In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا

وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا

رَبَّنَا آتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا

On the Day when their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say: “Oh, would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger (Muhammad). And they will say: “Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Way. Our Lord! give them double torment and curse them with a mighty curse! [Al-Ahzab 66-68]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, commented:

A people would wish that they obeyed Allah and His Messenger at a time wherein that would not be of benefit to them. They would make excuses that they obeyed their great ones and chiefs, and acknowledge that they have no excuses in that, thus, such obedience and allegiance (to their chiefs and great ones) led them to say:

رَبَّنَا آتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا

Our Lord! give them double torment and curse them with a mighty curse!”

There is a lesson and a clear admonition in this for the one with common sense. And with Allah is the facilitation of all ability (achieve good).

Bada’i At-Tafseer Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah: 2/338