7:51 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

{ لَهْوًا وَلَعِبًا } أي: لهت قلوبهم وأعرضت عنه، ولعبوا واتخذوه سخريا، أو أنهم جعلوا بدل دينهم اللهو واللعب، واستعاضوا بذلك عن الدين القيم. { وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا } بزينتها وزخرفها وكثرة دعاتها، فاطمأنوا إليها ورضوا بها وفرحوا، وأعرضوا عن الآخرة ونسوها. { فَالْيَوْمَ نَنْسَاهُمْ } أي: نتركهم في العذاب { كَمَا نَسُوا لِقَاءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَذَا } فكأنهم لم يخلقوا إلا للدنيا، وليس أمامهم عرض ولا جزاء. { وَمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ } والحال أن جحودهم هذا، لا عن قصور في آيات اللّه وبيناته.

وصف تعالى الكافرين بما كانوا يعتمدونه في الدنيا باتخاذهم الدين لهوا ولعبا واغترارهم بالدنيا وزينتها وزخرفها عما أمروا به من العمل للآخرة وقوله "فاليوم ننساهم كما نسوا لقاء يومهم هذا" أي يعاملهم معاملة من نسيهم لأنه تعالى لا يشذ عن علمه شيء ولا ينساه كما قال تعالى "في كتاب لا يضل ربي ولا ينسى" وإنما قال تعالى هذا من باب المقابلة كقوله "نسوا الله فنسيهم" وقال "كذلك أتتك آياتنا فنسيتها وكذلك اليوم تنسى" وقال تعالى "وقيل اليوم ننساكم كما نسيتم لقاء يومكم هذا" وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس في قوله "فاليوم ننساهم كما نسوا لقاء يومهم هذا" قال نسيهم الله من الخير ولم ينسهم من الشر وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس قال نتركهم كما تركوا لقاء يومهم هذا وقال مجاهد نتركهم في النار وقال السدي نتركهم من الرحمة كما تركوا أن يعملوا للقاء يومهم هذا وفي الصحيح أن الله تعالى يقول للعبد يوم القيامة: ألم أزوجك؟ ألم أكرمك؟ ألم أسخر لك الخيل والإبل وأذرك ترأس وتربع؟ فيقول بلى فيقول أظننت أنك ملاقي؟ فيقول لا فيقول الله تعالى فاليوم أنساك كما نسيتني.

The Favors of paradise are Prohibited for the People of the Fire

Allah emphasizes the disgrace of the people of the Fire. They will ask the people of Paradise for some of their drink and food, but they will not be given any of that. As-Suddi said,

وَنَادَى أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ أَصْحَـبَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُواْ عَلَيْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ

(And the dwellers of the Fire will call to the dwellers of Paradise: "Pour on us some water or anything that Allah has provided you with.") "That is food". Ath-Thawri said that `Uthman Ath-Thaqafi said that Sa`id bin Jubayr commented on this Ayah, "One of them will call his father or brother, `I have been burned, so pour some water on me.' The believers will be asked to reply, and they will reply,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ

("Both Allah has forbidden to the disbelievers.")" `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ

("Both Allah has forbidden to the disbelievers.") "Refers to the food and drink of Paradise." Allah describes the disbelievers by what they used to do in this life, taking the religion as amusement and play, and being deceived by this life and its adornment, rather than working for the Hereafter as Allah commanded,

فَالْيَوْمَ نَنسَـهُمْ كَمَا نَسُواْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَـذَا

(So this Day We shall forget them as they forgot their meeting of this Day) meaning, Allah will treat them as if He has forgotten them. Certainly, nothing escapes Allah's perfect watch and He never forgets anything. Allah said in another Ayah,

فِى كِتَـبٍ لاَّ يَضِلُّ رَبِّى وَلاَ يَنسَى

(In a Record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets) 20:52 Allah said -- that He will forget them on that Day -- as just recompense for them, because,

نَسُواْ اللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ

(They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them) 9:67

كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَـتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنْسَى

(Like this: Our Ayat came unto you, but you disregarded them, and so this Day, you will be neglected) 20:126 and,

وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا

(And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours.") 45:34 Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on,

فَالْيَوْمَ نَنسَـهُمْ كَمَا نَسُواْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَـذَا

(So this Day We shall forget them as they forgot their meeting of this Day) "Allah will forget the good about them, but not their evil." And `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "We shall forsake them as they have forsaken the meeting of this Day of theirs." Mujahid said, "We shall leave them in the Fire." As-Suddi said, "We shall leave them from any mercy, just as they left any action on behalf of the meeting on this Day of theirs." It is recorded in the Sahih that Allah will say to the servant on the Day of Resurrection:

«أَلَمْ أُزَوِّجْكَ؟ أَلَمْ أُكْرِمْكَ؟ أَلَمْ أُسَخِّرْ لَكَ الْخَيْلَ وَالْإِبِلَ وَأَذَرْكَ تَرْأَسُ وَتَرْبَعُ؟ فَيَقُولُ: بَلَى، فَيَقُولُ: أَظَنَنْتَ أَنَّكَ مُلَاقِيَّ؟ فَيَقُولُ: لَا، فَيَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: فَالْيَوْمَ أَنْسَاكَ كَمَا نَسِيتَنِي»

("Have I not gotten you married Have I not honored you Have I not made horses and camels subservient for you and allowed you to become a leader and a master" He will say, "Yes." Allah will say, "Did you think that you will meet Me" He will say, "No." Allah the Exalted will say, `Then this Day, I will forget you as you have forgotten Me.")

those who took their religion for a diversion and a game and whom the life of this world has deluded.’ Therefore today We have forgotten them We have left them in the Fire just as they forgot the encounter of this day of theirs when they neglected to perform good deeds for it and because they used to deny Our signs.

Said in the sixth verse (49) is: أَهَـٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لَا يَنَالُهُمُ اللَّـهُ بِرَ‌حْمَةٍ ۚ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴿49﴾ (Is it these for whom you swore that Allah would not reach them with mercy?" - "Enter the Paradise; there is no fear on you, nor shall you grieve).

Explaining this, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ says: When the questions and answers between the people of A` raf and the people of Paradise and Hell both will be over, that will be the time when the Lord of all the worlds will address the people of Hell and tell them about the people of A` raf that they swore that the people of A` raf will not be forgiven their sins and mercy will not be shown to them. Then, there comes an immediate declaration of His mercy when the people of A` raf will be told: Go and enter the Paradise. You should have no fear of what had happened in the past nor should you have any anxiety about the future. (Ibn Kathir)