Surah An-Nahl – Verse 27 ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ...
“Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them and say: ‘Where are My associates for whose sake you have been disputing?’ Those who have been given the knowledge will say: ‘Verily, the disgrace and scandal are this day upon the unbelievers.” Knowledge and ignorance have some broader meanings in the context of the Qur’an than the general meanings which are ascribed to them.
A knowledgeable person, in the Qur’anic context, is the one whose thinking and practice are based on the truth even though he may have no command of reading and writing. An ignorant fellow, on the other hand, is he whose actions are based on what is wrong even though he might have mastery of all the subjects of science. The Qur’an regards the notion of paganism and worshipping of idols as utter ignorance, as it regards the root of the heinous act of the people of Lot as ignorance.
In this verse, also “Those Who have been given knowledge” addresses those who are facing against unbelief and paganism. That is, true knowledge leads and directs man to Monotheism and Faith. In the meantime, what was mentioned about them in the previous verse was regarding their punishment in this world, which does not end at this point. Besides that, Allah will bring them disgrace, shame and scandal in the Resurrection Day.
The verse says: “Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them…” Addressing them, He puts this question to them asking: Where are those whom you fabricated as associates for Me, used to love them and you had hostile attitudes towards others for their sake? It continues: “…and say: ‘Where are My associates for whose sake you have been disputing?’…” Most definitely, they shall have no answers here for this question.
Nevertheless, those who have been given knowledge, including the angels, prophets and the believers, open their mouth asserting: Shamefulness, scandal and ill-fate are to-day incumbent upon ‘the unbelievers’. (Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn and ’Atyab-ul-Bayan) This itself will be a type of punishment and psychological chastisement for them.