And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their Lord unseen and have established prayer. And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allah is the [final] destination.
Fatir: 18
**"And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another..."**
The terms Wizr (burden) and Wiqr (load): They are synonymous. To wazara something means to carry it. Al-Wazira is an adjective describing the soul.
The meaning: On the Day of Resurrection, no soul shall carry anything except the burden it has committed. No soul shall be held accountable for the sin of another, unlike the tyrants of this world who seize the ally for the ally or the neighbor for the neighbor.
Question: Why was it not said, "No soul shall bear the burden of another," instead of using the adjective Wazira?
Answer: Because the meaning is that among all the "bearing souls," not one will be found carrying anything but its own burden, not the burden of another.
Question: How do you reconcile this with the verse: "And they will surely carry their own burdens and other burdens along with their own" (Al-Ankabut: 13)?
Answer: That verse refers to those who are astray and lead others astray. They carry the burdens of leading people astray alongside the burdens of their own misguidance. All of this constitutes their own burdens; there is nothing in it of another’s burden. Do you not see how Allah refuted their claim—"Follow our path and we will carry your sins" (Al-Ankabut: 12)—by saying: "But they will not carry anything of their sins" (Al-Ankabut: 12)?
Question: What is the difference between the meaning of this verse and the meaning of: "And if a heavily laden soul calls for help with its load, nothing of it will be carried" (Fatir: 18)?
Answer: The first verse indicates the justice of Allah in His judgment—that He does not hold a soul accountable for a sin other than its own. The second verse indicates that there is no succor on that day for those who seek it. Even if a soul is crushed and burdened by its sins, if it calls for someone to lighten its load, it will not be answered or aided, even if the one called upon is a relative, such as a father, a child, or a brother.
Question: To what does the pronoun in "even if he is a relative" (wa-law kana dha qurba) refer?
Answer: It refers to the "one called upon," which is understood from the phrase "if it calls."
Question: Why was the mention of the "one called upon" omitted?
Answer: To be general and encompass every person called upon.
Question: How is the implication of a general subject grammatically sound, given that the general subject cannot be a relative to the burdened soul?
Answer: It is a generalization made by way of substitution (badal).
Question: What do you say about those who read it as wa-law kana dhu qurba (nominative), treating kana as a complete verb (meaning "exists"), like the verse: "And if there is someone in hardship" (Al-Baqarah: 280)?
Answer: The structure of the speech is more appropriate as an incomplete verb (kana as a copula). The meaning is that if the burdened soul calls upon anyone to carry its load, nothing will be carried, even if the one called upon is a relative. This is a sound and coherent meaning. If you were to say, "Even if a relative is found," the flow would be disrupted and lose its cohesion. Furthermore, there is a hidden pronoun in the verb here that justifies the incomplete construction, unlike the example you provided.
"Who fear their Lord in the unseen" (bi-l-ghayb): This is a state (hal) of the subject or the object. It means they fear their Lord while they are absent from His punishment, or they fear His punishment while it is absent from them. It is also said that bi-l-ghayb means "in secret." This describes those among the companions who were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). It was their constant habit to fear Allah, and they are the ones who established prayer, leaving it as a set beacon and a raised standard.
"Meaning": You are only able to warn these people from among your tribe, and the benefit of the warning is realized in them, rather than in the rebellious and obstinate among them.
"And whoever purifies himself" (wa-man tazakka): Whoever cleanses himself by performing acts of obedience and abandoning sins. (It is also read as man azka fa-innama yuzakki). This is an interjection emphasizing their fear and their establishment of prayer, as both are part of "purification."
"And to Allah is the destination": A promise of reward for those who purify themselves.
Question: How does "You can only warn" connect to what precedes it?
Answer: When He expressed anger toward them in the verse, "If He wills, He can do away with you," He followed it with a warning about the Day of Resurrection and a mention of its terrors. Then He said, "You can only warn," as if the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had made them hear that, but it did not benefit them, so this was revealed, or Allah informed him of His knowledge regarding them.
"And not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor are the darkness and the light. Nor are the shade and the heat. And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves. You are only a warner."
