They asserted that the brown spears—which are lances—do not literally play, but since they killed and dispersed them, he made that action of theirs playing with the one against whom they did it. They said: Likewise is the mockery of Allah, majestic is His praise, toward those of the people of Hypocrisy and Disbelief in Him whom He mocks: either His destroying them and bringing devastation upon them, or His granting them respite so that He may seize them unexpectedly while they feel secure, or His reprimand of them and His blame of them. They said: Such is also the meaning of scheming, deception, and ridicule on His part.

Others said: His statement: {They seek to deceive Allah, but He deceives them} (1) [Surah al-Nisa': 142] is by way of response, like a man saying to one who used to deceive him when he gains the upper hand over him, "I am the one who deceived you," even though no deception originated from him, but he said that because the matter turned in his favor. They said: Likewise His statement: {And they schemed, and Allah schemed, and Allah is the best of schemers} [Surah Āl ʿImrān: 54], and "Allah mocks them," are by way of response. For scheming and mocking do not emanate from Allah; rather, the meaning is that scheming and mocking encompassed them.

Others said: His statement: {We were only mocking. Allah mocks them}, His statement: {They seek to deceive Allah, but He deceives them} [Surah al-Nisa': 142], His statement: {So they ridicule them; Allah ridicules them} [Surah al-Tawbah: 79], {They forgot Allah, so He forgot them} [Surah al-Tawbah: 67], and similar verses, are an informing from Allah that He is requiting them with the requital of mockery and punishing them with the punishment of deception. So He expressed His report concerning His requital and punishment of them in the verbal form of His report concerning their deed for which they deserved punishment, even though the two meanings differ. Just as He, majestic is His praise, said: {And the recompense of an evil deed is an evil deed like it} [Surah al-Shura: 40]; and it is well-known that the first act from its committer is an evil deed, since it was an act of disobedience on his part toward Allah, blessed and exalted, whereas the other is justice, because it is a requital from Allah