“Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, ‘Was it we who turned you away from guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you yourselves were evildoers.’ Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, ‘Rather, it was your plotting night and day, when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him.’ They will conceal their remorse when they see the punishment. We shall place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they recompensed for anything but what they used to do?”

“Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed,” questioning them and declaring that all of them share in the guilt: “Was it we who turned you away from guidance after it had come to you?”—that is, by using our power to compel you? “Rather, you yourselves were evildoers”—that is, you chose to commit evil and were not forced into it. Although we made it attractive to you, we had no authority over you.

“Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, ‘Rather, it was your plotting night and day, when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him.’” That is: Rather, what brought calamity upon us at your hands—what reached us through your efforts to mislead us—was the plotting you devised night and day, when you made disbelief appear attractive to us, called us to it, and claimed that it was the truth, while disparaging and denigrating the truth and claiming that it was falsehood. You persisted in plotting and scheming against us until you led us astray and lured us into error.

That exchange availed them nothing except that they disowned one another and felt tremendous remorse. Hence He says: “They will conceal their remorse when they see the punishment.” That is, the argument each had advanced against the others in hopes of escaping the punishment will fall away, and each will realize that he is a wrongdoer who deserves it. Each will feel the utmost remorse and wish that he had followed the truth [and that he had] abandoned the falsehood that brought him to this punishment. They will keep this hidden within themselves, fearing the disgrace of admitting their guilt. At some scenes on the Day of Resurrection, and when they enter the Fire, they will express that remorse openly:

“On the Day when the wrongdoer will bite his hands, he will say, ‘If only I had taken a path with the Messenger! Woe to me! If only I had not taken so-and-so as a close friend!’” and the following verses.

“They will say, ‘If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’ Thus they will confess their sin. So away with the companions of the Blaze!”

“We shall place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved.” They will be shackled as a prisoner who is to be humiliated in prison is shackled. As Allah Most High says: “When shackles and chains are around their necks, they will be dragged through scalding water and then set ablaze in the Fire,” and the following verses.

“Are they recompensed,” with this torment, exemplary punishment, and those heavy shackles, “for anything but what they used to do” of disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience?