Tafsir of Al-Ahqaf 46:28

"Then why did those not help them..."

"Qurbanan" (an offering): That by which one draws near to Allah Almighty. That is: they took them as intercessors, drawing near to Allah through them, as they said: "These are our intercessors with Allah."

One of the two objects of the verb "took" (ittakhadhu) is the pronoun referring to "those" (alladhina), which is omitted. The second object is "gods" (alihatan). "Qurbanan" is a state (hal). It is not valid for "qurbanan" to be the second object and "gods" to be a substitute (badal) for it, because the meaning would be corrupted. It has been recited as "qurbanan" (with a damma on the ra').

The meaning is: Why did their gods not prevent their destruction?

"But they strayed from them"—that is, they were absent from helping them.

"And that"—a reference to the failure of their gods to help them and their straying from them—is the effect of their "ifk" (lie/fabrication), which is their taking them as gods, and the fruit of their polytheism and their lying against Allah by claiming He has partners.

It has been recited as "ifkihim." "Ifk" and "ufk" are like "hadhar" and "hudhar" (caution).

It has been recited as "wa dhalika ifkuhum," meaning: that taking [of gods], which has this effect and fruit, is their turning away from the truth.

It has been recited as "affukuhum" with a shadda for intensification. "Affakahum" means: He made them liars. And "affukuhum," meaning: their lying speech, which possesses the quality of a lie, just as you say "a lying statement."

"And that is the lie they were fabricating"—that is, some of the lies they were fabricating.

"And [mention] when We directed toward you a few of the jinn, listening to the Qur'an. And when they attended it, they said, 'Listen quietly.' And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners. They said, 'O our people, indeed we have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what was before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight path. O our people, respond to the Caller of Allah and believe in Him; He will forgive for you your sins and protect you from a painful punishment. But he who does not respond to the Caller of Allah will not cause failure upon earth, and he will not have besides Him any protectors. Those are in clear error.'"