His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant in the earth without right. Even if they see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the path of guidance, they will not take it as a path. And if they see the path of misguidance, they will take it as a path. That is because they have denied Our signs and were heedless of them." "And those who have denied Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter, their deeds have become worthless. Will they be rewarded except for what they used to do?" (p-47) The meaning: I will prevent and turn away. Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said: The signs here refer to every revealed book. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The meaning is about understanding them and believing in them. Ibn Jurayj said: The signs are the established signs indicating oneness. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The meaning is about contemplating them, thinking about them, and reasoning with them. The wording encompasses both meanings. The arrogant without right in the earth are the disbelievers. The meaning in this verse is: I will make turning away from the signs a punishment for the arrogant because of their arrogance. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And if they see every sign, they will not believe in it" is a decree from Allah, exalted and majestic is He, upon the group that He has decreed will not believe. The reading of the majority is "they see" with a فتح (fatha) on the ياء (ya), as recited by Ibn Kathir, 'Asim, Nafi', Abu Ja'far, Shaiba, Shibl, Ibn Wathab, Talhah ibn Musarif, and the rest of the seven. And it was read with a ضم (dhamma) on the ياء (ya) by Malik ibn Dinar. Ibn Kathir, Nafi', Abu 'Amr, 'Asim, and Ibn 'Amir read: "guidance." Ibn 'Amir - in some of what has been narrated from him - and Abu al-Barhamsam read: "the guidance" with a ضم (dhamma) on the راء (ra) and شين (shin). Hamzah and al-Kisai read that "guidance" is with a ضم (dhamma) on the راء (ra) and a سكون (sukun) on the شين (shin), and "the guidance" with a فتح (fatha) on both with one meaning. Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala said: "guidance" with a ضم (dhamma) on the راء (ra) means righteousness in reasoning, and "the guidance" with a فتح (fatha) on both means religion. As for the reading of Ibn 'Amir with a ضم (dhamma) on both, it follows the ضم (dhamma) of the previous word. Ibn Abi 'Ablah read: "they will not take it" and "you will take it" in the feminine form of the path, and the path can be feminine or masculine. His saying, exalted is He: "That is" refers to the turning away, meaning: We turned them away, and Our punishment for them is due to their disbelief, their denial, and their heedlessness of contemplating the signs and stopping at the proofs. It is possible that "That is" is a news of beginning, its estimation being: the matter is that. It is also possible that it is in a position of نصب (nasb) with a verb, its estimation being: We did that. (p-48) And His saying, exalted is He: "And those who have denied Our signs" is a verse that confirms the one before it, and its inclusion is among the deniers. And the meeting of the Hereafter is a term that includes a threat. That is: there they will be exposed regarding their condition. And "have become worthless" means: have fallen and become corrupt. The origin of حبط (habbat) in what has preceded is its righteousness, but it can also be used for that which was initially corrupt, as the outcome of the doers is one.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿Will they be rewarded﴾ is a question with the meaning of affirmation. That is, they deserve punishment due to their evil deeds. It is permissible to use "حَبِطَتْ" here since their actions in their beliefs were following a path of righteousness. It is as if the loss in it is according to their beliefs. However, according to what it is in itself, it has been corrupt since the very beginning. From this word is the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Indeed, among what spring brings forth is what kills the حَبَطَ or harms it," meaning corruption due to excessive eating after the righteousness that was there initially. Ibn Abbas and Abu al-Sammal read "حَبَطَتْ" with a فتح on the ب.