Threatening the idolators for their persistence in falsehood and their
conceited delusions about this world, Allah says: Are these people waiting only
for the angels to come and take their souls Qatadah said:
[أَوْ يَأْتِىَ
أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ]
(Or there comes the command of your Lord) means the Day of Resurrection and
the terror that they will go through.''
[كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ
الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ]
(Thus did those before them.) means, thus did their predecessors and those
who were like them among the idolators persist in their Shirk, until they tasted
the wrath of Allah and experienced the punishment and torment that they
suffered.
[وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ
اللَّهُ]
(And Allah did not wrong them.) because by sending His Messengers and
revealing His Books He gave them enough warning and clearly demonstrated His
proofs to them.
[وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ
أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ]
(but they were wronging themselves.) meaning, by opposing the Messengers and
denying what they brought. For this reason Allah's punishment tormented them.
[وَحَاقَ
بِهِم]
(they were surrounded) meaning, they were overwhelmed by the painful torment.
[مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ
يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ]
(by that which they used to mock.) meaning, they used to make fun of the
Messengers when they warned them Allah's punishment, and for this it will be
said to them on the Day of Resurrection:
[هَـذِهِ النَّارُ
الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ ]
(This is the Fire which you used to belie.) (52:14).
[وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ
أَشْرَكُواْ لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلا
ءَابَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ كَذلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن
قَبْلِهِمْ فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ - وَلَقَدْ
بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الْطَّـغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ
الضَّلَـلَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ
الْمُكَذِّبِينَ - إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى مَن
يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ ]
(35. And those who worshipped others with Allah said: "If Allah had so
willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him nor would
we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him.'' Those before them did
the same. Then! Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey
the Message) (36. And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community,
nation) (saying): "Worship Allah (Alone), and shun the Taghut (all false
deities). '' Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were
some who deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the
end of those who denied (the truth).) (37. [Even] if you desire that they be
guided, then verily, Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray, and
they will have no helpers.)