believe in it, and instead believes only in this life, cares nothing about what lies beyond it and makes no preparation for it. Such people remain like cattle: they enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, while the Fire is their abode. Allah always couples belief in Him with belief in the Last Day, because belief in Allah is the beginning and belief in the Last Day is the end.
Thus, you believe in Allah and then work for the Last Day, which is the final abode. These people—we seek refuge in Allah—deny the Day of Recompense, and whoever denies it can never work toward it, for deeds are founded upon belief. If there is no belief, there can be no deeds. Hence He says, “None denies it except every transgressing sinner.” That is, none denies and rejects the Day of Recompense “except every transgressing sinner”: “transgressing” in his deeds and “sinful” in his words. It has also been said that he is “transgressing” in his deeds and “sinful” in what he earns, meaning that his course ultimately leads to sin. The two interpretations are similar. None can deny the Day of Recompense except a transgressing sinner—a sinful person who accumulates sins that lead him to the Fire of Hell. We seek refuge in Allah.
“When Our verses are recited to him”—meaning, when someone recites them to him. This indicates that the man never even thinks of reciting Allah’s verses himself; rather, they are recited to him. When they are recited to him, “he says, ‘Fables of former peoples!’” That is, these are the fables of former peoples. “Fables” is the plural of “fable,” meaning tales told for amusement that have no truth or basis. Thus, he says that this Quran is merely the fables of former peoples.
He derives no benefit from the Quran, even though it is the most eloquent speech and has the most powerful effect upon the heart. Allah Most High says, “Indeed, in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or listens attentively with a present mind” [Qāf: 37]. This is because he denies the Day of Recompense, and none denies it except every transgressing sinner. He is therefore not a believer, so the light of the verses of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not reach his heart. Instead, he regards them as tales told by old women, devoid of any truth or seriousness.
Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says, “No indeed! Rather”—meaning that these are not the fables of former peoples. Instead, as for these people, “their hearts have been encrusted”—that is, something has accumulated over their hearts and veiled them from the truth—by “what they used to earn,” meaning: