And if you could see their response, it is omitted, its estimation being: If you could see, you would see a terrible matter. They were stopped at the Fire, and they were shown it until they witnessed it. Or they were made to look at it, a look that is beneath them, or they were admitted to it, so they recognized the extent of its punishment from your saying: I stopped at such and such, if you understood it and recognized it. And it was recited: they were stopped, in the active form, from the one who stops at something. Oh, how I wish we could return! This is their wish. Then they began: And we will not deny the signs of our Lord and we will be among the believers, promising faith, as if they said: And we do not deny and we believe in a manner of affirmation. Sibawayh likened it to their saying: Leave me and I will not return, meaning: Leave me while I do not return, whether you left me or did not leave me. It is permissible that it is connected to 'we could return' or it is a state meaning: Oh, how I wish we could return, not denying and being among the believers, thus it falls under the ruling of wishing.

If you say: This is negated by His saying: And indeed they are liars, for the one who wishes cannot be a liar. I say: This wish contains the meaning of a promise, so it is permissible for denial to be related to it, as when a man says: I wish Allah would grant me wealth so that I may do good to you and repay you for your kindness. This is a wish in the meaning of a promise, so if he was granted wealth and did not do good to his companion and did not repay him, he would be a liar, as if he said: If Allah grants me wealth, I will repay you for the kindness. And it was recited: And we will not deny and we will be, in the accusative with the omission of 'that' on the response to the wish.

Mahrud said: 'And it was recited: And we will not deny and we will be in the accusative with the omission of 'that' on the response to the wish... etc.' Ahmad said: And often the form of wishing alternates with the news. Do you not see: up to His saying: And because of what they were lying in His saying: And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah that if He grants us of His bounty, we will certainly give charity and we will be among the righteous, up to His saying: And because of what they were lying. This covenant was indeed a wish in the form of news, and Allah knows best.

And clearer than that is His saying in another verse: And they are crying out in it: Our Lord, bring us out, we will do righteous deeds other than what we used to do. This is indeed the wish itself, but in the form of a clear promise and news, and Allah is the Guide.

And its meaning is: If we were returned, we would not deny and we would be among the believers. Rather, what was hidden from them before has become apparent, of their vile and disgraceful deeds in their records and by the testimony of their limbs against them. Therefore, they wished what they wished out of frustration, not that they are determined that if they were returned, they would believe. And it was said: This is about the hypocrites and that their hypocrisy which they used to conceal will be revealed. And it was said: This is about the People of the Book and that what they used to conceal of the truth of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, will be shown to them. And if they were returned to the world after standing at the Fire, they would return to what they were forbidden from, of disbelief and sins, and indeed they are liars in what they promised themselves, they do not fulfill it.