“Allah (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the expression 'yamehûn' in the verse refers to the hypocrites being bewildered and wandering aimlessly in their disbelief and misguidance, unable to find a way out. Furthermore, regarding the matter of Allah 'mocking' and 'scheming' against the hypocrites, he emphasizes that this attribution to Allah must be accepted; otherwise the Qur'an would be falsified. Taberî here stresses that a distinction must be observed between the words (istihza, mekr with leb, abes).
والعمه نفسه: الضلال، يقال منه: عمه فلان يعمه عمهانا وعموها: إذا ضل
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, this verse expresses that Allah grants respite to those who transgress in their audacity and spreads blessing upon them; however, this is done in order to establish the proof against them more forcefully (to strengthen it as a hujja). In other words, the continuation of blessing is not a sign of approval; rather, it is a means of trial that completes the proof against them on the day of reckoning.
أي فنمهلهم ونفيض عليهم النعمة مع طغيانهم ، إلزاما للحجة عليهم
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
Râzî, transmitting from Zemahşerî (the author of Al-Kashshâf), explains that the verbs 'madda' and 'amdada' actually carry the meaning of adding strength, multiplying, and reinforcing, and he clarifies the semantic field of this root with examples such as reinforcing an army, filling an ink pot, and repairing a lamp with oil. According to the view of some scholars, the verb 'madda' is used for evil and 'amdada' for good; the variant readings that appear in the verse point to this distinction.
قال صاحب الكشاف إنه من مد الجيش وأمده إذا زاده وألحق به ما يقويه ويكثره ، وكذلك مد الدواة وأمدها زادها ما يصلحها ؛ ومددت السراج والأرض إذا أصلحتهما بالزيت والسماد ، ومده الشيطان في الغي ، وأمده إذا واصله بالوسواس ، ومد وأمد بمعنى واحد . وقال بعضهم : مد يستعمل في الشر ، وأمد في الخير
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, the word 'tugyan' means to exceed bounds, and Pharaoh's saying 'I am your most supreme Lord' is an example of this. The word 'yeamehûn' refers not to blindness but to confusion and doubt in the heart; the meaning of the verse points to Allah extending their lifespan thereby increasing their transgression and consequently increasing their punishment.
وأصل الطغيان مجاوزة الحد ومنه قوله تعالى : إنا لما طغى الماء أي أرتفع وعلا وتجاوز المقدار الذي قدرته الخزان وقوله في فرعون : إنه طغى أي أسرف في الدعوى حيث قال : أنا ربكم الأعلى
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr conveys that the expression 'yemedduhum' in the verse is interpreted by exegetes in two different senses: 'grants them respite/delays' and 'increases them'; he also relates that the expression 'ya'mehûn' means they wander about bewildered in their disbelief or play. He states that the expression of Allah 'mocking' them does not mean mockery in the true sense, but rather means punishing and requiting.
فقال يسخر بهم للنقمة منهم وقوله تعالى قال السدي عن أبي مالك وعن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس وعن مرة الهمداني عن ابن مسعود وعن أناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يمدهم يملي لهم وقال مجاهد يزيدهم
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, Allah's 'mocking' of those who mock means punishing them in retaliation for their mockery; the punishment is named after the deed in which it originated. This punishment occurs in this world through the implementation of laws by Muslim rulers upon them and by leaving them in their transgression while granting them respite, and in the hereafter through the closing of a gate of paradise that they rush toward and just as they reach it, the gate is shut. Furthermore, in the expression 'yemedduhum fî tugyanihim ya'mehûn', the word 'madd' does not mean the cutting off of grace as the Mu'tazilites interpreted it, but rather comes from 'madd' in the sense of sending reinforcement to an army, meaning that Allah leaves them in their transgression by granting them respite—this is the meaning of imhâl (granting respite).
له يستهزئ بهم يجازيهم على استهزائهم، سمي جزاء الاستهزاء باسمه كما سمي جزاء السيئة سيئة، إما لمقابلة اللفظ باللفظ، أو لكونه مماثلا له في القدر
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the expression 'ya'mehûn' means the hypocrites/transgressors floundering and wandering about in disbelief and confusion, unable to find a way out. Moreover, Taberî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî are in agreement that the attribution to Allah of verbs such as 'istihza' and 'mekr' does not mean mockery in the true sense but rather means punishment and requital (mukabele bi'l-misl). Similarly, they concur that the expression 'madd/yemedduhum' means granting respite and allowing time (imhâl), and that this is not a sign of approval but rather a means of trial/istidraj that increases their transgression and strengthens the proof against them on the day of reckoning, a point on which Zemahşerî, Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî are in agreement. Nearly all of them resort to linguistic and rhetorical analysis (word roots, derivation, metaphor).
Differences
While Taberî and Kurtubî give more space to transmitted material (from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Katada, etc.), Zemahşerî and Beydâvî tend more toward contextual-rhetorical and theological analysis. While Râzî and Beydâvî engage in refined linguistic discussions regarding the distinction between 'madda/amdada' verbs in terms of evil-good and variant readings, Taberî and Ibn Kesîr do not enter into this detail, focusing more on supporting the meaning through chains of transmission. The most distinctive difference appears in Beydâvî: he directly refutes the Mu'tazilites' interpretation of the word 'madd' as 'the cutting off of grace' and instead advocates for the meaning of 'reinforcement/imhâl'—this reflects the polemical direction of Sunni theology against the Mu'tazilites, and this explicit theological conflict is not emphasized in other exegetes. Additionally, Kurtubî adds a different explanatory layer by concretizing the concept of 'tugyan' with the example of Pharaoh.
Historical context
Taberî, the earliest representative (3rd/9th century), follows a method based primarily on the reports of the Companions and Successors while also creating space for theological discussion (the attribution of istihza/mekr to Allah); this reflects a period when sectarian disputes had not yet fully crystallized but discussion had begun. Zemahşerî (5-6/11-12th centuries), with his Mu'tazilite identity, emphasizes contextual-literary interpretation. Râzî (6-7/12-13th centuries) makes citations from Zemahşerî and deepens linguistic analysis, pursuing his theological sensitivity within a more systematic philosophical framework. Kurtubî (7th/13th century) balances transmitted reports with linguistics. Ibn Kesîr (8th/14th century) represents a return to the tradition of exegesis based on reports and presents a simple explanation close to the Salafi line. Beydâvî (7th/13th century, but in a period close to Kurtubî and Ibn Kesîr) most clearly reflects a stage when Ahl-i Sunnah engaged in polemics against the Mu'tazilites; he takes the interpretations from Zemahşerî's Al-Kashshâf and reworks them within a Sunni framework. Generally, the fundamental meaning (respite/istidraj, confusion, punishment as mockery) has remained constant over the centuries, but the methodological emphasis has evolved from reports toward linguistic-theological analysis and inter-sectarian polemic.
Modern connection
This verse is thought-provoking in today's context in that it reminds us that respite and time are not always a sign of approval; rather, they can be a trial calling a person to accountability. It can be said that every kind of respite and opportunity, including developments in science and nature, will gain meaning only when evaluated with sincerity and a sense of responsibility. Furthermore, the fact that different exegetical traditions process the same fundamental message (istidraj and patience) through different methods is instructive in showing that the harmony between knowledge and faith has been sought in various ways throughout history.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar