"Rather, they have denied that which they encompass not in knowledge," meaning: they had no knowledge of that which they denied, "and when," meaning: and there has not yet come to them, "its interpretation," meaning: the recompense for it; had its interpretation come to them, they would have believed in it, at a time when faith would not benefit them. "Thus did those before them deny, so see how was the end of the wrongdoers," their end was that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, destroyed them because of their denial of their messengers, then He brought them to the Fire.
﴿بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ﴾ أَيْ: لمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ علمٌ بِمَا كذبُوا ﴿وَلما﴾ أَي: وَلم يَأْتهمْ ﴿تَأْوِيله﴾ يَعْنِي: الْجَزَاءَ بِهِ؛ وَلَوْ قَدْ أَتَاهُمْ تَأْوِيلُهُ لآمَنُوا بِهِ؛ حَيْثُ لَا يَنْفُعُهُمُ الإِيمَانُ ﴿كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَة الظَّالِمين﴾ كَانَ عَاقِبَتُهُمْ أَنْ أَهْلَكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ﷿ بِتَكْذِيبِهِمْ رُسُلَهُمْ، ثُمَّ صيرهم إِلَى النَّار.
