أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم عَذابًا شَديدًا ۖ إِنَّهُم ساءَ ما كانوا يَعمَلونَ

Allah has prepared a severe punishment for them. Evil indeed is what they used to do.

EXEGESIS

The term aʿadda is a perfect tense verb. It means to prepare, to ready (something),^{‎[1]Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 603.} and in this verse it occurs in relation to God, and therefore means: God has prepared or readied. Its verbal noun is iʿidād which means preparation.^{‎[2]Mizan, 19/192.}

EXPOSITION

The hypocrites may perhaps escape the wrath and punishment of the believers in this world due to their false and deceptive oaths but they cannot escape God’s punishment on the Day of Resurrection, Allah has prepared a severe punishment for them. Evil indeed is what they used to do.

Evil indeed is what they used to do occurs as a justificatory explanation for what God has prepared for them of punishment. Thus God has prepared a severe punishment for them because they were engaging in sins and evil,^{‎[3]Mizan, 19/192; Tibyan, 9/552; Munyah, 28/80; Kashif, 7/275.} such as their hypocrisy, their false oaths, their befriending the inimical Jews, and other misdeeds enumerated earlier which severely harmed and affected the Muslims. This is while the part of this verse that says what they used to do is evidence that they were continuous and habitual in their deed, being incessant in it.^{‎[4]Mizan, 19/192.} Consequently, the meaning obtained for this verse is: God has prepared a severe punishment for them due to their incessant, continuous engagement with their evil deeds.^{‎[5]Mizan, 19/192.}

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 603.
[2] Mizan, 19/192.
[3] Mizan, 19/192; Tibyan, 9/552; Munyah, 28/80; Kashif, 7/275.
[4] Mizan, 19/192.
[5] Mizan, 19/192.