And when a discerning person reflects on most of what people say in their conversations and writings, he finds it to be just like this. Utter loss lies in dwelling on such speech and allowing it to distract one from the best and most beneficial speech: the Book of the Lord, glorified be He.
Al-Dahhāk said: “Allah likens the disbeliever to a tree uprooted from the surface of the earth, with no firm footing. This means that it has neither root nor branch, bears no fruit, and offers no benefit. Likewise, the disbeliever neither does nor speaks any good, nor is any blessing or benefit placed in it for him.”
Ibn ‘Abbās said: “‘And the parable of an evil word’—which is associating partners with Allah—‘is that of an evil tree’—meaning the disbeliever—‘uprooted from the surface of the earth, with no firm footing.’ This means that associating partners with Allah has no root for the disbeliever to hold on to, nor any proof. Allah accepts no deed accompanied by such association; thus, the idolater’s deeds are neither accepted nor ascend to Allah. They have no firmly established root in the earth and no branch in heaven. This means that he has no righteous deed in heaven or on earth.”
Al-Rabī‘ ibn Anas said: “The evil tree is a likeness of the disbeliever: neither his words nor his deeds have any root or branch. Neither his words nor his deeds find a firm footing on earth or ascend to heaven.”
Sa‘īd reported that Qatādah said concerning this verse: “A man met a learned man and asked him, ‘What do you say about the evil word?’ He replied, ‘I know of no resting place for it on earth, nor any ascent for it into heaven. It merely clings to the neck of the one who utters it until he comes bearing it on the Day of Resurrection.’”
His words “uprooted” mean torn out by the roots from the surface of the earth.
Then He, glorified be He, tells of His grace and justice toward the two groups: those whose words are good and those whose words are evil. He states that, on account of their faith, He keeps the believers steadfast with the firm word when they need it most, in this world and the Hereafter, and that He leads the wrongdoers astray,