“Say” to them—informing them of the time when it will undoubtedly occur—“You have an appointed Day that you can neither delay by a single hour nor bring forward.” So beware that Day and make due preparations for it.

⦗681⦘

(31–33) “Those who disbelieve say, ‘We will never believe in this Quran, nor in what came before it.’ If only you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, each hurling accusations at the other! Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, ‘Had it not been for you, we would have been believers.’”

After mentioning that the appointed time for those demanding that the punishment be hastened must inevitably come when its term arrives, He describes here their condition on that Day. If you could see them when they are made to stand before their Lord, with the leaders and followers in disbelief and error gathered together, you would see a momentous scene and a terrible horror. You would see them arguing back and forth and trading accusations. “Those who were oppressed”—the followers—“will say to those who were arrogant”—the leaders—“Had it not been for you, we would have been believers.” Yet you came between us and faith, made disbelief attractive to us, and so we followed you in it. Their purpose in saying this will be to make the punishment fall upon the leaders rather than themselves.