like the rippling patterns on water when the wind blows upon it, and like the patterns of sand and tightly curled hair. Yet they cannot be seen because of their distance from people. The word is a plural of hibak and habikah. The answer to the oath is His saying:

“Indeed, you are in conflicting speech. (8) Turned away from it is whoever is turned away. (9) Cursed are the liars, (10) who are steeped in heedlessness, oblivious, (11) asking, ‘When is the Day of Recompense?’ (12) It is the Day when they will be tormented in the Fire: (13) ‘Taste your torment! This is what you used to seek to hasten.’” (14)

“Indeed, you”: that is, O people of Mecca, “are in conflicting speech” concerning the Quran and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Regarding the Quran, you say, “It is magic, soothsaying, and tales of the former peoples”; and regarding Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, “He is a magician, a poet, and a madman.” It was also said that “you are in conflicting speech” means that some affirm it while others deny it.

“Turned away from it is whoever is turned away”: whoever is diverted from faith in it is diverted until he denies it—that is, one whom Allah has deprived of faith in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and in the Quran. It was also said that “from” means “because of”: whoever is turned away from faith because of this conflicting speech, or on account of it, is turned away. This is because, whenever a man wished to embrace the faith, they would intercept him and say, “He is a magician, a soothsayer, and a madman,” thus turning him away from faith. This is the meaning of Mujahid’s statement.

“Cursed are the liars”: that is, may the liars be cursed. One says, “He fabricated falsehood against so-and-so.” They were those who stationed themselves at the mountain passes of Mecca and apportioned among themselves what they would say about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in order to turn people away from the religion of Islam. Mujahid said: They are the soothsayers.

“Who are steeped in heedlessness”: that is, in negligence, blindness, and ignorance; “oblivious,” heedlessly inattentive to the matter of the Hereafter. Heedlessness is inattention to a thing—the heart’s turning away from it.

“They ask, ‘When is the Day of Recompense?’” They say, “O Muhammad, when will the Day of Requital be?”—meaning the Day of Resurrection—denying it and mocking it.

Allah, exalted is He, said: “It is the Day when they”—that is, this requital will occur on a Day when they—“will be tormented in the Fire,” meaning that they will be punished and burned by it, just as gold is tested by fire. It was also said that “in” here means “by,” that is, by the Fire. The keepers of Hell will say to them: “Taste your torment!”

“Taste your torment!” that is, your punishment. “This is what you used to seek to hasten” in the life of this world, while denying it.