(20) “And on the Day when those who disbelieved are exposed to the Fire, it will be said, ‘You exhausted your good things in your worldly life and enjoyed them. So today you will be recompensed with the punishment of humiliation because you behaved arrogantly on earth without right and because you persistently disobeyed.’”

Allah Most High describes the condition of the disbelievers when they are exposed to the Fire and are rebuked and reproached. It will be said to them: “You exhausted your good things in your worldly life,” for you were content with this world, were deceived by its pleasures, were satisfied with its desires, and allowed its delights to distract you from striving for your Hereafter. You indulged as freely as grazing livestock, and this is your allotment from the Hereafter.

“So today you will be recompensed with the punishment of humiliation”—that is, the severe punishment that will humiliate and disgrace you—because you spoke untruthfully about Allah. In other words, you attributed the misguided path you followed to Allah and His judgment, though you were lying about that. “And because you persistently disobeyed”—that is, you were too arrogant to obey Him. Thus, they combined false speech with false deeds: they lied about Allah by attributing their falsehood to His approval, disparaged the truth, and arrogantly rejected it. They were therefore subjected to the severest punishment.