(32–56) “Indeed! By the moon, by the night as it retreats, and by the dawn as it brightens! Indeed, it is one of the greatest things—a warning to humanity, to whoever among you wishes to advance or fall behind. Every soul is held in pledge for what it has earned, except the people of the right. In Gardens, they will ask one another about the evildoers: ‘What brought you into Saqar?’ They will say, ‘We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor. We used to indulge in falsehood with those who did so, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, until certainty came to us.’”
“Indeed!” here means “truly,” or it may function as the introductory particle “Behold!” Allah Most High swore by the moon, by the night as it retreats, and by the day as it grows bright, because these things contain great signs of Allah that demonstrate the perfection of His power and wisdom, the vastness of His dominion, the universality of His mercy, and the all-encompassing nature of His knowledge. The subject of the oath is His statement, “Indeed, it”—that is, the Fire—“is one of the greatest things”: one of the overwhelming calamities and momentous matters.
Now that We have informed you of it and you clearly understand its reality, whoever among you wishes may advance by performing deeds that bring him nearer to his Lord, closer to His pleasure, and nearer to the abode of His honor; or he may fall behind [the purpose for which he was created and] what Allah loves [and is pleased with], committing sins and drawing closer to the Fire of Hell. As Allah Most High said: “Say, ‘The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve,’” to the end of the verse.
“Every soul is held in pledge for what it has earned” of evil deeds and wicked acts. It is bound by them and fettered by its own striving, which has been fastened to its neck and become a shackle around it, thereby making it deserving of punishment—“except the people of the right.” They are not held in pledge; rather, they are set free and rejoice, “in Gardens, asking one another about the evildoers.”
That is, they will be in Gardens where they have attained everything they desire and enjoy complete rest and tranquility. They will then begin asking one another, and their conversation will lead them to inquire about the evildoers: what condition they have reached and whether they have found what Allah Most High promised them. Some will say to the others, “Would you like to look down upon them?” They will then look down and see them being tormented in the midst of Hell. They will ask them, “What brought you into Saqar?” That is: What caused you to enter it, and for what sin did you deserve it?
“They will say, ‘We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor.’” ⦗898⦘ Thus, they showed no sincere devotion to the One worshipped, [no benevolence,] and brought no benefit to needy people.
“We used to indulge in falsehood with those who did so.” That is, we immersed ourselves in falsehood and used it to dispute the truth. “And we used to deny the Day of Judgment.” This is one of the consequences of indulging in falsehood: [namely,] denying the truth. Among the greatest of all truths is the Day of Judgment, when deeds will be recompensed and Allah’s sovereignty and just judgment will become manifest to all creation.
We persisted in this corrupt way (1) “until certainty came to us”—that is, death. Once they died in disbelief, all means of escape became impossible for them, and the door of hope was closed in their faces.
(1) In B: “false.”