74: And indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter are deviating from the path.

"And indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter" refers to the disbelievers of Quraysh, who have been mentioned previously. They were described as such to condemn them for their total immersion in the worldly life and their claim that there is no life after it. This also serves to intimate the reason for the judgment [mentioned in the subsequent verse], for belief in the Hereafter and the fear of the calamities therein are among the strongest incentives to seek the truth and pursue its path.

It is permissible that the intended meaning is general, encompassing them and other disbelievers who deny the Resurrection. Included in this are the allies of those who "are deviating from the straight path to which you invite them," meaning they are turning away from it.

It has been said: The intent behind "the path" is the generic category; meaning they are deviating from the very genus of paths, let alone the "straight path" to which you invite them. It has been argued that this is more indicative of the perfection of their misguidance and the extent of their deviation, as it implies that what they have taken as a course cannot even be called a path, even if it were a crooked one. However, it is argued against this that the reasoning provided by the content of the relative clause (al-silah) supports only the intention of the "straight path."

I believe that those who claimed the meaning here is the path (al-sirat) extended over the back of Hell—which is the path to Paradise—have themselves deviated from the path; meaning that on the Day of Resurrection, they are inclined away from the way to Paradise, swerving to the right and left towards the Fire.