that is because the people of Mecca had no cultivation.

“Then the end of those who did evil was the worst end, because they denied the signs of Allah and mocked them. (10) Allah originates creation, then brings it back again; then to Him you will be returned. (11) On the Day the Hour comes, the criminals will be struck dumb with despair. (12) They will have no intercessors among their partners, and they will disavow their partners. (13) On the Day the Hour comes, they will then be separated. (14)”

“Then the end of those who did evil,” that is, those who committed evil deeds, “was the worst end”: namely, the state that will grieve them, which is the Fire. It was also said that “the worst end” is a name for Hell, just as “the best end” is a name for Paradise. (1) “Because they denied,” that is, because of their denial. It was also said that the explanation of “the worst end” is what follows it—namely, “because they denied.” That is, the eventual outcome of the evildoers was denial: those evil deeds led them to deny the signs of Allah and to mock them.

The reciters of the Hijaz and Basra read “the end” in the nominative case, meaning: then the final outcome of their affair was evil. The others read it in the accusative case, as the predicate of “was”; its meaning is: then the worst end was the end of those who did evil.

Allah’s statement, “Allah originates creation, then brings it back again,” means that He creates them in the first instance, then restores them to life after death. He did not say, “then brings them back again,” but referred the pronoun back to “creation.” “Then to Him you will be returned,” and He will recompense them for their deeds. Abu Amr and Abu Bakr read it in the third person, “they will be returned,” while the others read it in the second person, “you will be returned.”

“On the Day the Hour comes, the criminals will be struck dumb with despair.” Qatada and al-Kalbi said: “The idolaters will despair of every good.” Al-Farra said: “Their speech and their argument will cease.” (2) Mujahid said: “They will be exposed and disgraced.”

“They will have no intercessors among their partners, and they will disavow their partners”: they will deny and repudiate them; they will disown them, and their partners will disown them.

“On the Day the Hour comes, they will then be separated”: the people of Paradise will be distinguished from the people of the Fire. Muqatil said: “After the reckoning, they will depart for Paradise and the Fire, and they will never again come together.”