Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Saba -> The Angels will disown Their Worshippers on the Day of Resurrection

Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, He will rebuke the idolators before all of creation. He will ask the angels whom the idolators used to worship, claiming that their idols were in the form of these angels and that they could bring them nearer to Allah. He will ask the angels:

﴿أَهَـؤُلاَءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ﴾

(Was it you that these people used to worship) meaning, `did you command them to worship you' Allah says in Surat Al-Furqan:

﴿أَءَنتُمْ أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِى هَـؤُلاَءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا السَّبِيلَ﴾

(Was it you who misled these My servants or did they (themselves) stray from the (right) path) (25:17). And He will say to `Isa, peace be upon him:

﴿أَءَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَـنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِى أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ﴾

(Did you say unto men: "Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah,' He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say).'') (5:116). Similarly, the angels will say:

﴿سُبْحَـنَكَ﴾

Glorified be You! meaning, exalted and sanctified be You above the notion that there could be any god besides You.

﴿أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِمْ﴾

You are our Protector instead of them. means, we are Your servants and we disown these people before You.

﴿بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ﴾

(Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn;) meaning, the Shayatin, because they are the ones who made idol worship attractive to them and who misguided them.

﴿أَكْـثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ﴾

most of them were believers in them. This is like the A0yah:

﴿إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ﴾

(They invoke nothing but females besides Him, and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel! Allah cursed him) (4:117-118). Allah says:

﴿فَالْيَوْمَ لاَ يَمْلِكُ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ نَّفْعاً وَلاَ ضَرّاً﴾

(So Today, none of you can profit or harm one another.) means, `none of those idols and rivals whom you hoped would benefit you, will be of any avail to you, those whom you worshipped in the hope that they would help you at times of stress and calamity. Today they will have no power either to benefit you or to harm you.'

﴿وَنَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ﴾

And We shall say to those who did wrong: -- meaning the idolators --

﴿ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ﴾

("Taste the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.'') meaning, this will be said to them by way of rebuke.

﴿وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ ءايَـتُنَا بَيّنَاتٍ قَالُواْ مَا هَـذَا إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءابَآؤُكُمْ وَقَالُواْ مَا هَـذَآ إِلاَّ إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلْحَقّ لَمَّا جَآءهُمْ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ وَمَآ ءاتَيْنَـهُمْ مّنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مّن نَّذِيرٍ وَكَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبلِهِمْ وَمَا بَلَغُواْ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءاتَيْنَـهُمْ فَكَذَّبُواْ رُسُلِى فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ﴾

(43. And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, they say: "This is naught but a man who wishes to hinder you from that which your fathers used to worship.'' And they say: "This is nothing but an invented lie.'' And those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them: "This is nothing but evident magic!'') (44. And We had not given them Scriptures that they could study, nor sent to them before you any warner.) (45. And those before them denied; these have not received even a tenth of what We had granted to those (of old); yet they denied My Messengers. Then how (terrible) was My denial!)