وَإِذا رَأَوهُم قالوا إِنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ لَضالّونَ

وَما أُرسِلوا عَلَيهِم حافِظينَ

And when they saw them they would say: ‘Indeed those are the astray!’

Though they were not sent to watch over them.

EXPOSITION

These verses criticise the disbelievers for accusing and labelling the believers as astray, although the former evidently lacked the qualities for such judgement. They may have thought that the believers were astray because they restrained themselves from some pleasures of this life for a reward that they deemed to be uncertain.^{‎[1]Razi, 31/94.} However, they were not assigned to watch over the believers. They are better to watch over themselves and their own life and destiny.^{‎[2]Razi, 31/94.} And had they done so, there was little to laugh about and much they will weep as a requital for what they used to earn (9:82).

[1] Razi, 31/94.
[2] Razi, 31/94.