Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 14 Ibrahim, Ayat 21-21

وَبَرَزُوۡا لِلّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا فَقَالَ الضُّعَفٰۤؤُا لِلَّذِيۡنَ اسۡتَكۡبَرُوۡۤا اِنَّا كُنَّا لَـكُمۡ تَبَعًا فَهَلۡ اَنۡـتُمۡ مُّغۡـنُوۡنَ عَنَّا مِنۡ عَذَابِ اللّٰهِ مِنۡ شَىۡءٍ​ؕ قَالُوۡا لَوۡ هَدٰٮنَا اللّٰهُ لَهَدَيۡنٰكُمۡ​ؕ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡنَاۤ اَجَزِعۡنَاۤ اَمۡ صَبَرۡنَا مَا لَـنَا مِنۡ مَّحِيۡصٍ‏ ﴿14:21﴾

(14:21) Then all of them will appear exposed before Allah,28 and the weak ones will say to the haughty ones: "We merely followed you. Will you, then, protect us from Allah's chastisement?" They will say: "Had Allah shown us the Way to our salvation, we would surely have also guided you. Now it is all the same whether we cry or suffer patiently, we have no escape."29

Notes

28. The word baruz means to emerge and also implies to become known. That is why it has been translated into “shall appear before Allah”, for it implies both these meanings. As a matter of fact, all the people are fully exposed all the time before Allah but they do not realize it. They will, however, realize it on the Day of Judgment when they shall be presented before the Greatest of all Judges that they were fully exposed before Him all along. So much so that every deed they did and each and everything they thought and desired is known to Him.

29. This is to serve as a warning to all those people who follow others blindly or obey and submit to tyrants because they say: We are weak. They are warned, as if to say: You should note it well that those leaders, saints, officers and rulers whom you arc following blindly today, will not be able to protect you at all from the chastisement of Allah. Therefore, you should consider it well today where such people, whom you are following or obeying, are themselves going and where they are leading you.