The 'wa' is for the state, as if he said: Did you deny it at first glance without thought or consideration that leads to a complete understanding of its essence, and that it is true by belief or denial? Or it is for conjunction, meaning: Did you reject it, and along with your rejection, you did not engage your minds to verify and perceive it? For the one to whom the letter is addressed may deny that the letter is from the one who wrote it, yet he does not refrain from reading it, understanding its contents, and comprehending its meanings. As for you, were you acting upon it only for the sake of reproach and nothing else? This is because they did nothing but deny, so they cannot deny and say we have believed in it, for there is nothing but belief in it or denial. An example of this is when you say to your shepherd—having known him to be a bad shepherd: Do you eat my sheep, or what do you do with them? You make what you begin with and establish as the foundation of your speech that which is known to you regarding eating and corruption, and you throw out your words: Or what do you do with them, knowing that he does nothing with them except eat, to astonish him and confuse him, and to make him aware that he cannot claim preservation and improvement, due to his notorious behavior contrary to that. Or he meant: Did you have any deeds in this world except disbelief and denial of the signs of Allah, or what else were you doing? Meaning that they had no deeds other than that, as if they were created only for disbelief and sin, whereas they were created for faith and obedience. They are addressed with this before they are thrown into the Fire, then they are thrown into it. This is the meaning of the saying: And the word has come upon them, meaning that the promised punishment will overwhelm them because of their injustice. It is the denial of the signs of Allah, which occupies them from speaking and making excuses, as His saying: This is a day when they will not speak.