Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL MU'MINUUN [108]

108. He (Allah) will say: ”Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!'' 109. Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say: ”Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!'' 110. But you took them for a laughing stock, so much so that they made you forget My remembrance while you used to laugh at them! 111. Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful. This is the response of Allah to the disbelievers when they ask Him to bring them out of the Fire and send them back to this world. He will say:

(Remain you in it with ignominy!) meaning, abide therein, humiliated, despised and scorned.

(And speak you not to Me!) means, `do not ask for this again, for I will not respond to you. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas concerning this Ayah,

(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!) ”These are the words of Ar-Rahman when silencing them.'' Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, ”The people of Hell will call on Malik for forty years, and he will not answer them. Then he will respond and tell them that they are to abide therein. By Allah, their cries will mean nothing to Malik or to the Lord of Malik. Then they will call on their Lord and will say,

(Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people. Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If ever we return (to evil), then indeed we shall be wrongdoers.) ï´¿23:106-107ï´¾ Allah will not answer them for a time span equivalent to twice the duration of this world. Then He will reply:

(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!) By Allah, the people will not utter a single word after that, and they will merely be in the Fire of Hell, sighing in a high and low tone. Their voices are likened to those of donkeys, which start in a high tone and end in a low tone.'' Then Allah will remind them of their sins in this world and how they used to make fun of His believing servants and close friends:

(Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say: ”Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!'' But you took them for a laughing stock,) meaning, `you made fun of them for calling on Me and praying to Me,'

(so much so that they made you forget My remembrance) means, your hatred for them made you forget what I would do to you.

(while you used to laugh at them!) means, at their deeds and worship. This is like the Ayah:

(Verily, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And, whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another.) ï´¿83:29-30ï´¾ meaning, they used to slander them in mockery. Then Allah tells us how He will reward His friends and righteous servants, and says:

(Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience;) meaning, `for the harm and mockery that you inflicted on them,

(they are indeed the ones that are successful.) I have caused them to attain the victory of joy, safety, Paradise and salvation from the Fire.'