7:48 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

ثم ذكر الخصوص بعد العموم فقال: { وَنَادَى أَصْحَابُ الْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالًا يَعْرِفُونَهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ } وهم من أهل النار، وقد كانوا في الدنيا لهم أبهة وشرف، وأموال وأولاد، فقال لهم أصحاب الأعراف، حين رأوهم منفردين في العذاب، بلا ناصر ولا مغيث: { مَا أَغْنَى عَنْكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ } في الدنيا، الذي تستدفعون به المكاره، وتتوسلون به إلى مطالبكم في الدنيا، فاليوم اضمحل، ولا أغني عنكم شيئا، وكذلك، أي شيء نفعكم استكباركم على الحق وعلى من جاء به وعلى من اتبعه.

يقول الله تعالى إخبارا عن تقريع أهل الأعراف لرجال من صناديد المشركين وقادتهم يعرفونهم في النار بسيماهم "ما أغنى عنكم جمعكم" أي كثرتكم "وما كنتم تستكبرون" أي لا ينفعكم كثرتكم ولا جموعكم من عذاب الله بل صرتم إلى ما أنتم فيه من العذاب والنكال.

مَآ أَغْنَى عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ

("Of what benefit to you was your gathering...") meaning, your great numbers,

وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

("...and your arrogance") This Ayah means, your great numbers and wealth did not save you from Allah's torment. Rather, you are dwelling in His torment and punishment. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas,

أَهَـؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لاَ يَنَالُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ

(Are they those, of whom you swore that Allah would never show them mercy) refers to the people of Al-A`raf who will be told when Allah decrees:

ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ

((Behold! It has been said to them): "Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve.")

And those of the Heights call to men from among the inhabitants of the Fire whom they know by their mark saying ‘Your masses of property or your multitude and your haughtiness that is your disdaining of belief have not availed you as protection against the Fire. And they also say to them pointing to those formerly oppressed Muslims

The fifth verse (48) also mentions that the people of A` raf will address the people of Hell and admonish them by saying that the wealth and power that they depended on, and because of which they had become proud and arrogant, went the way of waste for all those strengths did not work for them at their hour of need.