Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 11 Hud, Ayat 96-99

وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوۡسٰى بِاٰيٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطٰنٍ مُّبِيۡنٍۙ‏ ﴿11:96﴾ اِلٰى فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَا۟ ـئِهٖ فَاتَّبَعُوۡۤا اَمۡرَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ​ۚ وَمَاۤ اَمۡرُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِرَشِيۡدٍ‏ ﴿11:97﴾ يَقۡدُمُ قَوۡمَهٗ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ فَاَوۡرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ​ؕ وَبِئۡسَ الۡوِرۡدُ الۡمَوۡرُوۡدُ‏ ﴿11:98﴾ وَاُتۡبِعُوۡا فِىۡ هٰذِهٖ لَـعۡنَةً وَّيَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ​ ؕ بِئۡسَ الرِّفۡدُ الۡمَرۡفُوۡدُ‏ ﴿11:99﴾

(11:96) And indeed We sent Moses with Our signs and with a clear authority (11:97) to Pharaoh and his nobles. But they obeyed the command of Pharaoh even though Pharaoh's command was not rightly-directed. (11:98) He shall stand at the head of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will bring them down to the Fire.104 What a wretched destination to be led to! (11:99) They were pursued by a curse in this world and so will they be on the Day of Resurrection. What an evil reward will they receive!


Notes

104. From this verse and some other narrations of the Quran it appears that the leaders of a community in this world will be its leaders also on the Day of Resurrection. If they guided and led the people towards virtue, righteousness and truth in this world, their followers will gather together under their banner on the Day of Resurrection and march to the Gardens under their leadership. On the other hand, if they called people to some deviation, immorality or unrighteous ways, their followers will follow them there also, and march to the fire of Hell under their leadership. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained this thing in a tradition: On the Day of Resurrection, the banner of the poets of ignorance will be in the hands of Imra-ul-Quais, and all of them will march towards Hell under his leadership.

Now let us try to picture the march of these two processions. It is obvious that the first procession will march happily and joyously, praying for and praising their leaders whose guidance had led them to this happy state of marching to the blessed Paradise. On the other hand, when the followers of the leaders of errors will find themselves in the miserable plight, to which the leaders had brought them, naturally their anger against them will be beyond description. For the followers will march towards Hell, abusing and cursing their leaders, who had brought them to that horrible state of torture.