Allah tells us that the disbelievers will remain in doubt concerning this Qur'an. This was the view of Ibn Jurayj and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.

حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً

(until the Hour comes suddenly upon them,) Mujahid said: "By surprise." Qatadah said:

بَغْتَةً

(suddenly) means, the command of Allah will catch the people unaware. Allah never seizes a people except when they are intoxicated with pride, enjoying a life of luxury, and they think that the punishment will never come upon them, but Allah does not punish anyone except the evildoers.

أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ

(or there comes to them the torment of Yawm `Aqim.) Mujahid said, "Ubay bin Ka`b said: `Yawm `Aqim means the day of Badr."' `Ikrimah and Mujahid said: "Yawm `Aqim means the Day of Resurrection, following which there will be no night." This was also the view of Ad-Dahhak and Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah says:

الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ للَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ

(The sovereignty on that Day will be that of Allah. He will judge between them.) This is like the Ayat:

مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

(The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense) 1:4

الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَكَانَ يَوْماً عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ عَسِيراً

(The sovereignty on that Day will be the true (sovereignty), belonging to the Most Gracious (Allah), and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers.) 25:26

فَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ

(So those who believed and did righteous good deeds) means, their hearts believed in Allah and His Messenger , and they acted in accor- dance with what they knew; their words and deeds were in harmony.

فِى جَنَّـتِ النَّعِيمِ

(in Gardens of Delight.) means, they will enjoy eternal bliss which will never end or fade away.

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَآ

(And those who disbelieved and denied Our Ayat,) means, their hearts rejected and denied the truth; they disbelieved in it and resisted the Messengers and were too proud to follow them. e

فَأُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

(for them will be a humiliating torment. ) means, in recompense for arrogantly turning away from the truth.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ

(Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!) 40:60