's record, and the absolute justice of God, who will summon all people on that Day without the slightest injustice.
Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged). Translated by Ṣafī al-Raḥmān. Vol. 6 (Chapter 17, Verse 71) Riyadh: Maktaba Dār-us-Salām, 2003.
ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī
In his commentary on "The Day when We shall summon every people with their Imām" (), Ṭabāṭabāʾī undertakes a detailed semantic and contextual analysis of the word imām, and how it should be understood within the Qur'anic worldview. He begins by noting that the verse implicitly contains an omitted verb—"Remember the Day..."—which situates the discussion squarely in the context of the Resurrection. The focal point of the verse is the word imām, which in Qur'anic usage refers to that which is followed, whether in truth or in error.
Ṭabāṭabāʾī surveys the Qur'an's varied applications of this term: it is used positively to describe prophets and leaders divinely appointed to guide ("I will make you an Imām of mankind" [], "We made them Imāms guiding by Our command" []); negatively for leaders of unbelief ("Fight the leaders of disbelief" []); and even for revealed scriptures such as the Torah ("The Book of Moses, an Imām and a mercy" []) or the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ ("We have recorded everything in a clear writing [imāmin mubīn]" []). From this survey, he concludes that imām cannot be restricted to a single narrow meaning, but encompasses leaders, whether of guidance or misguidance, as well as divinely revealed codes.
Nevertheless, he rules out some interpretations in the specific context of . Since the verse states that every people will be called with their imām, it cannot refer to the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ, which is one and universal, nor to scriptures alone, since many early communities (before the era of Nūḥ) had no revealed book. The plain sense, therefore, is that the imām refers to the actual leaders that people followed in their earthly lives — whether prophets and divinely appointed guides, or tyrants and false leaders. The Qur'an itself supports this: Pharaoh is called an imām of misguidance who will lead his people into the Fire (), showing that on the Day of Judgment the misguided will not be separated from their leaders but gathered alongside them.
The verse's phrase "their imām" is expressed absolutely, without qualification. This universality, Ṭabāṭabāʾī argues, indicates that both categories of leaders are intended — the true and the false. It is not simply, as some suggested, that people will be summoned by name as "followers of Abraham" or "followers of Pharaoh." Such a reading does not fit with the subsequent part of the verse, which speaks of being given one's book in the right hand or suffering blindness in the Hereafter. The consequence described is not nominal affiliation but real moral consequence: those who followed true leaders will be given their records joyfully, while those who attached themselves to leaders of misguidance will face the blindness of exclusion.
Ṭabāṭabāʾī examines and critiques several interpretations offered by earlier exegetes. Some had said imām here refers to scriptures such as the Torah, Gospel, or Qur'an, with people summoned as "O people of the Torah" or "O people of the Qur'an." He rejects this on the grounds that it excludes earlier peoples without scripture and does not harmonize with the following verses about individuals receiving their personal records. Others suggested that imām refers to prophets for some and to Satan or false leaders for others. He responds that this is merely the lexical sense of "leader," whereas the Qur'an's own usage defines imām more precisely as either divinely guided leaders or those who mislead. Another widespread interpretation equated imām with the record of deeds. Ṭabāṭabāʾī resists this reading, noting that the record of deeds is not a leader but a follower—it trails behind a person's actions and merely reports them. It cannot coherently be called an imām.
He also rejects a more eccentric opinion—that imām here is the plural of umm (mother), meaning people will be summoned by the names of their mothers—on linguistic and contextual grounds, citing al-Zamakhsharī's judgment that this is an innovation in tafsīr. A further view identified imām with any object of following, whether leader, scripture, tradition, or religion. Ṭabāṭabāʾī responds that all these ultimately reduce to leaders themselves, since scriptures and religions guide by means of their founders and bearers, whether prophets or innovators.
His conclusion is that imām in this verse most naturally refers to actual leaders — whether of truth or falsehood — whom people followed in their earthly lives. On the Day of Resurrection, followers and leaders will be gathered together: those who aligned with true guidance will receive their books in their right hands, and those who aligned with falsehood will be blind, as described in the subsequent verse (). The sequence of the verse makes clear that one's imām in this world determines one's fate in the Hereafter.
Finally, Ṭabāṭabāʾī expounds on the justice of divine recompense in this context. The verse concludes with the assurance that "they shall not be wronged a whit (fatīlan)," the smallest imaginable measure. He explains classical terminology: fatīl is the thin thread within a date-pit, with related terms naqīr and qiṭmīr referring to other minute parts of the pit. By invoking this imagery, the Qur'an emphasizes that every person's reward or punishment will be complete and precise, and that not even the most negligible action will be overlooked or misjudged.
