And when we informed them - in the reading of the raising - about themselves with what they wished for the sake of the response, and the reading of the lowering contained the promise, it is as if a speaker said: 'I wish Allah would grant me wealth so that I may reward you for your kindness.' It leads to: 'If Allah grants me wealth, I will reward you.' Thus, it became something that could be denied. Glorified and exalted is He, turned away from it, denying them with His saying: ﴿But﴾ meaning: the matter is not as they said; because this wishing is not based on a true, established reality in themselves of love for its content and its fruit. Rather, ﴿It became﴾ meaning: it appeared ﴿to them﴾ of the punishment which they have no power over ﴿what they used to conceal﴾ meaning: [from] the conditions of the Hereafter and their delusions upon falsehood! And when their concealment of that was at some time, He said: ﴿Previously﴾ meaning: they claim that it is hidden, but there is no reality to it, and they conceal what the messengers show of its signs [out of stubbornness from them, although it is clearer than the sun of the day] by what they wear of awe. For this reason, they wished for what they mentioned ﴿And if they were returned﴾ meaning: to the world ﴿they would return to what they were forbidden from﴾ meaning: from disbelief and the disgraceful acts they were upon and concealing what has become clear to their minds from the signs ﴿And indeed, they are liars﴾ meaning: in what they informed about themselves of the content of their wish that they would do it if they were returned.