Qatadah said: The answer to the oath is His saying: “Rather, those who disbelieve...” just as He says: “By the glorious Quran. Yet they wonder...” (Qaf 50:1–2).

It was also said that the wording involves inversion, its intended order being: “Rather, those who disbelieve are steeped in pride and defiance—by the Quran, full of reminder.”

Al-Akhfash said: Its answer is His saying: “Every one of them denied the messengers” (Sad 38:14), like His saying: “By Allah, we were...” (al-Shu‘ara’ 26:97), and: “By the heaven and the night visitor—there is no soul...” (al-Tariq 86:1–3).

It was also said: Its answer is His saying: “This is indeed Our provision...” (Sad 38:54). (1)

Al-Kisa’i said that it is His saying: “That is certainly true: the dispute of the people of the Fire” (Sad 38:64). This is weak, however, because many narratives and reports intervene between this oath and that answer.

Al-Qutaybi said: Rather is used to correct one statement and negate another. The meaning of the verse is that Allah swore by Sad and by the Quran, full of reminder, that the disbelievers among the people of Mecca were steeped in the fiercely partisan zealotry of the pre-Islamic era, arrogant toward the truth, and in opposition, disagreement, and enmity toward Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Mujahid said, concerning “steeped in pride”: “They were banded together in defiance.” (2)

“How many generations We destroyed before them! Then they cried out, but it was no time for escape.” (3)

“How many generations We destroyed before them,” meaning, of the bygone nations. “Then they cried out”: they sought help when the punishment descended and retribution came upon them. “But it was no time for escape”: there was neither strength nor flight. (3)

Manas is the verbal noun of nasa yanusu, and denotes escape and delay. One says nasa yanusu when someone falls behind, and basa yabusu when he moves forward. Lat means “is not” in the language of the people of Yemen. (4)

The grammarians said that it is la with an added t, like their forms rubb and rubbat, and thamma and thammat. Its origin was an h joined to la, so they said lah, just as they said thammah; then, in connected speech, they rendered it with a t. According to al-Zajjaj, one pauses on it with the t, whereas according to al-Kisa’i, one pauses with an h: wa-lah.

A group held that the t was added to hin, and that one should pause at wa-la and then begin: tahina. This was the preferred view of Abu ‘Ubaydah, who said: “This is how it was found in the codex of ‘Uthman.” It is like the verse of Abu Wajzah al-Sa‘di:

“Those who come to others’ aid, when there is no one to offer aid ...
And those who provide food, at a time when there is no provider of food.” (5)