Tafsir

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ (And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly.) (6:110),فَلَمَّا زَاغُواْ أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ(So when they turned away, Allah turned their hearts away.) (61:5),فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُصِيبَهُم بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ(And if they turn away, then know that Allah's will is to punish them for some sins of theirs) (5:49). It was said that the meaning of the phraseثُمَّ كَانَ عَـقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ السُّوءَى(Then evil was the end of those who did evil,) is that evil was their inevitable end, because they rejected the signs of Allah and made fun of them. This is the view of Ibn Jarir, which he recorded from Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah. Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded it from them and from Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim.

This is the apparent meaning -- and Allah knows best -- of the phrase:وَكَانُواْ بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ(and made a mockery of them.)

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُ‌وا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Have they not travelled on earth - 30:9). It means that the Makkans live in a land where there is neither any cultivation and industry nor any tall and beautiful buildings, but for the sake of trade they do travel to Syria and Yemen. So, have they not seen, during the course of their trips, what was the fate of the earlier people, whom Allah Ta’ ala had endowed with skills to make use of the land? For instance, they had the skill to draw underground water by excavating the earth for irrigating fields and gardens, and dig out concealed precious minerals, such as gold and silver, and make use of them to their benefit. For their advanced skills and way of living, they were regarded as civilized nations. But they got engrossed so much in material life, transitory luxuries and comforts that they forgot Allah Ta’ ala and the Hereafter. Then, Allah Ta’ ala sent prophets and books to remind them of their duties, but they did not pay any heed. Ultimately, they were overtaken by Allah's wrath even in this world.

The ruins of their desolate cities still stand witness to their destruction. At the end of the verse it is suggested to ponder whether they were subjected to any oppression from Allah Ta’ ala, or they subjected themselves to their own cruelty by accumulating causes of the divine punishment.

ثم كانت عاقبة أهل السوء من الطغاة والكفرة أسوأ العواقب وأقبحها; لتكذيبهم بالله وسخريتهم بآياته التي أنزلها على رسله.

( ثم كان عاقبة الذين أساءوا السوءى أن كذبوا بآيات الله وكانوا بها يستهزئون ) ، كما قال تعالى : ( ونقلب أفئدتهم وأبصارهم كما لم يؤمنوا به أول مرة ونذرهم في طغيانهم يعمهون ) [ الأنعام : 110 ] ، وقوله : ( فلما زاغوا أزاغ الله قلوبهم ) [ الصف : 5 ] ، وقال : ( فإن تولوا فاعلم أنما يريد الله أن يصيبهم ببعض ذنوبهم ) [ المائدة : 49 ] .وعلى هذا تكون السوأى منصوبة مفعولا ل " أساءوا " . وقيل : بل المعنى في ذلك : ( ثم كان عاقبة الذين أساءوا السوءى ) أي : كانت السوأى عاقبتهم; لأنهم كذبوا بآيات الله وكانوا بها يستهزئون . فعلى هذا تكون السوأى منصوبة خبر كان . هذا توجيه ابن جرير ، ونقله عن ابن عباس وقتادة . ورواه ابن أبي حاتم عنهما وعن الضحاك بن مزاحم ، وهو الظاهر ، والله أعلم ، ( وكانوا بها يستهزئون ) .