Surah Al A'raf Notes (37-39)

Idolators enjoy Their destined Share in This Life, but will lose Their Supporters upon Death

(37) And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie or denies His verses? Those will attain their portion of the decree until when Our messengers come to them to take them in death, they will say, "Where are those you used to invoke besides Allah ?" They will say, "They have departed from us," and will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

(...Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat...) meaning, none is more unjust than whoever invents a lie about Allah or rejects the Ayat that He has revealed.
(...For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book...) refers to each person's deeds, alloted provisions and age.
(...until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls...) Allah states that when death comes to the idolators and the angels come to capture their souls to take them to Hellfire, the angels horrify them, saying, "Where are the so-called partners (of Allah) whom you used to call in the life of this world, invoking and worshipping them instead of Allah Call them so that they save you from what you are suffering.'' However, the idolators will reply,
("They have vanished and deserted us'') meaning, we have lost them and thus, we do not hope in their benefit or aid,
(...And they will bear witness against themselves...) they will admit and proclaim against themselves,
(...that they were disbelievers...)

People of the Fire will dispute and curse Each Other

(38) (Allah) will say: "Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and jinns, into the Fire." Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before), until they will be gathered all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them: "Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire." He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not."

(...Enter you in the company of nations...), who are your likes and similar to you in conduct
(...Who passed away before you of men and Jinn, into the Fire...) from the earlier disbelieving nations,
(...Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before)... (When those who were followed declare themselves innocent of those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them. And those who followed will say: "If only we had one more chance to return (to the worldly life), we would declare ourselves as innocent from them as they have declared themselves as innocent from us.'' Thus Allah will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And they will never get out of the Fire)
(...until they are all together in the Fire...) means, they are all gathered in the Fire

(39) The first of them will say to the last of them: "You were not better than us, so taste the torment for what you used to earn."

(...The first of them will say to the last of them...) meaning, the followed will say to the followers
("...You were not better than us...'') meaning, you were led astray as we were led astray