Transliteration:( Yawma yaqoolul munaafiqoona walmunaafiqaatu lil lazeena aamanu unzuroonaa naqtabis min noorikum qeelarji'oo waraaa'akum faltamisoo nooran faduriba bainahum bisooril lahoo baabun, baatinuhoo feehir rahmatu wa zaahiruhoo min qibalihi-'azaab )
"The day when the hypocrites [38], men and women, will say to th believers: 'Look [39] towards us, so that we may take something from your light.' It will be said to them: 'Go back to your rear [40] and seek [41] a light there.' Then a wall of separation shall be set up between [42] them, in which will be a door. The inside of it will all be mercy, and in the front [43] (outside) will be punishment."
✅ [38] Hypocrites Among the Believers – Separation at the Bridge
On the Day of Judgment, the disbelievers and believers will already be separated. However, the hypocrites, outwardly Muslims, will initially be among the believers as they all move from the Field of Accountability towards the Bridge (Sirat). Their hypocrisy will be exposed not by appearance, but by the absence of true spiritual light—a light granted only to sincere faith. While the believers shine with the glow of their prostration and iman, the hypocrites remain dark and exposed. This verse captures the moment of final separation between sincerity and deceit.
✅ [39] A Desperate Plea from Behind
The hypocrites call out from behind, pleading: “Look back at us!”—hoping that some light may reflect upon them. This highlights two things:
The believers are ahead, advancing toward Paradise.
The hypocrites are left behind, their light extinguished.
They beg for help, but it's too late—their time to repent and believe sincerely has passed.
✅ [40] Turn Back—Too Late to Seek Light
They are told to return to the Field of Accountability, from where the true light originates. The command is not a solution but a firm rejection. It's as if saying, “Go back and earn the light you failed to seek when it mattered.” But at that point, no effort can produce light, as the time of action has ended.
✅ [41] Hypocrisy’s Light Is Temporary
According to Tafseer Roohul Bayaan, while walking from the Field of Accountability, the hypocrites had some temporary light—the result of their outwardly good deeds. However, as they approach the Bridge, this light vanishes. Only the believers retain their glow. This extinguishing of false light is a metaphor for the collapse of all pretense, revealing the reality of every soul.
✅ [42] The Barrier – A’raaf: The Wall of Division
A barrier (wall) is erected between the believers and the hypocrites—identified by scholars as A’raaf. It physically and symbolically separates mercy from punishment, truth from falsehood. This wall contains a door, signifying that the truth was always accessible—but now that door is shut to the hypocrites, sealing their fate.
✅ [43] Two Sides – Mercy and Punishment
One side of the wall faces Paradise, filled with mercy and peace—a reward for those who were sincere. The other side faces Hell, filled with terror and torment—a consequence for those who faked faith and refused to repent. The wall acts as a final and eternal divider between the two destinies.
The tafsir of Surah Hadid verse 13 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Hadid ayat 12 which provides the complete commentary from verse 12 through 15.
(57:13) On that Day the hypocrites, both men and women, shall say to the believers: “Look at us that we may extract some light from your light.”[18] They will be told: “Go back and seek light for yourselves elsewhere.” Then a wall shall be erected between them with a door in it. On the inside of it there will be mercy, and on the outside of it there will be chastisement.[19]
18. It means that when the believers will be going towards Paradise, the light will be before them, and the hypocrites will be stumbling about in the darkness behind. At that time they will call out to the believers, who lived with them together in the same Muslim society in the world, saying: Look back towards us awhile so that we also may get some light.
19. This means that the people of Paradise will enter it through a gate and then the gate will be closed. On one side of the gate there will be the blessings of Paradise and on the other the torment of Hell. For the hypocrites it will not be possible to cross the barrier that will stand between them and Paradise.
[1630]- To where light was acquired, i.e., in the worldly life.
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