Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:12

Surah Al-'Ankabut (The Spider): Verse 12

(12) And those who disbelieve say to those who believe: "Follow our way, and we will carry your sins." But they will not carry anything of their sins. Indeed, they are liars.

When God Almighty clarified the three groups and their states, and mentioned that the disbeliever calls the believer from saying, "I believe," toward disbelief through temptation, and clarified that God's punishment is above them. The disbeliever used to say to the believer: "Be patient in humiliation and harm! Why do you not ward off humiliation and torment from yourself by agreeing with us?"

The believer's response was to say, out of fear of God's punishment for the sin of their path: "If you follow us, we will carry your sins." They replied: "There is no sin in it, and even if there is a sin, it is upon us."

In this verse, there are several issues:

The form used is an imperative command (لِنَحْمِلْ - "Let us carry"), yet the one being commanded (the believer) is not the one issuing the command (the disbeliever). How is a self-command valid?

Answer: The form is imperative, but the meaning is one of condition and consequence (if you follow us, then we will carry your sins).

Al-Kashshaf's author states that this is similar to someone desiring the realization of two matters, saying: "Let the giving be from you, and let the supplication be from me." Thus, وَلْنَحْمِلْ means, "Let the carrying be from us," but it is not truly a command demanding obligation.

It is stated here: "But they will not carry anything of their sins" (وَمَا هُم بِحَامِلِينَ مِن خَطَايَاهُمْ), yet later it is stated: "And they will surely carry their own burdens and burdens along with their burdens" (Al-'Ankabut: 13). How can we reconcile the negation of carrying with the affirmation of carrying?

Answer: The statement of the speaker, "So-and-so carried on behalf of so-and-so," implies that the burden of the latter was lightened. If their burden was not lightened, then nothing was carried from them. Similarly here, "they will not carry anything of their sins" means they will not lift a single sin off them. However, they will carry burdens due to misleading others, and they will carry burdens due to their own misguidance. This is like what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever establishes a bad precedent will bear its sin, and the sin of everyone who acts upon it, without anything being diminished from his own burden."

The form is an imperative command, and commands are not subject to affirmation or denial (truth or falsehood). How then is the statement "Indeed, they are liars" (إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ) understood?

Answer: It has already been established that the meaning is conditional and consequential. It is as if they said: "If you follow us, we will carry your sins." They lied about this promise, because they will not carry anything [of the believer's sins].

{And they will surely carry their own burdens and burdens along with their burdens, and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what they used to invent.}