'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, the Exalted: "And some of them approached others, questioning. They said, 'Indeed, you used to come to us from the right.' They said, 'Rather, you were not believers.' And we had no authority over you; rather, you were a people transgressing. So the saying of our Lord has come into effect upon us; indeed, we will taste. So we led you astray; indeed, we were ourselves astray. So indeed, they will be in the punishment that day, sharing. Indeed, thus do We deal with the criminals." This group that approaches one another is jinn and humans. This was said by Qatadah. Their questioning is in the sense of reprimand, blame, and anger. The ones saying, "Indeed, you used to come to us," could be humans to the devils. This is the saying of Mujahid and Ibn Zayd, or the weak humans to the leaders and chiefs. The interpreters have differed in the meaning of their saying: "from the right." Ibn Zayd expressed it as the way of Paradise and goodness. This is among the expressions that are interpreted by meaning and are not restricted to the wording itself. Some of them inclined in interpreting the verse to what pertains to it. What can be derived from that are meanings: among them is that by 'the right' they mean strength and might. It is as if they said: 'Indeed, you used to lead us astray with strength from you, and you carried us upon the path of misguidance with your following us in severity.' So they expressed these meanings by 'the right,' like the saying of the Arabs: 'With both hands, he brought it forth,' and as they said: 'the hand' - in other contexts - about power. Some people have taken this approach from the verse of Al-Shamakh, his saying: 'If a banner is raised for glory, it is received by the Arabs with the right.' They said: its meaning is: with strength and determination; otherwise, everyone would receive it with their right hand if it were the limb. Also, he borrowed the banner for glory; thus, he did not mean by 'the right' the limb. Among the meanings that the verse can bear is that they mean: 'Indeed, you used to come to us from the direction that conceals your deception and your misguidance, and it appears in it that it is the direction of guidance and correctness.' So it becomes for us like the right that we seek blessings from the auspicious that comes to us from it. It is as if they compared the words of these misguiders to the auspicious signs that are praiseworthy to them, as if the deception in these misguidances has shown in it what is likely to be praised by it. Among the meanings that the verse can bear is that they mean: 'Indeed, you used to come to us, that is, you cut us off from news of goodness and the right.' So they expressed it by 'the right'; for the right is the direction that blessings are sought from and all that is in it and from it. Among the meanings that the verse can bear is that they mean: 'Indeed, you used to come to us from the direction of desires and lack of consideration.' The heavy direction for a person is his right because his liver is in it, and the direction of his left is where his heart is, and it is lighter. This is the meaning of the poet's saying: 'We left them the left side.'

That is: We descended upon them by way of escape; for the defeated only returns on his left side, as it is the lighter of his two sides. And since the heart of a person is on his left side and there is his sight, it is as if these were coming from the direction of desires and burdens. This interpretation is most applicable with the temptation of the devils, and it is anxious with the temptation of the children of Adam.

And it was said: The meaning is: They swear to us and come to us like one who, when he swears to us, we believe him. So the oath, in this case, is the vow.

And some people have gone in mentioning Iblis regarding the directions of the children of Adam in His saying: "From before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left" [Al-A'raf: 17] to what we mentioned regarding the direction of desires. They said: What is before them is his deception in what he sees, and what is behind him is his stealthy approach. And from his right is the side of his desires, and from his left is his sight with his heart and his warning; for the devil may overpower him in it. This is for those who have placed it in the specific directions of the son of Adam, and among them are those who have placed it in the directions of his affairs and concerns, so the interpretation can expand on this.

Then Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed about the words of the jinn responding to these: "But you were not believers" as you mentioned. Rather, you had earned disbelief and insight in it. And we only carried you upon what we carried ourselves upon. And we had no argument or power over you except your tyranny and your desire for disbelief. So the saying has been established upon all of us, and the punishment has been determined for us, and we are all tasting it. And the tasting here is metaphorical. And in this way, Qatadah and others explained that it is the saying of the jinn to "the misguided."

Then Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed that they all shared in the punishment and were gathered in it, and that this is His action with the people of crime and the bearing of sin and disbelief.