Ar-Rum: (57) "So on that Day, it will not profit..."

(So on that Day), meaning the day when that which has been mentioned occurs regarding the categories of the disbelievers and the statement of those endowed with knowledge to them: (it will not profit those who did wrong their excuse), meaning their apology.

The majority recited it as tanfa'u (with a ta), preserving the outward appearance of the word, even though a separator stands between it and the subject.

(Nor will they be asked to seek amends [yusta'tabun]). Al-isti'tab is the seeking of al-'utba, which is the noun derived from al-i'tab, meaning the removal of blame—like al-'ata' (giving) and al-isti'ta' (seeking to be given). That is, they will not be asked to remove the blame of Allah Almighty—and what is meant by it is His wrath upon them—through repentance and obedience, for the punishment has surely been decreed for them. If you wish, you may say: "They are not told, 'Please your Lord through repentance and obedience,' as they were told in the worldly life." It is also said: "They do not ask to be excused so that they may be excused by being returned to the world."

Ibn Atiyyah said: "This is an informing of the terror of the Day of Resurrection and the intensity of its conditions upon the disbelievers, in that their apologizing will not profit them, and they will not be given 'utba, which is satisfaction. Yusta'tabun is in the meaning of yu'tabun (they are blamed/reprimanded), just as one says yamliku (he possesses) and yastamliku (he takes possession). The rule for istaf'ala is that it signifies seeking a thing, yet this is not from that, because the meaning becomes corrupt if it is understood as 'they are not asked to seek satisfaction.'" Thus, he interpreted istaf'ala as having the meaning of fa'ala.

The gist of the meaning according to him—based on what is in al-Bahr—is that they are, in terms of being neglected and ignored, in the position of one who is not deemed worthy of being asked to make amends. It is also said that the meaning is: they are not reproached for their sins; rather, they are punished. What we mentioned first is that which ought to be relied upon. Would that I knew where the corruption that Ibn Atiyyah claimed lies, if the understanding of it is "they are not asked to seek satisfaction," according to what you have heard.