The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 143
CH. 20 ṬĀHĀ PT. 16 128. And thus recompense him do who is وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْ مِنْ We بِايْتِ رَبِّهِ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ extravagant and believes not in the Signs of his Lord; and the punishment of the Hereafter is surely severer and more lasting. 2334A وَأَبْقَى whose dwellings they now walk? Therein verily are Signs & أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِّنَ Does it not afford guidance. 129 to them "how many generations الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسْكِنِهِمْ إِنَّ فِي We destroyed before them, in ذلِكَ لَآيَتِ لِأُولِي النُّهى وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ لَكَانَ لِرَامًا وَ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى for those who are endowed with reason. 2335 R. 8. 130. And had it not been for a word already gone forth from thy Lord, and a term already fixed, immediate punishment would have been inevitable. 2336 2334A. Commentary: "17:18; 36:32. 8:69; 10:20. a The verse presents some difficulty. In the preceding three verses we are told that a disbeliever will be raised up blind in the hereafter as punishment for having turned a blind eye to God's attributes and in this verse it is stated that the punishment of the Hereafter is surely severer and more lasting, which means that there will be another punishment severer and more lasting than the former punishment. What are these two punishments of the Hereafter? This difficulty is solved by vv. 2:167 and 6:95 wherein it is stated that when disbelievers will be disowned by their false gods and will be left alone, the falsity of their beliefs will dawn on and frustration will be bitter in the them and consequently their remorse extreme. That bitter realization will constitute the first punishment and the torment of Hell will form the second and more severe punishment. 2335. Commentary: The verse embodies a perpetual warning for the deniers of Divine Messengers that they will ultimately come to grief. It is an invariable and immutable divine law that rejection of Divine teaching lands the rejecters in utter ruin and destruction. 2336. Important Words: 2057 لزم inevitable) is derived from) لزاماً