“But they denied him, and so they will surely be brought forth [for punishment], except for Allah’s chosen servants.” (127–128)

“[Recall] when he said to his people, ‘Will you not fear Allah? Do you call upon’—that is, do you worship—‘Baal’?” Baal was the name of an idol which they worshipped. For this reason, their city was called Baalbek. Mujahid, Ikrimah, and Qatadah said: “Baal means ‘lord’ in the language of the people of Yemen.”

“And abandon the Best of creators”—that is, you do not hold yourselves distant from Him.

“Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.” Hamzah, al-Kisa’i, Hafs, and Yaqub recited “Allah, your Lord and the Lord” with Allah, Lord, and Lord in the accusative, as apposition; the other reciters read them in the nominative, as a new clause.

“But they denied him, and so they will surely be brought forth [for punishment]”—in the Fire—“except for Allah’s chosen servants” among his people, for they were saved from the punishment.