Thus, Ṭabāṭabāʾī presents Qur'an as a verse of profound moral seriousness. It shows that on the Day of Resurrection people will not stand in isolation but will be summoned with the very leaders they followed, whether prophets and righteous guides or tyrants and corrupters. In this way, the verse highlights both the gravity of leadership and the responsibility of followers, while also assuring the perfection of divine justice down to the smallest detail.
Source: Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur'ān, Eng. Vol. 25 under Chapter 17, Verse 71 (Tawheed Institute, Australia).
Read ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s full commentary in Tafsir al-Mizan: 17:66–72 on almizan.org ↗
Al-Qurṭubī
In his commentary on "The Day We shall call every people with their Imām" (), al-Qurṭubī gathers an extensive range of opinions and narrations that reflect the richness — and the diversity — of exegetical tradition on this verse. His approach is characteristically juridical and encyclopedic: he catalogues hadith reports, linguistic analyses, and theological reflections before offering his own critical stance.
Al-Qurṭubī begins by citing a narration recorded by al-Tirmidhī from Abū Hurayrah. The Prophet (s.a.w.) is reported to have described how, on the Day of Resurrection, believers will be summoned, given their books in their right hands, and honored with radiant faces, lofty stature, and crowns of pearls. They will return joyfully to their companions, announcing the good news of shared felicity. By contrast, the disbelievers will be dark-faced and humiliated, their grotesque form itself a sign of their eternal disgrace. This vivid hadith, al-Qurṭubī explains, serves to illustrate the dramatic unfolding of the verse.
The exegetes, however, diverged sharply on the meaning of the key phrase bi-imāmihim ("with their imām"). A first and widely supported opinion — narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, al-Ḥasan, Qatādah, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk — identifies imām with the kitāb al-aʿmāl (the record of deeds). This is reinforced by parallel verses such as "Every community will be called to its book" () and "We have enumerated everything in a clear imām" (). The link is made explicit by the continuation of the verse, "So whoever is given his book in his right hand...", which suggests that the imām is none other than the record to which every action is referred.
A second interpretation, advanced by Ibn Zayd, sees imām as the scripture revealed to each community: the Torah, Gospel, or Qur'an. On that Day, it will be proclaimed, "O people of the Torah... O people of the Qur'an... what did you do with what was revealed to you?" This understanding highlights accountability for fidelity to revelation.
A third opinion, attributed to Mujāhid and Qatādah, interprets imām as the prophets themselves, since they were the leaders to be followed. This would mean that people will be summoned as "followers of Abraham," "followers of Moses," or, on the opposite side, "followers of Pharaoh" and "followers of Satan." A related view from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib narrows the sense further to the imām of one's age, indicating that every generation has its own living authority under whom it will be resurrected.
Al-Qurṭubī also transmits a prophetic report harmonizing these perspectives: that every people will be called by the imām of their time, by the Book of their Lord, and by the Sunnah of their Prophet. This indicates that "imām" may encompass scripture, prophetic guidance, and temporal leadership, all functioning as loci of authority and responsibility.
Other interpretations also circulated. Al-Ḥasan and Abū al-ʿĀliyah said that imām means one's deeds, since these are what truly lead a person. Some said it refers to schools of thought and sectarian allegiances, so that people will be called as "Ḥanafī," "Shāfiʿī," "Muʿtazilī," or "Qadarī," reflecting the intellectual or theological paths they followed. Others, citing Abū Hurayrah, said people will be summoned through the gates of Paradise corresponding to their dominant acts — the gate of charity, the gate of jihād, and so forth. A still more eccentric opinion, mentioned by Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb, held that imām here is a plural of umm (mother), meaning people will be called by their mothers' names — an interpretation some "sages" justified as a way to preserve the honor of certain figures like Jesus, or to protect illegitimate children from disgrace. Yet al-Qurṭubī rejects this as unsound, since authentic hadith affirm that people will be summoned by their names and their fathers' names, not their mothers.
In the end, al-Qurṭubī leans toward the position that imām most plausibly signifies either the record of deeds or the revealed scripture, both supported strongly by the Qur'an's own language. He notes that imām literally means "that which is followed," and both one's record and one's scripture function in this sense: the record follows one's deeds as their faithful witness, while the scripture is meant to be obeyed and followed. For him, the continuation of the verse — "So whoever is given his book in his right hand..." — provides the strongest evidence that the record of deeds is primarily intended.
