Tafsir for verses: 26:96, 26:97, 26:98, 26:99, 26:100, 26:101, 26:102, 26:103, 26:104
قَالُواْ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا يَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٩٦ ﴿96﴾ تَٱللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ ٩٧ ﴿97﴾ إِذۡ نُسَوِّيكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٩٨ ﴿98﴾ وَمَآ أَضَلَّنَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ٩٩ ﴿99﴾ فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَٰفِعِينَ ١٠٠ ﴿100﴾ وَلَا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٖ ١٠١ ﴿101﴾ فَلَوۡ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةٗ فَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٠٢ ﴿102﴾ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٠٣ ﴿103﴾ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٠٤ ﴿104﴾
96They will say when they will be quarreling there with each other, 97‘By Allah, we were in open error 98when we used to equate you with the Lord of the worlds, 99and it is only the sinners who misguided us. 100Now we have neither any intercessors 101nor any true friend. 102Would that we have a chance to return whereby we may join the believers!’” 103Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, 104and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.
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Commentary

His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿They said while they were in it disputing﴾ ﴿By Allah, indeed we were in clear error﴾ ﴿When we made you equal with the Lord of the worlds﴾ ﴿And nothing led us astray except the criminals﴾ ﴿So we have no intercessors﴾ ﴿And no close friend﴾ ﴿So if only we had a return, we would be among the believers﴾ ﴿Indeed, in that is a sign, and most of them were not believers﴾ ﴿And indeed, your Lord is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful﴾

Then He described that the people of the Fire dispute in it and blame one another. They engage in serious discussion about their condition. Among their words to their idols - in acknowledgment and truth - is: "By Allah, indeed we were in clear error in worshipping you and making you equal with Allah, the Exalted, who is the Lord of the worlds, their Creator and Owner. Then they shifted the blame to others, saying: "Nothing led us astray except our leaders and those who had strength, boldness, and status." Then they said - in a tone of longing and regret - when they saw the intercession of the angels, scholars, and prophets beneficial for the believers in general, and the intercession of a close friend for his friend specifically: ﴿So we have no intercessors﴾ ﴿And no close friend﴾. In this phrase, there is a hint about the place of a close friend from a person. Ibn Jurayj said: "Intercessors" refers to the angels, and "close friend" refers to people.

(p-494) The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And the term "intercessor" implies a high status with the one for whom intercession is made. The term "close friend" implies strong support and assistance, and it is (fa'il) from the truth of friendship, which is a form of exaggeration.

And "close friend": is the ally and relative whose matter concerns you and whose matter you concern, and it is the special gathering of a man. The rest of the verse is clear and has already been mentioned.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And these verses, from His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿On the Day wealth and children will not benefit﴾ [Ash-Shu'ara: 88], are to me a break from the speech of Ibrahim, peace be upon him. It is a report from Allah, exalted and majestic is He, that relates to the description of the Day on which Ibrahim, peace be upon him, stood in his supplication that he not be humiliated.

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