The meaning of 'Then their hearts became hard' is the exclusion of hardness after what has been mentioned that necessitates the softness and tenderness of hearts and similar things. 'Then you are in doubt' describes the hearts as hard and rough, indicating their distance from reflection and that admonitions do not affect them. This is a reference to reviving the slain, or to all that has preceded from the counted signs. They are like stones; in their hardness, they are like stones or even harder than them. 'Harder' is conjoined to 'like' either meaning 'or like harder' so the added word is omitted and the added to is placed in its place. This is supported by the reading of Al-A'mash who has the 'd' in the accusative case, in conjunction with 'stones.' Or it means: 'or they themselves are harder.' The meaning is that whoever knows their state compares them to stones, or to a substance harder than them, such as iron for example. Or one who knows them compares them to stones, or says: 'they are harder than stones.' If you say: why was it said 'harder,' and the act of hardness is what leads to the comparative degree and the act of astonishment? [Mahamud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'If you say: why was it said: harder... etc.? Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: because the context of these stories aims at the reasons for increased reprimand, to the extent that one story was made into two, as has been mentioned now. There is no doubt that the saying 'or harder' is more inclusive of the reasons than the saying 'or harder.']? I say: because it is clearer and more indicative of extreme hardness. Another point is that it does not aim at the meaning of 'harder' but aims to describe hardness with intensity, as if it were said: 'the hardness of stones has intensified, and their hearts are harder.' It is read: 'hardness.' The pronoun of the preferred is omitted to avoid confusion, like saying: 'Zayd is generous and Amr is more generous.' And the saying 'And indeed among the stones' clarifies the superiority of their hearts over stones in the severity of hardness, and confirms the saying: 'or harder.' It is read 'and indeed' in a lighter form, which is 'if' that is lightened from the heavy which requires the distinguishing 'lam.' Among them is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: 'And if all of them were together.' 'And the bursting forth' means opening wide and abundant. Malik ibn Dinar read 'it bursts forth' with a 'n.' 'It splits' means it cracks. Al-A'mash read it this way. The meaning is that among the stones are those with wide cracks from which abundant water flows, and among them are those that split lengthwise or widthwise from which water also springs forth. 'It descends' means it falls from the top of the mountain. It is read with a 'b' in the plural. 'Fear' is a metaphor for its submission to the command of Allah, the Exalted, and that it does not resist what He wills in it, while the hearts of these people do not submit nor do they do what they have been commanded. It is read 'they do' with a 'y' and a 't,' which is a warning.