The Bad Condition of Whoever is given His Record in His Left Hand

These Ayat inform about the condition of the wretched people when one of them is given his Record (of deeds) in his left hand when the people are brought before Allah. At this time he will be very remorseful.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـبَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَـبِيَهْ - وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ - يلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ

هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ (My power has gone from me for good...69:29). The word sultan, literally, yields the sense of 'power or overpowering'. Therefore, a government or state is referred to as saltanah and a ruler is referred to as sultan. In other words, when people gain power and political ascendancy in the world, they become proud, hold sway over other people, perpetrate injustices and commit atrocities. But in the Hereafter all that will vanish and be lost, and the unjust and proud rulers will have no army to obey or support them. They will be miserable and helpless creatures who will not be able to defend themselves.

The word sultan also stands for 'authority, proof or argument' in which case it would mean: 'Today I have no argument in favour of protecting myself against punishment'.