26–29. “Those who disbelieved said, ‘Do not listen to this Quran, but make a clamor during it, so that you may prevail.’ * We shall surely make those who disbelieved taste a severe punishment, and We shall surely recompense them for the worst of what they used to do. * That is the recompense of Allah’s enemies: the Fire. Therein they shall have an everlasting abode—a recompense for their rejection of Our signs. * Those who disbelieved said, ‘Our Lord, show us those among the jinn and humankind who led us astray, so that we may place them beneath our feet and they may be among the lowest.’”
The Most High informs us of the disbelievers’ rejection of the Quran and how they urged one another to reject it. He says: “Those who disbelieved said, ‘Do not listen to this Quran.’” That is, turn your ears away from it, and beware of paying attention or listening either to it or to the one who brought it. If you happen to hear it, or hear the call to follow its rulings, then “make a clamor during it”—that is, speak words that are not merely useless but harmful. Do not allow anyone—when you are able to prevent him—to address you with it or recite its words and meanings to you. This is what their conduct and their words express in their rejection of this Quran. “So that you may,” if you do this, “prevail.” [This] (1) is testimony from the enemies, and no truth is clearer than one to which its enemies bear witness. They did not believe that they could defeat the one who brought the truth except by turning away from it and urging one another to do so. Conversely, their words imply that if they did not make a clamor during it, but instead listened to it and gave it their full attention, they would not prevail. For the truth is triumphant and cannot be overcome. Both the adherents of truth and its enemies know this.
Since this was wrongdoing and obstinate defiance on their part, no hope remained that they would be guided. Nothing therefore remained but their punishment and exemplary chastisement. For this reason, He says: “We shall surely make those who disbelieved taste a severe punishment, and We shall surely recompense them for the worst of what they used to do.” This means disbelief and sins, for these were the worst of their deeds, since their actions included sins as well as other things. Punitive recompense is imposed only for the act of shirk (associating partners with Allah) (2): “Your Lord wrongs no one.”
“That is the recompense of Allah’s enemies”—those who waged war against Him and His allies through disbelief and denial, disputation and armed combat. “The Fire. Therein they shall have an everlasting abode”—that is, they shall remain there forever; their punishment will not be eased for even an hour, nor will they be helped. This is “a recompense for their rejection of Our signs.” Those signs are clear and constitute decisive proofs that yield certainty. The greatest wrongdoing and most extreme obstinacy are therefore to repudiate and disbelieve in them.
“Those who disbelieved said”—meaning their followers, as indicated by what follows, speaking in fury at those who had led them astray: “Our Lord, show us those among the jinn and humankind who led us astray.” That is, show us the two classes that led us into misguidance and punishment: the devils among the jinn and the human devils who called people to Hell.
“So that we may place them beneath our feet and they may be among the lowest”—that is, among the most abased and humiliated, because they led us astray, tempted us, and caused our fall. This demonstrates their fury at one another and their mutual disavowal.