He closes by explaining the phrase "they will not be wronged a whit (fatīlan)". The fatīl, a threadlike fiber in a date-pit, is invoked to illustrate the perfection of divine justice: not the smallest deed will be overlooked, nor will the slightest injustice befall anyone.
Thus, al-Qurṭubī's tafsīr of highlights both the diversity of exegetical opinion and his preference for interpretations rooted in textual evidence. While he acknowledges broader metaphorical possibilities — prophets, leaders, schools of thought — he privileges the understanding of imām as a record of deeds or scripture, since this harmonizes most directly with Qur'anic usage and the immediate context of the verse.
Source: Al-Qurṭubī, Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qur’ān (Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī), Vol. 13, under Chapter 17, Verse 71, Pub. by Al-Risalah Foundation, Beirut.
Al-Ṭabarsī
In his Majmaʿ al-Bayān, Al-Ṭabarsī explores the verse "The Day We shall call every people with their imām" () by presenting multiple interpretations, ranging from widely transmitted reports to the Imāmī Shīʿī perspective. His approach is inclusive of earlier opinions yet firmly locates the verse within the doctrine of divinely guided leadership.
Al-Ṭabarsī begins with the interpretation narrated from Mujāhid and Qatādah: that on the Day of Resurrection, each community will be summoned with its leader, whether righteous or wicked. The announcement will be heard: "Where are the followers of Ibrāhīm? Where are the followers of Mūsā? Where are the followers of ʿĪsā? Where are the followers of Muḥammad (s.a.w.)?" Likewise, it will also be proclaimed: "Bring forth the followers of Satan, the followers of idols, the followers of the leaders of misguidance." In this view, imām signifies the figure—prophet, saint, or tyrant—whom people consciously followed in their earthly lives. Ibn Jubayr and al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib also endorsed this meaning, the latter citing the Prophet's statement: "With every people will be their imām, from the commands of their religion and their beliefs."
Another opinion identifies the imām as the revealed scriptures themselves. This is the interpretation of Ibn Zayd and al-Ḍaḥḥāk, who explained that communities will be called by the Torah, the Gospel, or the Qur'an, and asked whether they obeyed the commands and prohibitions contained therein. A third view sees imām as the leaders of guidance who will testify over people's deeds, an interpretation strengthened by narrations from the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. For example, Al-Ṭabarsī cites an authentic tradition from Imām al-Riḍā (a.s.) and others, in which the Prophet (s.a.w.) is reported to have said: "Every nation will be called on the Day of Resurrection with their imām, their book, and their prophet." Likewise, Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) said: "There is no one from this ummah except that he will be called by his imām, and we are their imāms." In this light, those who obey the rightful Imams will be led to Paradise, while those who oppose them will be consigned to the Fire. Humanity will thus be divided into groups on the basis of their allegiance.
Other opinions were also mentioned. Some exegetes, including Ibn ʿAbbās, al-Ḥasan, and Abū al-ʿĀliyah, held that imām refers to the individual's record of deeds. Others claimed it refers to one's mother, so that people would be called by maternal lineage. Al-Ṭabarsī reports this view but notes its strangeness. He comments on the verse's continuation—"whoever is given his book in his right hand"—as a sign of accepted deeds and joy, while those who receive their book from behind their backs symbolize rejection, humiliation, and punishment. Scholars differed over whether this "behind the back" means receiving it with the left hand, or as a gesture of degradation.
Al-Ṭabarsī also expounds upon the verse immediately following: "Whoever is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter" (). He records multiple explanations: that blindness means heedlessness of divine blessings; that it refers to blindness to truth and obedience in this world, resulting in blindness to reward in the next; or that it refers to blindness of the heart, an inner incapacity to recognize divine guidance. Each interpretation emphasizes that ignorance and misguidance in this life translate into intensified loss in the Hereafter. Thus, blindness here is not literal but metaphorical, signifying ignorance and deviation.
Finally, Al-Ṭabarsī interprets the mention of "the great terror (al-ʿaẓīm)" as connected to the call of verse . He offers four possible explanations: that it refers to the unveiling of the sealed records of deeds; that it connects to the inevitable punishment of the Lord (); that it links to God's ambush on the Day of Judgment (); or that it summarizes the fate of both believers and disbelievers when they are gathered in groups to be judged.
