messengers to guide them and deliver them from that punishment and that terrible plight—had they only responded to the messengers. Accordingly, the angels will put to them a reproachful question: “Did there not come to you messengers from among yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord?” They will admit the truth of that and acknowledge that the blame lies squarely with them: they wronged their own souls by refusing to heed the messengers and by failing to live by the revealed scriptures. That admission only increases their torment and humiliation, for at that point every excuse is cut off.

As for the believers, they will be escorted to Paradise because they obeyed the messengers and acted upon the revealed books, and Allah—exalted is He—will save them from what befell those disbelievers. The angels will welcome them with glad tidings, greet them with peace, and congratulate them on the honor Allah has bestowed upon them, saying, “Peace be upon you; you have done well—so enter it to abide forever.” There they will remain for endless eternity, in bliss and joy.

Allah, majestic and exalted, then concludes this awe-inspiring scene by describing the noble angels encircling His Throne, glorifying Him and declaring Him far above every imperfection or flaw. His requital of both parties—the disbelievers and the believers—is perfectly just, and He is praised for that. Ultimately, all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all creation, for what He has decreed, arranged, judged, and made equitable: He gives every claimant his due and settles the account of every doer in the manner that befits him. Thus He is praised—glorified and exalted is He—for that; His is the praise in this world and in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.

Question: In Allah’s words, “Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups” (al-Zumar 71), what does the term “in groups” (zumarā) mean?

Answer: Zumarā means companies or groups.