Tafsir of Al-Mu'minoon 23:114

(He said), meaning Allah Almighty or the Angel. The two Hamzas (Hamza al-Kufi and al-Kisa'i) read it as (Say), in the imperative form, just as it was read in what passed previously.

In ad-Durr al-Masun, it is stated that both verbs appear in the Kufan codices without an alif, while in the codices of Makkah, Madinah, Sham, and Basra, they appear with an alif. A similar account is reported from Ibn Atiyyah, though the al-Kashshaf states the opposite. It seems the orthography without an alif allows for its omission from the past tense verb, contrary to the standard rule, and the orthography of the Mus'haf contains peculiarities that are not hidden, so do not be heedless of that.

(How long did you tarry), meaning: You did not tarry (except a little), which is a confirmation for them regarding their own statement.

(If you only knew) (If you knew): Meaning, if you knew anything at all, or if you were among the people of knowledge. The particle (if) is conditional, and its response is omitted, relying upon the indication of the discourse to imply it. That is: If you knew, you would have known on that day the brevity of the days of the world, just as you know it today. You would have known the implications of that, and you would not have committed what necessitated your eternal dwelling in the Fire and our saying to you, "Be driven away into it and do not speak to Me."

It is also said that the meaning is: If you knew the insignificance of your tarrying in the world in comparison to the Hereafter, you would not have been deceived by it, nor would you have disobeyed. On this view, the negation of knowledge from them is because they lacked knowledge of its consequences, and he who does not act upon his knowledge is the same as the ignorant.

Abu al-Baqa' estimated the response as: "If you had known, you would not have answered with this duration." Perhaps he makes the preceding speech a rebuttal to them, not a confirmation; otherwise, this estimation would not be correct. It is also permitted that (if) is for wishing (tamanni), in which case it does not require a response. It should not be treated as a conjunctive particle (wasilah), as its use without the waw is rare or non-existent.

Many exegetes have said: The intention refers to their being asked about their tarrying in the graves, given that they used to claim they would become dust after death and would never be resurrected from their graves.

Ibn Atiyyah claimed that this is the most correct view, and that His saying, Glory be to Him, later on—(And that you would not be returned to Us)—demands it. This, however, contains an obvious prohibition. What supports the view we have taken is what has been narrated in a marfu' (elevated) report: That when Allah Almighty admits the people of Paradise into Paradise and the people of the Fire into the Fire, He says, "O people of Paradise, how long did you tarry on earth in number of years?" They will say, "We tarried a day or part of a day." He will say, "How well you fulfilled My mercy, My pleasure, and My Paradise in a day or part of a day! Abide therein, eternally and everlastingly." Then He says, "O people of the Fire, how long did you tarry on earth in number of years?" They will say, "We tarried a day or part of a day." He will say, "How evil is what you fulfilled of My Fire and My wrath in a day or part of a day! Abide therein, eternally and everlastingly."