Page 156
wa-nādā ʾaṣḥābu l-ʾaʿrāfi rijālan yaʿrifūnahum bi-sīmāhum qālū mā ʾaghnā ʿankum jamʿukum wa-mā kuntum tastakbirūna
The occupants of the Elevations will call out to certain men whom they recognize by their marks, ‘Your rallying did not avail you, nor what you used to disdain.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘A’raf, Verses 48 - 49
48. "And the occupant of A'raf (the heights) shall call to men whom they will recognize by their marks, saying: Of no avail were to you your amassing and what you used to act proudly'."
49. "Are these they whom you swore that Allah will not bestow any mercy on them? (Whom Allah now says) Enter you into Paradise; no fear shall be upon you, nor shall you grieve."
The verse begins saying:
Upon the commentary of this verse, Imam Sadiq (as) says:
"The people of' A'r'af mean divine prophets and their successors. They will call to some persons of the inhabitants of Hell, and to the chiefs of the disbelievers, and blaming them seriously, they say: 'Of no avail were to you your amassing (wealth) and what you used to act proudly'."
This statement of the Qur'an refers to the dwellers of Heaven whom the chiefs of disbelievers blamed and despised in the world. They used to belittle them because of their poverty and showed arrogance upon them with their worldly wealth. The disbelievers swore that Allah would not let them enter into Paradise.
By Allah’s leave the people of 'A'raf will state this meaning to the oppressive ones that they enter into Heaven while they are neither frightened nor are they grievous. Asbah-ibn-Nabatah has narrated from Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) who said:
'On the Day of Judgment' we will stand between Heaven and Hell. Then whoever has helped us (in the world) we will recognize him by his feature and will send him into Heaven; and whoever has been hostile to us, we will recognize him, too, and will send him into Hell." 1
Footnotes