(159–162) “Indeed, those who conceal the clear proofs and guidance We have sent down after We made them clear to people in the Book—they are cursed by Allah and cursed by all who curse. Except those who repent, mend their ways, and make the truth clear: I will accept their repentance, for I am the Ever-Relenting, the Most Merciful. Indeed, those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers—they are subject to the curse of Allah, the angels, and all humanity. They will abide therein forever. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be granted any respite.”
Although this verse was revealed concerning the People of the Book and what they concealed regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his attributes, its ruling applies generally to everyone who conceals what Allah has revealed of “the clear proofs”—those which point to the truth and make it manifest—and “the guidance,” namely, the knowledge by which one is guided to the straight path and by which the way of the people of bliss is distinguished from the way of the people of Hell.
Allah has taken a covenant from those endowed with knowledge that they must make clear to people the knowledge of the Book that He has graciously bestowed upon them and must not conceal it. Whoever casts this aside combines two evils: concealing what Allah has revealed and deceiving Allah’s servants. Such people “are cursed by Allah”; that is, He removes and drives them far from nearness to Him and from His mercy.
“And cursed by all who curse”—namely, all created beings. They incur the curse of all creation because they strive to deceive people, corrupt their religion, and distance them from Allah’s mercy. They are thus recompensed according to the nature of their deeds. Conversely, Allah and His angels send blessings upon one who teaches people goodness, as does even the fish in the water, because he strives for people’s welfare, rectifies their religion, and brings them nearer to Allah’s mercy. He too is recompensed according to the nature of his deeds.
Thus, one who conceals what Allah has revealed opposes Allah’s command and sets himself against Him: Allah makes the verses clear to people and elucidates them, whereas this person obscures them (1). He is therefore subject to this severe warning.
“Except those who repent”; that is, they turn away from the sins they have been committing with remorse, abandon them, and firmly resolve never to return to them; “and mend” whatever was corrupt in their deeds. Merely abandoning evil is therefore insufficient until one also performs what is good.
For one who has concealed the truth, even this is not sufficient until he makes clear what he concealed and openly proclaims the opposite of what he had hidden. Allah accepts the repentance of such a person, for no one is barred from Allah’s acceptance of repentance. Whoever fulfills the conditions of repentance, Allah accepts his repentance, for He is “the Ever-Relenting”—the One who repeatedly turns to His servants with pardon and forgiveness after they sin, when they repent, and with beneficence and blessings after withholding them, when they return to Him.
He is “the Most Merciful,” possessed of immense mercy that encompasses all things. It is by His mercy that He enables them to repent and turn to Him, so they repent and return; He then shows them further mercy by graciously and generously accepting this from them. This is the ruling concerning one who repents of sin.
As for one who disbelieves and persists in disbelief until death, neither returning to his Lord nor turning to Him in repentance, and failing to repent in due time, such people “are subject to the curse of Allah, the angels, and all humanity.” Since their disbelief became a firmly established attribute, the curse upon them likewise becomes a permanent attribute that will never cease, for a ruling follows its effective cause, being present when that cause is present and absent when it is absent.
“They will abide therein forever”; that is, either in the curse or in the punishment—both meanings apply (2).
“The punishment will not be lightened for them.” Rather, their punishment will be perpetual, severe, and unceasing. “Nor will they be granted any respite”; that is, they will not be given additional time, for the time of respite—this worldly life—has already passed, and no excuse will remain for them to offer.