Tafsir of An-Naml 27:14

{And they denied them, although their souls were certain thereof}

(And they denied them): meaning, they declared them to be false. (Although their souls were certain thereof): meaning, they knew with absolute certainty that they were signs from Allah, the Exalted. Al-Istiqan (certainty) is more intensive than al-iqan.

It is stated in al-Bahr that the form istaf'ala here carries the meaning of tafa'ala, like istakbara meaning takabbara (to be arrogant). It is more intensive for the waw to be for a state (hal), and the sentence following it to be a circumstantial clause, either with an implied qad or without it.

(Out of injustice): meaning, injustice toward the signs, as in the saying of the Exalted: "For the injustice of those who followed Judaism." That is, they committed injustice by lowering them from their exalted rank and calling them sorcery. It is also said: out of injustice to their own souls, but that is not the preferred view.

(And arrogance): meaning, haughtiness and pride against believing in them, as in the saying of the Exalted: "And those who denied Our signs and were arrogant toward them." Their accusative case (nasb) is either because they serve as the cause ('illah) for "denied," and this, as it is said, is with regard to the outcome and the assertion, as in the saying: They are born for death, and they build for ruin.

Or, they are in the state (hal) of their subject; meaning, they denied them while being unjust and arrogant. The first view is considered stronger, as it is more intensive and more befitting to the saying of the Exalted:

{Then see how was the outcome of the corrupters}

That is, what Pharaoh and his people ended up with regarding drowning in a horrific manner that serves as a lesson to the oppressors. It is only mentioned to draw attention to the fact that it is accessible to every observer, well-known to every nomad and resident. Some have included their state in the Hereafter, such as burning and the painful torment, within this "outcome." Using the explicit noun instead of the pronoun serves to disparage them and warn those who are like them.

Abdullah, Ibn Waththab, al-A'mash, Talha, and Aban ibn Taghlib recited: ('iliyyan), by changing the waw to a ya and vocalizing the 'ayn and the lam with a kasra. Its root is fu'ul, but they gave the 'ayn a kasra to harmonize; its damma is also reported from Ibn Waththab, al-A'mash, and Talha.