Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:30

(And if you could see when they are made to stand before their Lord) This is a representation (tamthil) of their detention for questioning and reprimand, or a metonymy (kinayah) for it, according to those who do not require the possibility of a literal occurrence or who permit metaphorical consideration in individual terms. However, the more preferred view among them is that it is considered in the sentence as a whole.

It is said: "Standing" (al-wuquf) here has the meaning of "witnessing" (al-ittila'), which is transitive through 'ala (upon). In this reading, there is an elliptical genitive construction (mudaf), meaning: "they stood before the judgment of their Lord or His retribution," and there is no need for tadmeen (implying one verb within another) or considering it an inversion (qalb) as was conjectured.

It is also said: It carries the meaning of "witnessing" without the need for an elliptical genitive, meaning: "they knew Him, Glorified and Exalted is He, with the true recognition." It does not follow that "true recognition" necessitates "true cognition" (ma'rifah), such that one might ask: "How can this be, when it has been said: 'We have not known You as You deserve to be known'?" Some of the Zahiriyyah (Literalists) used this verse as evidence that the people of the Resurrection will stand in the proximity of Allah in the place of reckoning, but the weakness of this claim is self-evident.

(He will say) This is an inception (isti'naf) arising from the preceding discourse, as if it were said: "What did their Lord, Glorified and Exalted is He, say to them at that time?" and the reply was: "He said..." It is also permissible that it is in the position of a circumstantial qualifier (hal), meaning: "saying."

(Is this not)—meaning the Resurrection and what follows it—(the truth?)—meaning: "Is it not a truth, not a falsehood as you claimed?" It is said: The reference is to the punishment alone, but that is of no substance, and there is no evidence for that in "So taste" (fadhufu) according to those who possess discernment. The interrogative particle (al-hamzah) is for the sake of rebuking them for their denial.

(They will say: Yes, by our Lord, it is the truth.) They confirmed their admission with an oath to manifest the perfection of their certainty in its truth, and to signal that this issued from them with eagerness and intensity, hoping that it might benefit them—but how far that is!

(He will say: Then taste the punishment) which you denied beforehand and rejected, (because of what you used to disbelieve)—meaning: because of your persistent disbelief, or in exchange for it, or in confrontation with it, or for the very thing you used to disbelieve in. Thus, ma is either an infinitive particle (masdariyyah) or a relative pronoun (mawsulah), and the former is more appropriate.

Perhaps this reprimand and rebuke, as has been said, only occurs after they have been made to stand before the Fire and have said what they said, for it is most apparent that nothing remains after this command except the punishment. It is also possible that the reverse is true; though the matter is trivial.