Surah Saba Tafseer

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ

"...Nay, but you were criminals."

Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant:

"Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day..."

meaning, `you used to plot against us night and day, tempting us with promises and false hopes, and telling us that we were truly guided and that we were following something, but all of that was falsehood and manifest lies.'

Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said:

بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ

(Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day), means,

"You plotted by night and day."

Malik narrated something similar from Zayd bin Aslam.

إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَادًا

when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!

means, `to set up gods as equal to Him, and you created doubts and confusion in our minds, and you fabricated far-fetched ideas with which to lead us astray.'

وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ

And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets, when they behold the torment.

means, both the leaders and the followers will feel regret for what they did previously.

وَجَعَلْنَا الاَْغْلَلَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved.

This is a chain which will tie their hands to their necks.

هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Are they requited aught except what they used to do.

means, they will be punished according to their deeds:the leaders will be punished according to what they did, and the followers will be punished according to what they did.

قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَعْلَمُونَ

He will say:"For each one there is double (torment), but you know not." (7:38)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"The Messenger of Allah said:

إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَّا سِيقَ إِلَيْهَا أَهْلُهَا تَلَقَّاهُمْ لَهَبُهَا ثُمَّ لَفَحَتْهُمْ لَفْحَةً فَلَمْ يَبْقَ لَحْمٌ إِلاَّ سَقَطَ عَلَى الْعُرْقُوب

When the people of Hell are driven towards it, it will meet them with its flames, then the Fire will burn their faces and the flesh will all fall to their hamstrings.