﴿أَفَمَن يَتَّقِى بِوَجْهِهِ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ﴾

(Is he then, who will confront with his face the awful torment on the Day of Resurrection) he will be rebuked and he and the evildoers like him will be told:

﴿ذُوقُواْ مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ﴾

(Taste what you used to earn!) `Is this like the one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection' as Allah says:

﴿أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبّاً عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيّاً عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴾

(Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way) (67:22);

﴿يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُواْ مَسَّ سَقَرَ ﴾

(The Day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire (it will be said to them): "Taste you the touch of Hell!'') (54:48), and

﴿أَفَمَن يُلْقَى فِى النَّارِ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّن يَأْتِى ءَامِناً يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ﴾

(Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection) (41:40) In each of these Ayat, it was sufficient to refer to one of the two groups.

﴿كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَـهُمُ الْعَـذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ ﴾

(Those before them denied, and so the torment came on them from directions they perceived not.) means, the previous generations who denied the Messengers were destroyed by Allah for their sins. And none had they to protect them from Allah.

﴿فَأَذَاقَهُمُ اللَّهُ الْخِزْىَ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾

(So Allah made them to taste the disgrace in the present life,) means, by means of the punishment and revenge which He sent down upon them, and the rejoicing of the believers for what happened to them. So, let those who are addressed beware, for they have rejected the noblest of the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets . And what Allah has promised them of severe punishment in the Hereafter is worse than whatever befell them in this world. Allah says:

﴿وَلَعَذَابُ الاٌّخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

(but greater is the torment of the Hereafter if they only knew!)

﴿وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ - قُرْءَاناً عَرَبِيّاً غَيْرَ ذِى عِوَجٍ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴾

﴿ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً رَّجُلاً فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ مُتَشَـكِسُونَ وَرَجُلاً سَلَماً لِّرَجُلٍ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ - إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَّيِّتُونَ - ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ ﴾

(27. And indeed We have put forth for men, in this Qur'an every kind of parable in order that they may remember.) (28. An Arabic Qur'an, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may have Taqwa of Him.) (29. Allah puts forth a parable: a man belonging to many partners disputing with one another, and a man belonging entirely to one master. Are those two equal in comparison All the praises and thanks be to Allah! But most of them know not.) (30. Verily, you will die, and verily, they (too) will die.) (31. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord.)