Tafsir for verse: 16:28
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ فَأَلۡقَوُاْ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوٓءِۭۚ بَلَىٰٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٨ ﴿28
28the ones to whom the angels brought death while they were (still) wronging themselves.” Then, they will resort to submission, (yet will say), “We used to do nothing wrong.” (They will be answered) Why not? Allah knows well what you used to do.
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Commentary

Then he encouraged them to repent by saying: ﴿Those whom the angels take in death﴾; with the feminine form, according to the reading of the majority; because the plural is feminine; and with the masculine form in the reading of Hamzah; because the group is not feminine. Their death occurred in two ways: one light, as indicated by the feminine form; due to the lightness of the disbelief of its owner; and another heavy and severe, due to the severity of the disbelief of its owner. And nothing was omitted from the two 't's; to indicate the deficiency of their state; because the best of it cannot be for their dying upon disbelief; unlike what was mentioned regarding the one who abandons migration in 'An-Nisa'; ﴿The angels﴾; meaning: those appointed for death; while they were ﴿wronging themselves﴾; by placing themselves in a position of arrogance against the Mighty King, not in their proper place.

So when this was completed in this marvelous manner; and the lofty and strong style; the news about their response began; in a way that informs about their state; and he said: ﴿So they threw﴾; meaning: from themselves; after the words of the allies; and due to the questioning of the One with Glory; ﴿Submission﴾; meaning: submission; and humility; instead of that arrogance; and pride; saying - committing falsehood without shame -: ﴿We were not doing﴾; and they delved into denial; so they said: ﴿Of evil﴾; as if it were said: Indeed, this is a great falsehood on that glorious day; so what was said to them? It was said: ﴿Yes﴾; you have committed the greatest evil; then he justified their denial by saying: ﴿Indeed, Allah﴾; meaning: the All-Encompassing of all things; ﴿is Knowing﴾; meaning: possessing complete knowledge from every aspect; ﴿of what you were﴾; meaning: by nature and disposition; ﴿doing﴾; meaning: of misguidance and leading others astray; so denial cannot encompass you; has the time not come for you to remove ignorance regarding what harms you and does not benefit you; that lowers you and does not elevate you?!

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