“Or do they have a god other than Allah? Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. (43) If they were to see a fragment of the sky falling, they would say, ‘It is piled-up clouds.’ (44) So leave them until they meet their Day on which they will be struck dead—(45) the Day when their plotting will not avail them at all, nor will they be helped. (46) Indeed, those who do wrong will have a punishment before that, but most of them do not know. (47) So be patient for the judgment of your Lord, for you are before Our eyes. And glorify your Lord with praise when you rise. (48)”

“Or do they have a god other than Allah”—one that provides for them and aids them? “Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.” 142/ Al-Khalil said: Every occurrence of the particle am (“or”) in this surah is interrogative, not conjunctive.

“If they were to see a fragment”—a piece—“of the sky falling.” This answers their statement: “Cause a fragment of the sky to fall upon us.” He says: Even if We punished them by causing part of the sky to fall upon them, they would not desist from their disbelief. “They would say”—because of their stubbornness—“It is piled-up clouds,” layered one upon another, which will give us rain.

“So leave them until they meet”—that is, witness—“their Day on which they will be struck dead,” meaning, until they witness death. Ibn Amir and Asim recited it with the letter ya’ vowelled with dammah, meaning: they will be destroyed.

“The Day when their plotting will not avail them at all, nor will they be helped.” That is, their plotting will not benefit them on the Day of death, and no one will prevent the punishment from reaching them.

“Indeed, those who do wrong”—who disbelieve—(1)—“will have a punishment before that,” meaning, a punishment in this world before the punishment of the Hereafter. Ibn Abbas said: This refers to their being killed on the day of Badr. Al-Dahhak said: It is hunger and drought for seven years. Al-Bara ibn Azib said: It is the punishment of the grave. “But most of them do not know” that punishment is coming upon them.

“So be patient for the judgment of your Lord,” until the punishment that We have decreed for them comes to pass. “For you are before Our eyes,” that is, in Our sight. Ibn Abbas said: We see what is done to you. Al-Zajjaj said: You are where We see you and protect you, so they cannot bring about what you would dislike. “And glorify your Lord with praise when you rise.” Said ibn Jubayr and Ata said: That is, when you rise from a gathering, say: “Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You.” If the gathering was one of goodness, you will increase in good through it; and if it was otherwise, this will be an expiation for it. (2)