( هل ينظرون ) أي : هل ينتظرون ، ( إلا تأويله ) قال مجاهد : جزاءه . وقال السدي : عاقبته . ومعناه : هل ينتظرون إلا ما يئول إليه أمرهم في العذاب ومصيرهم إلى النار . ( يوم يأتي تأويله ) أي : جزاؤه وما يئول إليه أمرهم ، ( يقول الذين نسوه من قبل قد جاءت رسل ربنا بالحق ) اعترفوا به حين لا ينفعهم الاعتراف ، ( فهل لنا ) اليوم ، ( من شفعاء فيشفعوا لنا أو نرد ) إلى الدنيا ، ( فنعمل غير الذي كنا نعمل قد خسروا أنفسهم ) أهلكوها بالعذاب ، ( وضل ) وبطل ( عنهم ما كانوا يفترون ) .
Those who disbelieve in reality only wait for what they have been warned: a painful punishment in the Afterlife as a result of their actions. The believers were also foretold about the reward of that day. Those who ignored the Qur’ān in the life of this world, not acting according to what is in it, will then say: 'Indeed the messengers of our Lord came with the truth, in which there was no doubt. If only there was a mediator who could now plead on our behalf so we could be excused from the punishment. Or if only we could return to the life of the world to do good actions that would save us instead of the bad we committed!' The disbelievers have lost themselves, gaining their own ruin because of their disbelief. Those who they used to worship beside Allah have abandoned them, and can be of no help to them.