Tafsir of Qaf 50:22

"You were in heedlessness of this"—this is a statement recounted through an implied verb of saying. The sentence is an inauguration (isti’naf) built upon a question arising from what preceded it, as if it were said: "What will happen after the blowing [of the Trumpet] and the arrival of every soul with a driver and a witness?" It is then said: "It is said to the heedless disbeliever, when he witnesses the realities he did not believe in during the worldly life—such as the Resurrection and other matters—'You were in heedlessness of this which you are now witnessing.'"

The address is directed toward the disbeliever, as stated by Ibn Abbas and Salih ibn Kaysan. The use of the indefinite form for "heedlessness" (ghafla) and placing it within [a prepositional phrase] implies that it is a complete, total heedlessness—which is the state of the disbelievers regarding the Hereafter and what it contains. Others have said: The sentence is recounted through an implied verb of saying that functions as an attribute of the "soul" or as a state (hal), and the address is general—meaning it is said to every soul, or has already been said to it: "You were..." The intent by "heedlessness" here is absolute obliviousness, whether it occurs after having knowledge or not, for there is no one who does not have some degree of heedlessness regarding the Hereafter and what is within it. The inauguration (isti’naf) is also permissible under the view of a general address. Al-Jahdari recited "Laqad kunti" (You were) with a kasra on the ta, addressing the "soul" (nafs), which is feminine. Its masculinization in the verse "O soul, you are pleased with pleasures" is based on interpreting it as a "person." This requirement does not apply to the reading of the majority, for the expression of "the soul" in the narration does not necessitate its consideration in the narrated speech, as is evident.

"So We have removed from you your veil"—the "veil" is the covering that obstructs the matters of the Resurrection, which is heedlessness, immersion in sensory things, familiarity with them, and limiting one's perspective to them. Designating this as a "veil" is metaphorical. It is either the veil of the body or the veil of the eyes. In either case, the Almighty’s statement holds true: "So your sight today is sharp"—meaning piercing, due to the removal of what obstructed vision. As for the latter case, it is obvious. As for the former, since the veil of the entire body is also a veil for the eyes, its removal necessitates their removal from the eyes as well.

Some have claimed that the address is to the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the meaning is: "You were in heedlessness of this which We mentioned regarding the blowing [of the Trumpet], the Resurrection, the arrival of every soul with a driver and a witness, and other such things; so We removed your veil of heedlessness through revelation and the teaching of the Quran; thus, your sight today is sharp, seeing what they do not see and knowing what they do not know." By my life, this is a baseless claim that does not align with the context or the sequence. In al-Bahr, it is mentioned that Zayd ibn Aslam holds an opinion regarding this verse that is forbidden to quote, which is found in Ibn Atiyyah's book. Perhaps he intended this [interpretation]. However, there is debate regarding the claim of the prohibition of quoting it.

Al-Jahdari and Talha ibn Musarrif recited the three kafs—meaning the kaf in "anka" (from you) and those following it—with a kasra, addressing the "soul." The author of al-Lawamih did not report the kasra on the kaf except from Talha, and he said: "I did not find that he recited it with a kasra in 'laqad kunti'." If he did recite it with a kasra there as well, then that is consistent; but if he recited it with a fatha, he would have based it on the form of "kull" (soul/every), and based the subsequent kasras on its meaning, due to its annexation to "soul" (nafs). This is like the Almighty’s saying: "For him is his reward," and His saying thereafter: "No fear shall be upon them."