And mention the day on which We shall gather them that is creation all together then We shall say to those who associated others with God ‘In your place! makānakum is in the accusative because ilzamū ‘adhere to’ is implied sc. ilzamū makānakum. You antum this emphasises the second person plural subject concealed in the implied verb ilzamū and allows for the supplement that follows and your associates!’ that is the idols. Then We shall make a separation We shall distinguish between them and the believers as is stated in the verse wa’mtāzū’l-yawma ayyuhā’l-mujrimūn ‘Now be separate you sinners upon this day!’ Q. 3659; and their associates will say to them ‘It was not us that you were worshipping mā of mā-kuntum ‘you were not …’ is for negation; the direct object iyyānā ‘us’ precedes the verb in order to accord with the end-rhyme of the Qur’ānic verse;