سورة البقرة

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): If only these disbelievers who took equals [with Allah] knew that the idols which were considered partners with Allah, and were followed and regarded as leaders, [on the Day of Resurrection] will disown those who followed them as subjects and followers.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): On the Day of Resurrection, a caller will call from the Throne: "Where is the vicegerent of Allah on His earth?" Dawud the Prophet (peace be upon him) will rise. A call will come from Allah the Mighty and Majestic: "We did not mean you, even though you were a vicegerent of Allah." A second time the call comes: "Where is the vicegerent of Allah on His earth?" Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) will rise. A call will come from Allah the Mighty and Majestic: "O creatures! This is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), the vicegerent of Allah on His earth and His proof over His servants. Whoever clung to his rope [of wilayah] in the world clings to his rope today too, so that he may take light from his light and follow him to the lofty degrees of the gardens." Then the people who had clung to his rope [of wilayah] in the world will rise and follow that noble one to Paradise. Then a call comes from Allah, glorified is His majesty: "Whoever followed a leader in the world, let him follow him [today too], wherever he takes him." This is when He says: الَّذِینَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِینَ اتَّبَعُوا وَ رَأَوُا الْعَذابَ وَ تَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبابُ [Those who were followed shall renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder]. And [at that moment] the followers say: "If only we could return once more to the world, so that we might renounce them (the misguiding leaders) just as they [today] renounced us! [Yes]; thus does Allah show them their deeds as sources of anguish for them, and they will never come out of the Fire." (Baqarah/167)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): [In Tafsir al-Nu'mani, with its chain from Imam Ali (peace be upon him), it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said:] "I am the city of knowledge." And in another place he said: "I am the city of wisdom, and Ali (peace be upon him) is [the door of] that city; so whoever seeks wisdom [or knowledge] must enter through its door [and receive knowledge and wisdom]." All of what has been mentioned is stated explicitly in the Book of Allah, and it is specific persons who know its ta'wil (interpretation). If people turn away from those persons [who know the true ta'wil of the verses of the Quran] and go toward those who claim to be knowledgeable, and in the mutashabih (ambiguous) matters [which admit of differing readings] follow them with the aim of causing fitnah (discord) or of reaching their ta'wil — which is [certainly] without proof or evidence — they destroy themselves and others. They lose out and gain no benefit from their striving. On that (Day of Resurrection) the [misguiding] leaders renounce their followers, and witness the divine chastisement, and their hands are cut off from everywhere (they find no way out and remain bewildered and confused). In the world, truth and falsehood, faith and disbelief, knowledge and ignorance, felicity and wretchedness, and Paradise and the Fire are intermingled; and truth and falsehood are never gathered together in the heart of any human being.

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): Their scheme is destroyed, and by no means can they escape from Allah's chastisement.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Regarding the meaning of وَ تَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبابُ [and their ties are cut asunder], there are several possibilities. One possibility is that all the ties and relationships that existed between them through emotions and loving bonds will be severed; and another possibility is the disappearance of the covenants they had established with one another and the pacts of friendship [it is] that they had made with one another.