His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "But what they used to conceal before has become evident to them. And if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden. And indeed, they are liars." "And they said, 'There is nothing but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected.'" "And if you could see when they are made to stand before their Lord, He will say, 'Is this not the truth?' They will say, 'Yes, by our Lord.' He will say, 'Then taste the punishment for what you used to disbelieve.'" The pronoun in "to them" refers back to those mentioned in His saying: "they are made to stand"; and "they said"; and this statement implies that they were concealing something in this world; so it became evident to them on the Day of Resurrection; or its consequence and outcome became evident to them; thus the added phrase was omitted; and the phrase to which it is added took its place; and al-Zahrawi narrated from a group that they said: the verse is about the hypocrites; because they were concealing disbelief; so its consequence became evident to them on the Day of Resurrection. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The expression is awkward on this interpretation; because he said: "they are made to stand"; meaning a group of disbelievers; then he said: "it became evident to them"; meaning the hypocrites among those disbelievers; and the statement does not convey this; except with a strain; al-Zahrawi said: It is said that the disbelievers, when the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - would admonish them, were afraid; and they concealed that fear; so that their followers would not feel it; so that became evident to them on the Day of Resurrection. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: It is valid that the purpose of the verse is to inform about the horror of what they encountered; and to magnify what they suffered; so he expressed that by saying that their concealed matters in this world became evident to them; from sins; and other than that; so how can one think - on this - about what they used to declare; of disbelief; and the like? And this interpretation is supported by His saying - the Exalted - in magnifying the importance of the Day of Resurrection: "The Day when secrets will be tested." [At-Takwir: 14]; and it is valid to estimate the thing that they were concealing in this world as the Prophethood of Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and his sayings; and that is because they were "concealing" that in this world; by belittling it before those who came to them; and describing it with other than its description; and they would receive people on the roads and say to them: "He is a magician; he separates between relatives"; they intended by that to conceal his matter; and to nullify it; so the meaning of this verse - on this - is: "But what became evident to them on the Day of Resurrection is your matter; and your truthfulness; and your warning; and your informing of the punishment of those who disbelieved; which they were concealing in this world"; and the concealment is as we have described. Al-Zajjaj said: The meaning is: "What the misguided ones concealed about resurrection became evident to those who followed them." Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: Thus the two pronouns are not for one thing; and al-Mahdawi narrated from al-Hasan something similar to this. And Yahya ibn Thabith; and al-Nakha'i; and al-Amash read: "And if they were returned"; with a kasra on the ra; transferring the vowel of the dal from "they were returned" to it. And His saying: "And if they were returned, they would return"; is news about a matter that cannot exist as it was; and this type is among what Allah - the Exalted - has reserved knowledge of; if He informs of something from it, it is known; otherwise, it is not spoken of.

And His saying, exalted is He, ﴿And indeed, they are liars﴾; it may be connected to the speech; and the denial is in their reporting; meaning that the matter in itself is contrary to what they intended; because they intended the lie; or the denial may be in the wishing based on the concession that we mentioned; or it may be disconnected; a report that is newly initiated about what they are upon at the time of addressing the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -; and the first is more correct.

And His saying, exalted is He, ﴿And they said, 'There is nothing except our worldly life'﴾; this - according to the interpretation of the majority - is the beginning of a statement; and a report about them with this saying; and it is good with this that His saying before: ﴿And indeed, they are liars﴾; is newly initiated and disconnected; a report about their state in the world; which is from their saying in it: ﴿There is nothing except our worldly life﴾; and other than that; and 'Indeed' is a negation; and the meaning of the verse is the denial of resurrection; and returning to Allah, exalted is He; and Ibn Zayd said: His saying, ﴿And they said﴾; is connected to His saying: ﴿They returned﴾; meaning: 'They returned to what they were prohibited from, which is disbelief; and they said: There is nothing except our worldly life.'

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And Allah's stopping them in the verse after it regarding resurrection; and the reference to it in His saying, ﴿Is this not the truth?﴾; [it responds] to this interpretation.

And His saying, exalted is He, ﴿And if you could see when they are made to stand﴾; the verse; meaning: 'And if you could see when they are made to stand'; as previously mentioned regarding the omission of the response to 'if'; and His saying, ﴿before their Lord﴾; its meaning is: before His judgment; and His command; so in the speech - and it must be - there is an omission of something added.

And His saying: 'This'; is a reference to the resurrection which they denied in the world; and 'Indeed' is that which necessitates acknowledgment of what was asked about it in negation; and it does not necessitate its denial and rejection; and 'Yes' is suitable for acknowledgment of it; as it was mentioned in the saying of the Ansar to the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - when he reproached them in the enclosure; after the battle of 'Hunayn'; and 'Yes' is also suitable for its denial; and for this reason it is not used; and as for the saying of (p-346) Al-Zajjaj and others: 'Indeed, it only necessitates its denial; and if they had said: "

, " at the time of His saying, ﴿Am I not your Lord?﴾ [Al-A'raf: 172]; they would have disbelieved'; this saying is incorrect; and Allah, exalted is He, is the one sought for help.

And their saying: ﴿Indeed, yes, by our Lord﴾; is faith; but it is when it does not benefit; and His saying: 'So taste' is a powerful metaphor; and the meaning is: 'Experience it directly'; as it is one of the most intense experiences.