﴿63 - 67﴾ “But their hearts are in confusion over this, and they have other deeds besides that which they will commit—until, when We seize their affluent ones with punishment, they suddenly cry out for help. ‘Do not cry out today! You will receive no help from Us. My verses used to be recited to you, but you would turn back on your heels, arrogantly boasting of it, holding nightly gatherings and speaking evil.’”
Allah Most High informs us that the hearts of those who deny the truth are in confusion over this—that is, immersed in ignorance, wrongdoing, heedlessness, and aversion. This prevents them from reaching this Quran, so they are not guided by it, and nothing of it reaches ⦗555⦘ their hearts:
“When you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed barrier, and We place coverings over their hearts lest they understand it, and deafness in their ears.”
Since their hearts were immersed in confusion over it, they acted in accordance with that condition, committing deeds of disbelief and obstinately opposing the revealed law, thereby warranting punishment. “But they have other deeds besides” these deeds “which they will commit.” They should therefore not be surprised that punishment has not yet befallen them, for Allah grants them respite so that they may commit those deeds that remain for them among what has been decreed for them. Once they have committed and completed them in full, they will pass, in the worst of states, into Allah’s wrath and punishment.
“Until, when We seize their affluent ones”—that is, those who live in ease and are accustomed only to luxury, comfort, and pleasure, without ever suffering hardship—“with punishment,” and they feel its touch, “they suddenly cry out for help.” They scream and lament because something has befallen them contrary to what they were accustomed to, and they plead for rescue. It will then be said to them: “Do not cry out today! You will receive no help from Us.” If no help comes to them from Allah and all succor from Him is cut off, they will be unable to help themselves, nor will anyone else help them.
It is as though it were asked: What brought them to this condition? He says: “My verses used to be recited to you” so that you might believe in them and embrace them, but you did not do so. Rather, “you would turn back on your heels”—that is, retreating backward. By following the Quran, they would advance; by turning away from it, they fall behind and descend to the lowest of the low.
“Arrogantly boasting of it, holding nightly gatherings and speaking evil.” The commentators said that “arrogantly boasting of it” means that the pronoun refers either to the House, well known to those being addressed, or to the Sanctuary. In other words, they behaved arrogantly toward other people because of it, saying, “We are the people of the Sanctuary, so we are better and more exalted than others.” “Holding nightly gatherings” means gathering to converse at night around the House, while “speaking evil” means uttering foul words about this Quran.
The way of those who denied the Quran was to turn away from it and urge one another to do the same:
“Those who disbelieve say, ‘Do not listen to this Quran, but make noise while it is being recited, so that you may prevail.’”
Allah also says concerning them:
“Do you marvel at this discourse, and laugh rather than weep, while you remain heedless?”
And:
“Or do they say, ‘He fabricated it’?”
Since they combined all these vices, their punishment inevitably became due. When it befell them, they had no supporter to help them and no rescuer to deliver them. They were then rebuked for these base deeds.
“Have they not pondered the Word?” Why do they not reflect upon the Quran, contemplate it, and ponder its meanings? Had they pondered it, it would have led them to faith and prevented them from disbelieving. But the calamity that befell them was caused by their aversion to it. This indicates that pondering the Quran calls to every good and protects from every evil. What prevented them from pondering it was the locks upon their hearts.
“Or has there come to them something that did not come to their forefathers of old?” In other words, were they prevented from believing because a Messenger and a Book came to them, though nothing similar had come to their earliest forefathers? They were content to follow the path of their misguided forefathers and opposed everything that differed from it. For this reason, they and others like them among the disbelievers said what Allah relates concerning them:
“Likewise, whenever We sent a warner before you to any town, its affluent people said, ‘We found our forefathers following a way, and we are following in their footsteps.’”
He answered them by saying:
“He said, ‘Even if I have brought you better guidance than that upon which you found your forefathers?’”
Would you then follow it, if your aim were truly to find the truth? They answered by revealing their true position:
“They said, ‘We disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.’”
His words, “Or did they fail to recognize their Messenger and therefore deny him?” mean: Were they prevented from following the truth because their Messenger, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was unknown to them, and so they denied him? Did they say, “We do not know him or whether he is truthful. Give us time to investigate his condition and ask those who know him”? That was not the case. They knew the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, perfectly well. Young and old alike knew every noble quality in him and were acquainted with his truthfulness and trustworthiness. Indeed, even before his mission they used to call him “the Trustworthy.” Why, then, did they not believe him when he brought them this momentous truth and manifest veracity?
“Or do they say, ‘He is possessed by madness’?” That is, they claim he is mad and that this is why he said what he said. A madman is not heeded, and no weight is given to his words, because he raves with falsehood and foolish speech.
Allah refutes this claim of theirs by saying: “Rather, he has brought them the truth”—that is, the firmly established reality, consisting entirely of truthfulness and justice, with no discrepancy or contradiction. How, then, could the one who brought it be mad? Indeed, he must occupy the highest rank of perfection in knowledge, reason, and noble character.
This also marks a transition from the preceding arguments: rather, the true reason they were prevented from believing was that he brought them the truth, “but most of them detest the truth.” The greatest truth he brought them was that worship must be devoted sincerely to Allah alone and that whatever is worshiped besides Him must be abandoned. Their hatred of this matter and their astonishment at it are well known. Thus, the fact that the Messenger brought the truth, together with their fundamental hatred of the truth, is what caused them to reject it—not any doubt about it or belief that the Messenger was lying. As Allah Most High says:
“They do not call you a liar; rather, the wrongdoers reject Allah’s signs.”
If it is asked why the truth does not accord with their desires so that they might believe and hasten to submit, Allah Most High answers:
“Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth would surely have been corrupted.”
This is because their desires are attached to wrongdoing, disbelief, and corruption in character and conduct. Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth would have been corrupted because the administration and governance founded upon wrongdoing and the absence of justice would themselves have been corrupt. ⦗556⦘ The heavens and the earth have remained in order only through truth and justice.
“Rather, We have brought them their reminder”—that is, this Quran, which reminds them of every good and in which lie their pride and honor, if they uphold it and thereby become leaders of mankind.
“Yet they turn away from their reminder,” because of their wretchedness and lack of divine enabling. “They forgot Allah, so He forgot them.” They forgot Allah, so He caused them to forget themselves. The Quran and the one who brought it constitute the greatest blessing Allah bestowed upon them, yet they responded to it only with rejection and aversion. Is there any deprivation beyond this deprivation? Can anything follow it except the utmost loss?