The Quran

Preface

وَسيقَ الَّذينَ كَفَروا إِلىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتّىٰ إِذا جاءوها فُتِحَت أَبوابُها وَقالَ لَهُم خَزَنَتُها أَلَم يَأتِكُم رُسُلٌ مِنكُم يَتلونَ عَلَيكُم آياتِ رَبِّكُم وَيُنذِرونَكُم لِقاءَ يَومِكُم هٰذا ۚ قالوا بَلىٰ وَلٰكِن حَقَّت كَلِمَةُ العَذابِ عَلَى الكافِرينَ

Yusuf Ali

The Unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowd:¹ until, when they arrive, there, its gates will be opened. And its keepers will say,² “Did not messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing to you the Signs of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of This Day of yours?” The answer will be: “True: but the Decree of Punishment has been proved true³ against the Unbelievers!”

Crowds: this is the word which gives the keynote to the Sūra. If the soul does not stand to its own convictions or search out the Truth by itself, it will be classed with the crowds that go to Perdition!
The Keepers may be supposed to be angels, who know nothing of the conditions of evil on this earth, and are surprised at such crowds coming to the “Evil Abode” (Cf. 40:49). (R).
Cf. 10:33. The answer is perhaps given by other angels: 'yes; messengers were sent to them from among themselves, to warn them and proclaim to them Mercy through repentance; but the decree of God, which warned them of punishment, has now come true against them, for they rebelled and were haughty; they rejected Truth, Faith, and Mercy!' (Cf. 67:6-11).