Commentary
And when he described the Last Day with that which many people do not understand, he followed it with what clarified it in a clear manner, emphasizing it to them to the utmost clarity. He said, replacing what was before it: "On a Day when the wrongdoers will not benefit," those who were deeply rooted in placing things in places other than their rightful ones. "Their excuse," meaning: their excuse and its time and place - as indicated by the fact that the source is of the form of a verbal noun, even if it is exalted - as indicated by the reading of the reminder for the action. He knew by that that they would not find a defense without an excuse, and that it would not benefit them because they do not excuse themselves except with lies: "By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists" [Al-An'am: 23] or with the degree: "Our Lord, our wretchedness has overcome us" [Al-Mu'minun: 106]. "And for them," meaning: specifically, "is the curse," meaning: distance from every good, along with humiliation with every harm. "And for them," meaning: specifically, "is the evil of the abode," which is the Fire that encompasses every evil - this is alongside what precedes it of the difficult situations. If this is for them, what do you think of what is upon them? It has been known from this that for their enemies - who are the messengers and their followers - there is honor and mercy, and they have acceptance of excuses and a good abode. Thus, the signs of victory have appeared, and what he informed of the completeness of power has been confirmed.
Explore Other Scholars on This Verse
Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Ghafir verse 52