and the best of them.

The Prophet ﷺ then related that men from his nation will be brought forward and taken to the left-hand side—that is, toward the road of the people of Hell, may Allah protect us. The Prophet ﷺ will exclaim, “My companions!”—seeking Allah’s intercession for them. He will be told, “You do not know what they introduced after you.” The Prophet ﷺ will then reply with the very words of the righteous servant—Jesus son of Mary—when, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah says to him, Did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?” (Q 5:116), as the Christians who claim to follow him allege. Jesus will answer, Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say (Q 5:116), for divinity belongs to none but Allah, Lord of all creation.

He will continue: If I had said it, You would already know it. You know what is within me, whereas I do not know what is within You. Truly, You alone are the Knower of the unseen. I said to them only what You commanded me to say: “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” I was a witness over them for as long as I remained among them; but when You took me up, You Yourself were the Watcher over them, and You are Witness over all things (Q 5:116–117).

In the same way, when the Prophet ﷺ is told on the Day of Judgment, “You do not know what they introduced after you,” he will repeat the words of Jesus son of Mary: I was a witness over them for as long as I remained among them; but when You took me up, You Yourself were the Watcher over them, and You are Witness over all things.

After that it will be announced to the Messenger ﷺ, “They continued to relapse into apostasy, turning on their heels, from the moment you left them.” The Prophet ﷺ will then declare, “Away with them! Away with them!”

The phrase, “They continued to relapse into apostasy, turning on their heels, from the moment you left them,” is seized upon by the Rāfiḍah, who claim—Allah forbid—that all of the Companions apostasized after the Prophet.