وَكَذَّبوا بِآياتِنا كِذّابًا

And they denied Our signs defiantly.

EXEGESIS

Kidhdhāban (defiantly) is in indefinite form, which serves to emphasise and qualify their act of denying as a strong denial. It is apparently derived from the verbal form mukādhabah, which is used when there is mutual denial between two parties. There are two possible explanations for this usage: 1. They and the Muslims used to mutually deny one another. 2. This usage can also emphasise their denial: their position of denial of the signs was like the approach of one who combats to defeat his opponent. The word has also been recited as kudhdhāban (i.e. kudhdhaban), which would be the plural of kādhib (liar), just as fussāq is the plural of fāsiq (transgressor, sinner).^{‎[1]Alusi, 15/217.} In this case the meaning would be: they denied Our signs in untruth; they were liars in their denial of Our signs.^{‎[2]Zamakhshari, 4/689-690.}

EXPOSITION

Verses 27 and 28 can be expressed in the form of the following syllogism: A. The rebels are those who did not expect any reckoning, and they denied Our signs defiantly. B. Whoever does not expect any reckoning and denies God’s signs defiantly will end up in hell. C. Thus, the rebels will end up in hell and this is A fitting requital for them. The two verses together indicate their misguidance in both theory and practice. Theoretically, they denied Our signs defiantly, and when it came to actions, they did not expect any reckoning.^{‎[3]Razi, 31/19.}

Being oblivious of the hereafter and the reckoning of deeds will lead one to follow one’s desires, which will in turn result in severe punishment: do not follow desire, or it will lead you astray from the way of Allah. Indeed those who stray from the way of Allah – there is a severe punishment for them because of their forgetting the Day of Reckoning (38:26).

Verse 28 clarifies that what makes one qualified for residing in burning fire, boiling water, and pus for ages – as A fitting requital – is being a defiant denier of the truth. Punishment in the hereafter is not for those who do not ascribe to the right path of belief and action because they are unaware of it, have not confronted it, or have not understood it, but rather it is for those who denied Our signs defiantly, which hinges upon realising them to begin with. It is this spirit of pride and attitude of arrogance that will keep one entangled in his limited identity and ego, which will, in turn, stop one from elevating and receiving divine blessings.

This also clarifies the hadith that says: ‘The inhabitants of the fire will stay there forever because their intention was to disobey God if they were to live forever; and the inhabitants of the garden will stay there forever because their intention was to obey God if they were to live forever. Hence, both groups will stay in their abodes eternally because of their intentions.’^{‎[4]Ayyashi, 2/316, h. 158; Kafi, 2/85, h. 5; Ilal, 2/523, h. 1.} Intention here means that inner inclination or disinclination toward embracing and submitting to the truth. If one’s whole being is transformed such that his soul becomes congruent with hell and inharmonious to paradise and its blessings, then his fitting abode will be hell, to reside there for ages.

[1] Alusi, 15/217.
[2] Zamakhshari, 4/689-690.
[3] Razi, 31/19.
[4] Ayyashi, 2/316, h. 158; Kafi, 2/85, h. 5; Ilal, 2/523, h. 1.