In conclusion, Al-Ṭabarsī presents imām as a polyvalent term encompassing leaders of guidance or misguidance, revealed books, and records of deeds, but he privileges the Shīʿī understanding that it refers ultimately to the infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. These are the divinely appointed guides whose obedience ensures salvation and whose rejection entails destruction. For him, the logic of the verse demands such an interpretation: God would not order people to be called with an imām unless that imām was an authoritative guide and a living embodiment of divine law. On the Day of Resurrection, then, the followers of true Imams will be honored with joy and reward, while the followers of false ones will face disgrace and punishment.
Source: Majmaʿ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6 (Qom: Dār al-ʿIlm), commentary on Q. 17:71.
Our reflection
This is our own reflection on the readings above. It is one way of reading the comparison, offered to encourage further thought rather than as the final word.
The exegetical tradition surrounding Qur’an reflects two broad tendencies: one that reduces imām to a record or scripture, and another that treats it as a living leader whose guidance—or misguidance—determined people’s fate in this world and the next.
Ibn Kathīr exemplifies the first approach. He gathers various opinions—prophets, scriptures, or records of deeds—but favors the interpretation that imām here denotes the “book of deeds.” He justifies this by appealing to verses where records are described as “clear books” (, ), and by linking it to the subsequent phrase, “whoever is given his book in his right hand.” Yet this reading collapses distinct eschatological stages into one, confusing the summoning of people “with their imām” with the later giving of their records. Moreover, it overlooks the Qur’an’s own use of imām for leaders of disbelief (), which makes clear that imām can apply to both righteous and wicked guides. Ibn Kathīr’s tafsīr thus narrows the richness of the verse and fails to explain why the Qur’an uses the evocative word imām instead of kitāb.
Al-Qurṭubī collects a wider range of views—imām as prophet, scripture, school of thought, record of deeds, or even “mothers”—but his commentary is more catalog than analysis. He rejects only the weakest view (that it means “mothers”), and otherwise leaves contradictory possibilities standing side by side. In doing so, he misses the theological coherence of the verse. He also spends much energy on whether people will be summoned by their fathers’ or mothers’ names, a secondary issue that distracts from the verse’s central point. While his compilation preserves the breadth of early speculation, it does not resolve the logical or linguistic questions raised by the text.
By contrast, both Al-Ṭabarsī and Ṭabāṭabāʾī insist that imām here must mean leadership—true or false—since only this harmonizes with Qur’anic usage and with the flow of the verse. Al-Ṭabarsī cites traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt that every nation will be called with its imām, its prophet, and its book, and that “we are their imāms.” For him, the verse shows that salvation or perdition depends upon allegiance to divinely appointed, infallible Imams after the Prophet. To be summoned with a true imām is to receive one’s record in the right hand; to be summoned with a false leader is to face blindness and disgrace. Al-Ṭabarsī balances this doctrinal position with inclusivity, recording Sunni views but showing their insufficiency when weighed against Qur’anic logic and transmitted reports.
Ṭabāṭabāʾī goes further, providing a systematic Qur’anic analysis. He surveys the term imām across the Qur’an—prophets who guide by divine command (), leaders of disbelief (), and heavenly records ()—and demonstrates that in this verse it must mean the leaders people followed in life. Unlike Ibn Kathīr, he distinguishes carefully between stages: first, people are gathered with their imām; second, their records are presented; third, judgment is rendered. He shows that following the rightful imām is inseparable from being among the “people of the right hand.” His tafsīr also draws out the theological import: that salvation in the Hereafter is tied to allegiance to the divinely appointed imām in this world, whose wilāyah is an extension of God’s own guardianship. In this way, he integrates verse into the Qur’an’s wider discourse on leadership, authority, and accountability.
Taken together, the exegetes display a spectrum: Ibn Kathīr and al-Qurṭubī confine imām to books or general records, thereby flattening the verse’s theological resonance; Al-Ṭabarsī and Ṭabāṭabāʾī preserve the verse’s full eschatological weight, showing that human destiny is bound to the leaders one chooses to follow. Of the four, Ṭabāṭabāʾī offers the most coherent and textually grounded account, while Al-Ṭabarsī roots it firmly in the Shīʿī doctrine of Imamate. Both highlight a principle that the other two neglect: on the Day of Resurrection, humanity’s divisions will mirror its allegiances in this life. People will rise with their imām—whether prophets and saints, or tyrants and false leaders—and their records will confirm the consequences of those choices.
Thus, verse is not simply about books handed out on Judgment Day, but about the enduring link between leadership and salvation: as one’s imām in this world, so one’s fate in the next.
What is your reflection?
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