بَلىٰ قَد جاءَتكَ آياتي فَكَذَّبتَ بِها وَاستَكبَرتَ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الكافِرينَ

‘Yes, My signs certainly came to you, but you denied them and acted arrogantly and you were among the faithless.’

EXEGESIS

Balā: rather, indeed. It literally means ‘yes’ but it is used when the speaker wants to establish and emphasise something that has been denied.^{‎[1]Raghib; Bahrayn; Qamus, under b-l-w.} It can be interpreted as ‘despite what you say’ or ‘contrary to what you think’. It rejects the implicit claim that ‘God did not guide me’ which is an implication of verse 57.^{‎[2]Zamakhshari, 4/138.}

Kafara is to reject or disregard something,^{‎[3]Tahqiq, under k-f-r.} or alternatively to cover something.^{‎[4]Maqayis, under k-f-r.} Kāfir is a subject, meaning one who actively (not passively, unconsciously, accidentally, or unintentionally) does kufr. This meaning is clearly seen in this verse (much like verse 32 and verses 71-72), as it says: My signs certainly came to you, but your reaction was to reject, disregard, and put a cover on them.

EXPOSITION

This verse explains why the excuse and remorse of those among the audience who have committed excesses against their own souls will not be accepted. This is because the signs of God certainly came to them, but they chose to deny them, and this denial was due to arrogance and an active choice to reject and disbelieve. In other words, they were not ignorant of the message of truth, and there were more than enough signs for them to realise the existence of God and the truth of the Quran. See Exegesis, as well as the Exposition of verse 32 for more on this. Therefore, they had the opportunity to find guidance and be God-wary (verse 57), and be among the virtuous (verse 58). Hence, they have no excuse for negligence in the vicinage of Allah and being among those who ridiculed (verse 56). They shall cry therein for help: ‘Our Lord! Bring us out, so that we may act righteously – different to what we used to do!’ ‘Did We not give you a life long enough that one who is heedful might take admonition? And [moreover] the warner had [also] come to you. Now taste [the consequence of your deeds], for the wrongdoers have no helper’ (35:37).

This verse implicitly refers to God’s custom of not punishing any person or nation unless He has shown them His signs and sent them His guidance. This is a Quranic principle that is found in many verses (4:165, 6:130-131, 9:115, 17:15, 20:134, 26:208-209, 28:59, 67:9).

Overall, the message of this set of verses is that no one should despair of God’s mercy. Instead, one should turn penitently to his Lord, for indeed He will forgive all his sins. ‘Indeed, God is not bored unless you are bored, and He does not stop [forgiving] unless you stop [repenting].’^{‎[5]Kashif, 6/426. The first half is a famous hadith reported in Ahmad, 6/40; Bukhari, 2/49; Muslim, 2/189; Amali.T, p. 6. The second part is also narrated as a hadith by Ibn Arabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyyah, 4/303.}

[1] Raghib; Bahrayn; Qamus, under b-l-w.
[2] Zamakhshari, 4/138.
[3] Tahqiq, under k-f-r.
[4] Maqayis, under k-f-r.
[5] Kashif, 6/426. The first half is a famous hadith reported in Ahmad, 6/40; Bukhari, 2/49; Muslim, 2/189; Amali.T, p. 6. The second part is also narrated as a hadith by Ibn Arabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyyah, 4/303.