Al-Jathiyah: (32) And when it is said...

There are several issues discussed here:

Issue 1: The Reading of "As-Sā'ah" (The Hour)

It has been read in two ways: in the nominative case (raising) and in the accusative case (setting).

• Al-Zajjāj said: If it is in the accusative case, it is coordinated (connected) with the promise (الوعد).
• Al-Akhfash said: The nominative case is superior in meaning and more common in the speech of the Arabs when it follows a statement introduced by inna (إن), because it stands as an independent statement after the first statement is fully delivered.

Issue 2: The Statement of the Disbelievers

Allah the Exalted recounts that when it was said to the disbelievers: "Indeed, the promise of Allah regarding reward and punishment is true, and that the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it," they replied: "We do not know what the Hour is; we only suspect, and we are not certain."

I say: The dominant assumption is that these people held two opinions regarding this matter.

1. Some were absolutely certain in denying the Resurrection and the Hour. These are the ones Allah mentioned previously with His saying: {And they said, "There is nothing but our worldly life"} (Al-Jāthiyah: 24).
2. Others were doubtful and confused about it. This is because, due to how much they heard from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the abundance of evidence supporting the call to Resurrection, they became doubtful. These are the ones Allah intended by this verse.

What indicates this is that Allah recounted the doctrine of the first group (the deniers), and then followed it by recounting the saying of these people, which necessitates that this second group is different from the first party.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {And what became apparent to them}—meaning in the Hereafter—{are the evil consequences of what they did}. They had previously considered these deeds to be good, so that became the first aspect of their loss. {And what they used to ridicule has encompassed them}.

This serves as evidence that when this group said, {We only suspect}, they said it out of mockery and derision. Based on this interpretation, this group is worse than the first group, because the first group were deniers but not mockers, whereas this group combined persistent denial with mockery.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {And it will be said, "Today We forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of Yours"}.

There are two interpretations for this "forgetting":

1. The first: We leave you in punishment just as you abandoned obedience, which is the provision for the Day of Return.
2. The second: We render you like a forgotten thing, disregarded, just as you disregarded the meeting of your Day and paid no attention to it, treating it as something cast aside and forgotten.

Thus, Allah the Exalted combined three severe forms of torment upon them:

1. The complete cutting off of Allah's mercy from them.
2. Their abode becoming the Fire.
3. Being completely engrossed in the love of this world and turning away entirely from the Hereafter, which is what is meant by Allah’s saying: {And the worldly life deceived you}.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {And today they will not be brought out of it}.

Ḥamzah and Al-Kisā’ī read {yakhrujūn} (they will be brought out) with a fatḥa on the yā’ (implying passive voice: they will not be brought out), while the rest read it with a ḍammah (implying active voice: they will not exit).

{Nor will they be asked to make amends} (or seek acceptance/reconciliation). This means they will not be asked to appease their Lord, i.e., to make Him pleased with them.

When the discussion of these noble, spiritual matters was completed, the Sūrah concluded with praising Allah the Exalted, saying: {So to Allah belongs all praise, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of all worlds}. This means: So praise Allah, who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, rather, the Creator of all worlds—of bodies and spirits, of essences and attributes. This Lordship necessitates praise and commendation from every created being and every being under His dominion.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {And to Him belongs the majesty in the heavens and the earth}. This suggests two things:

1. That glorification (Takbīr) must follow praise (Taḥmīd). It indicates that when the praisers praise Him, they must acknowledge that He is higher and greater than that the praise they offered is adequate for His favors; rather, He is greater than the praise of the praisers, and His favors are higher and more sublime than the gratitude of the thankful.
2. That this majesty belongs only to Him, because the Necessary Existent by His very essence is none other than Him.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise}. This means: Due to the perfection of His Power, He is capable of creating whatever He wills, and due to the perfection of His Wisdom, He singles out every type of His creation with the effects of wisdom, mercy, grace, and generosity.

The statement {And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise} implies restriction (exclusivity). This implies that the one perfect in power, wisdom, and mercy is none other than Him. This indicates that there is no god for creation except Him, and no benefactor or bestower except Him.