If We wished, We could have said something like this, a boast from them and arrogance. The saying "a boast from them" means arrogance. "And arrogance" means exceeding the limit. "And the cloud" refers to the cloud. This is a metaphor used for a man who threatens but does not follow through. The high stake is one of the arrows of gambling that is drawn for the victor. They did not hesitate in their will if they had the ability. Otherwise, what prevented them, if they were able, from wishing for victory over those who challenged them and struck them with incapacity, so that they could win the high stake instead, with their excessive pride and disdain that they would be defeated in the matter of eloquence specifically, and that one would overpower them, while they excuse themselves by claiming inability to will? Despite what was known and evident as the sun shines, of their eagerness to conquer the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and their desperation to overwhelm him. It is said that this was said by al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, who was killed in captivity, when he heard Allah recounting the stories of the past nations: "If I wished, I could say something like this." He is the one who came from Persia with a copy of the story of Rustam and Isfandiyar, claiming that this is like that, and that it is among those legends. He is the one who said, "If this is the truth, then punish us for denying it with the sijeel, as You did with the companions of the elephant, or with another punishment." His intent was to deny its truth. If it is denied as being true, then the denier does not deserve punishment. Thus, the conditional punishment is based on it being true while believing it is not true, similar to the condition of impossibility in your saying: "If falsehood is truth, then rain upon us stones." And his saying: "It is the truth" is mockery of those who say specifically and distinctly: "This is the truth." Al-A'mash read "it is the truth" in the nominative, considering "it" as a subject without a separation. In the first reading, it is a separation. It is said: The sky rained, as you say: it became clear and poured. And it rained, as you say: it poured and continued to pour. The rains have often been used in the context of punishment. If you say: What is the benefit of his saying "from the sky"? Rain can only come from it. I say: It is as if he wants to say: "Then rain upon us the sijeel," which are the stones designated for punishment, thus placing "stones from the sky" in place of "sijeel," as you say: "Pour upon him a coat of iron," meaning armor with a painful punishment, that is, another type of painful punishment. This means that the rains of sijeel are some of the painful punishment, and we were punished by it or by another type of its kinds. And from Muawiyah, he said to a man from Sheba: "How ignorant are your people when they appointed a woman over them!" He replied: "More ignorant than my people are your people," who said to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, when he called them to the truth: "If this is the truth from You, then rain upon us stones," and they did not say: "If this is the truth, then guide us to it." The letter "lam" is for emphasizing the negation, indicating that punishing them while you are among them is not wise. For Allah's custom and the principle of His wisdom is not to punish a people with total destruction as long as their Prophet is among them, and it implies that they are marked for punishment if he departs from them. The evidence for this implication is His saying: "And what is [the matter] with them that Allah would not punish them?" This is only valid after establishing the punishment, as if he said: "And Allah would not punish them while you are among them," and He punishes them if you depart from them. And what is with them that Allah would not punish them while they are seeking forgiveness? This is in the position of a state. Its meaning is the denial of seeking forgiveness from them: that is, even if they were among those who believe and seek forgiveness from disbelief, they would not be punished, as His saying: "And your Lord would not destroy the cities unjustly while their people were reformers," but they do not believe and do not seek forgiveness, nor do they expect that from them. It is said: Its meaning is that Allah would not punish them while there are among them those who seek forgiveness, and they are the Muslims among them who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, from among the weak.

They are certainly being punished for that. And how could they not be punished when their condition is that they prevent others from the Sacred Mosque just as they prevented the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah? They expelled the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and the believers from the place, claiming: 'We are the guardians of the House and the Sanctuary, so we prevent whom we wish and allow entry to whom we wish.' And they were not its guardians, nor did they deserve it, due to their associating partners with Allah and their enmity towards the religion. The guardians of it are only the pious among the Muslims. Not every Muslim is suitable to be a guardian of it; rather, only one who is righteous and pious deserves its guardianship. So how about the disbelievers, the idol worshippers? However, most of them do not know, as if he excluded those who know yet are obstinate and seek leadership. Or he meant by 'most': all, just as 'few' can mean absence.