(أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ)

This is a reiteration of the two previous denials combined, with the intention of adding warning and alarm. A group of prominent verifiers mentioned that if it were to be considered a reiteration of that, and also of the heedlessness of the aforementioned villagers, in the sense that the entirety is a result of feeling secure against the plot of Allah—that would be permissible. However, since it is made as a threat to those present, specificity is more appropriate, though there is room for reflection on this.

"Al-Makr" (plot/craftiness) originally refers to deception. It is also used to mean concealment; one says "the night 'makara' (plotted/veiled)," meaning it concealed what was within it with its darkness. When attributed to Him, Exalted is He, it refers to His luring the disobedient servant until he is destroyed in his state of heedlessness, as a comparison to deception. This attribution to Him, Exalted is He, is permissible without the need for mushakalah (stylistic correspondence), contrary to the view of some. Here, it refers to the arrival of the scourge at the two aforementioned times and states. There is disagreement over whether the replacement of bad with good, mentioned earlier, was a "plot" and a luring, or a gentleness and a respite. All is possible.

(فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ)

Meaning: those who have lost their own souls and thus wasted the natural disposition (fitrah) of Allah, upon which He has created mankind, and the immediate readiness gained from contemplating the signs. The Fa (particle) here is related, as Al-Qutb Al-Razi and others have said, to an elided term; as if it were said: "When they felt secure, they lost; therefore, no one feels secure against the plot of Allah..." Abu al-Baqa' said it is for alerting to the consequence of punishment following the sense of security from the plot of Allah. It may also be said that it is for justifying the condemnation and ugliness of feeling secure, which the speech implies. Or it may be said that it is fasiha (eloquent), and what is understood from the speech serves as a conditional premise; meaning: if feeling secure is at the utmost degree of ugliness, then none commits it except he who has lost his soul.

The Hanafis used this verse as evidence that feeling secure against the plot of Allah—which, as stated in Jam' al-Jawami', is continuing in disobedience while relying upon the pardon of Allah—is kufr (disbelief). The same applies to despairing of the mercy of Allah, due to the saying of Allah, Exalted is He: "Indeed, none despairs of the relief of Allah except the disbelieving people."

The Shafi'is held that both are among the major sins (kaba'ir), based on the explicit statement of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, to that effect. Ibn Abi Hatim and Al-Bazzar narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet, may Allah exalt and grant him peace, was asked about the major sins and said: "Associating partners with Allah, despairing of the relief of Allah, and feeling secure against the plot of Allah; and this is the greatest of the major sins." They argued that what has been narrated indicating that these are kufr is to be understood as hyperbole and stern warning. The verse "None despairs..." is like the saying of Allah, Exalted is He: "The fornicator does not marry except a fornicator..." or "You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah..." according to certain interpretations.

Some verifiers said: If feeling secure involves the belief that Allah, Exalted is He, is not able to take retribution against him, and likewise if despairing involves the belief that He is not able to grant mercy and favor, or the like, then this is undoubtedly kufr. But if it is devoid of such a belief and does not involve negligence or lack of concern for Allah, Exalted is He, then it is a major sin. This is like a reconciliation between the two opinions.