'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "And if you are astonished, then astonishing is their saying: 'When we have become dust, will we indeed be created anew?' Those are the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord, and for them are shackles around their necks, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will be therein forever." "And they urge you to hasten the evil before the good. And already have passed on before them [the] examples. And indeed, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness for the people despite their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is Severe in penalty." "And those who have disbelieved say, 'Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?' You are but a warner, and for every people is a guide." This is a verse of reprimand for the disbelievers. That is, if you are astonished, O Muhammad, by their ignorance and their turning away from the truth, they are deserving of that. It is indeed astonishing and strange. The intended meaning is their saying: 'Will we return after we have become dust, to a new creation?' The wording may also imply another meaning, that is, if you are increasing in astonishment, then come forth, for indeed one of the most astonishing things is their saying. The readers have differed in the recitation of His saying: "When we have become dust." Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr both read: "When we have become dust, will we indeed be created anew?" both with questioning, except that Abu Amr lengthened the hamzah and then comes with the ya' being silent, while Ibn Kathir comes with a silent ya' after the hamzah without lengthening. Nafi' read: "When we have become dust," like Abu Amr, differing from him in the lengthening. He read: "Will we indeed be created anew?" in the broken form as a statement. Al-Kisai agreed with him in being satisfied with the first question regarding the second, except that he would pronounce two hamzah. Aasim and Hamzah read: "When we have become dust, will we indeed be?" with two hamzah in both. Ibn Amer read: "When we have become dust," in the broken form without questioning, "Will we indeed be?" with a hamzah, then he lengthens, then he pronounces the hamzah. So whoever read with two questions, that is for emphasis and confirmation, and for the significance of this estimation. Whoever questioned in the first only, then the intended meaning of the questioning is the second position, and "when" is an adverb for it, and "when" in the position of accusative with an implied verb, the estimation of which is: 'Will we be resurrected or gathered?' And whoever questioned in the second only, then it is clear. The reference with "Those are" is to the people who said: "When we have become dust." And that statement is indeed a confirmation of one who is resolute in denial and rejection of resurrection, and for that reason, He judged them as disbelievers. And His saying: "And for them are shackles" can carry two meanings: one is the literal meaning, that He informed about the existence of shackles around their necks in the Hereafter, as in His saying, exalted is He: "When the shackles are around their necks and chains" [Ghafir: 71]. And it may be metaphorical, that He informed about their being shackled from faith, so they are then akin to being sealed and stamped on the hearts, as in His saying, exalted is He: "Indeed, We have made in their necks shackles, so they are to the chins, and they are in a state of being raised" [Ya-Sin: 8]. The rest of the verse is clear. Some people said: the shackles here refer to the deeds, that is, their corrupt deeds are around their necks like shackles. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The clarification of this is in the second interpretation that we mentioned.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And they hasten you for the evil before the good﴾, this is a verse clarifying their error in wishing for calamities and requesting a piece of the sky to fall upon them or stones to rain down on them, and similar to this, while such things have been empty in nations and have descended upon many people. If that had ever happened, they would have had an excuse.

And "the punishments" is the plural of "punishment" like "samarah" and "samarat" and "sadaqah" and "sadaqat". The majority read: "the punishments" with an open meem and a dammah on the thaa. Mujahid read with an open meem and thaa, and that is the plural of "punishment" in the Hereafter, meaning the number of the penalty. Isa ibn Umar read: "the punishments" with a dammah on the meem and thaa, and it was narrated from Abu Amr. Yahya ibn Thawbah read: "the punishments" with a dammah on the meem and a sukoon on the thaa, and these two are the plural of "punishment". Talhah ibn Musarif read: "the punishments" with an open meem and a sukoon on the thaa.

Then He, exalted is He, reassured with His saying: ﴿And indeed, your Lord is the Lord of forgiveness for people despite their wrongdoing﴾. Al-Tabari said: Its meaning is in the Hereafter. Some said: The meaning is: when they repent, and "Severe in punishment" if they disbelieve.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The apparent meaning of forgiveness here is: His covering in this world and His delaying for the disbelievers. Do you not see the ease in the wording of "forgiveness", and that it is an indefinite term with a little emphasis, and there is no exaggeration in it as in His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And indeed, I am the Forgiving to whoever repents and believes﴾ [Ta-Ha: 82], and the style of the verse gives this. Do you not see His ruling against them with the Fire? Then He said: "And they hasten you", so when their evil deed became apparent, it was necessary in the mind of the listener to punish them, so He informed of His way with the nations and that He delays with the wrongdoing of disbelief? And it has not been established in the Shari'ah that Allah, exalted is He, forgives the wrongdoing of the servants.

Then He warned with His saying: ﴿And indeed, your Lord is Severe in punishment﴾. Ibn al-Musayyab said: When this verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "If it were not for Allah's pardon and forgiveness, no one would wish for life, and if it were not for His punishment, everyone would be at ease." Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: "There is no verse in the Quran more hopeful than this verse." And "the punishments" are the severe penalties that make a person a lesson to be learned from, and among them is the representation of the slain, and among them is the mutilation of the slaves.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And those who disbelieve say﴾, this verse is a rebuke of their excessive suggestions which Allah has not made a habit except for the nation that He has decreed with its punishment and extermination. The verse here refers to the things that Quraysh named such as kingship and treasures and others. Then Allah, exalted is He, informed him that he is a warner, and this news is intended in its wording, and all people are included in its meaning.

The commentators differed in their interpretation of His saying: ﴿And for every people is a guide﴾. 'Ikrimah and Abu al-Duhah said that the intended meaning of the guide is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. And 'guide' is an apposition to 'warner', as if he said: 'Indeed, you are a warner and a guide for every people.' This meaning aligns with his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: 'I was sent to the red and the black.' And 'guide' - in this verse - is one who calls to the path of guidance. Mujahid and Ibn Zayd said the meaning is: 'Indeed, you are a warner, and for every nation that has passed, there is a guide, meaning a prophet who calls them. The aim is: Your matter, O Muhammad, is neither an innovation nor a denial,' and this resembles the purpose of the verse. A group said: 'The guide - in this verse - is Allah, the Exalted.' This has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Ibn Jubair. And 'guide' - on this interpretation - means one who creates righteousness, and it is known that Allah, the Exalted, is the guide from other contexts. Another group said: 'The guide is Ali ibn Abi Talib.' It has been reported from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, through Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that he recited this verse while Ali was present and gestured with his hand to Ali's shoulder and said: 'You are the guide, O Ali; through you, the guided ones will find guidance after me.'

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

What resembles this - if this is authentic - is that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, made Ali an example among the scholars of the nation and its guides to the religion, as if he said: 'O Ali, you and your kind,' and this includes Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and all the scholars of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. Then likewise from every era, the meaning - on this interpretation - is: Indeed, you, O Muhammad, are a warner, and for every people in the past and present, there are shepherds and guides to goodness, and the first saying is the most preferable interpretation of the verse.