“We had no authority over you; rather, you were a transgressing people. So the word of our Lord was fulfilled against us: indeed, we shall surely taste the punishment. Thus, we led you astray, for we ourselves were astray. On that Day, then, they will share in the punishment. Indeed, this is how We deal with the criminals. For whenever they were told, ‘There is no god worthy of worship but Allah,’ they responded with arrogance, saying, ‘Are we really to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’ Rather, he brought the truth and confirmed the messengers. Indeed, you will surely taste the painful punishment, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do—except for Allah’s sincere servants. Those will have a provision well known.”
“We had no authority over you”: that is, no power or ability by which we could compel you to follow us. “Rather, you were a transgressing people”: astray.
“So the word of our Lord was fulfilled against us”: that is, the decree of punishment—His saying: “I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together” (al-Sajdah 32:13)—“indeed, we shall surely taste”: the punishment. That is, both the misguided and those who led others astray will all be in the Fire.
“Thus, we led you astray”: we diverted you from guidance and called you to what we ourselves followed, “for we ourselves were astray”: misguided. Allah, exalted is He, says: “On that Day, then, they will share in the punishment”—the leaders and their followers.
“Indeed, this is how We deal with the criminals.” Ibn Abbas said: those who ascribed partners to Allah.
“For whenever they were told, ‘There is no god worthy of worship but Allah,’ they responded with arrogance”: they arrogantly refused the statement of tawhid (monotheism) and withheld themselves from it. “And they would say, ‘Are we really to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’” They meant the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Allah, exalted is He, says in reply to them: “Rather, Muhammad brought the truth and confirmed the messengers”: that is, he came with what the messengers before him had brought.
“Indeed, you will surely taste the painful punishment, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do” in this world, namely shirk (associating partners with Allah).
“Except for Allah’s sincere servants”: those who affirmed Allah’s oneness.
“Those will have a provision well known”: that is, morning and evening, as He says: “And they will have their provision therein, morning and evening” (Maryam 19:62). (1)