[2502] “˹Nay˺ But ˹in spite of the Deniers˺ Allah ˹Himself ˺ bears witness to what He sent down to you – He sent it with His Knowledge – and the angels bear witness ˹to it˺ too—sufficient is Allah ˹indeed˺ as Witness” (4: 166).
[2503] They are called on not to rebel against all these glaring facts and clear evidence and to submit wholeheartedly in a way that naturally leads to guidance (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī).
[2504] This is another reflection on the truth of the Deniers, who only have this worldly life uppermost on their minds (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar, Riḍā). Knowledge of this fact serves as further soothing and assurance for the Messenger (ﷺ).
[2505] “Whoever cares ˹only˺ for this fleeting ˹world˺, We hasten in it whatever We please to whoever We will; then We destine them for Hell, where they will burn, condemned and rejected” (17: 18).
[2506] That is, their good deeds in worldly life, for which they will not be rewarded in the Hereafter (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, al-Saʿdī). Anas Ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Verily Allah would not deal a Believer unjustly even ˹as to˺ a single good deed. He will be given for it in this worldly life and rewarded for it in the Hereafter. But the Denier will be fed the rewards of his good deeds in this worldly life until when he comes upon the Hereafter there will be nothing for him to be rewarded for” (Muslim: 2808).
[2507] Exegetes hold different opinions as to what exactly this ‘witness’ is. Some have opined that it is the Qur’an itself, in which God Almighty testifies that the Believers have clear evidence from Him (cf. Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, 13: 69, Ibn al-Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 3: 435, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qāsimī). Others say that it refers to Archangel Gabriel (عليه السلام) (cf. al-Ṭabarī). Yet al-Saʿdī has it that it means pure, incorrupt innate human nature (fiṭrah).
[2508] That is, the Torah is another witness which precedes the shortly previously mentioned ‘witness’ (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī), being most likely the Qur’an itself.
[2509] Cf. al-Rāzī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar.
[2510] al-Aḥzāb (lit. the confederates) are those who banded together or confederated (taḥazzabū) against the Messenger (ﷺ) (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar).
[2511] What is dealt with so far could be taken as a means of comforting and assuring the Messenger (ﷺ), and the Believers at large, of the rightfulness of their cause, given the very tough circumstances they were experiencing. It draws attention to the fact that people were not willing to Believe because such is human nature and he was not to take it as a fault of his own or of the call itself.
[2512] This passage rounds up and concludes the first part of this sura. It further draws a line under the conduct of the Deniers and makes a most befitting analogy between them and the Believers.
[2513] They were not short of lies such as: God has a child or an Associate, or ascribed the Qur’an to the Messenger (ﷺ), or claiming Prophethood for themselves (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Saʿdī): “Who is more wrongful than he who fabricates falsehood against Allah or says: “I was given revelation”, while nothing was revealed to him, and he who says: “I will send down the like of that which Allah sent down”. If only you could see ˹Muhammad˺ when the wrongdoers are in the throes of death and the angels stretch their hands to them ˹saying˺: “Give up your souls. Today you will be rewarded the Punishment of degradation for saying what is false against Allah and snubbing His Signs”” (6: 93).
[2514] That is on the Day of Judgement (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Saʿdī).
[2515] They are the Prophets, the angels and the Believers (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, al-Saʿdī). This is the fate of the Deniers, when they will be announced as liars to all and sundry, but the case of sincere Believers is totally different. ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) narrated that he heard the Messenger (ﷺ) say: “On the Day of Judgement, the Believer is drawn near to his Lord, Glory be His, until He puts on him His Cover ˹of protection and concealment˺. Then He (سبحانه وتعالى) makes him confess his misdeeds and says: “Do you know ˹them˺?” Then he replies: “Yes, my Lord, I know”. He (سبحانه وتعالى) then says: “I concealed them away ˹from people˺ in the worldly life and I absolve you from them Today”. At this, he will be given his sheet of good deeds. However, the Deniers and the hypocrites will be called in front of all creation: “These are the ones who lied against their Lord!” (al-Bukhārī: 4685, Muslim: 2768)
[2516] They used to ‘turn away’ (yaṣuddūna) from the Truth themselves and divert other people from it (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr). They would always cast the religion of God in bad light, showing it as defective and imperfect (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr): “And when Our Signs are recited to them as clear proofs, they say: “This is naught but a man who desires to turn you from that which your fathers used to worship”. And they say: “This is naught but a fabricated perversion”. And those who Denied say to the Truth when it comes to them: “This is naught but manifest sorcery”” (34: 43).