"[Verse 74] "Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder in hardness." Yahya said: Meaning, rather, even harder in hardness.
Muhammad said: It is said that the 'alif' is an addition (za'idah), and the meaning is: "they are like stones or harder in hardness." An example of this in poetry is: (Does Layla claim that I am a profligate... for my own soul is its piety or upon it is its wickedness?)
His saying—concerning His remembrance—: "And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth," meaning: they flow. "And indeed, there are some of them which split open and water comes out of them," meaning the springs that do not become rivers.
"And indeed, there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah." Mujahid said: Every stone from which water gushes forth, or that tumbles from the top of a mountain, does so out of fear of Allah. [Verse 75]"
﴿ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قسوة﴾ قَالَ يَحْيَى: يَعْنِي بل أَشد قسوة.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: وَقيل: إِن الْألف زَائِدَة، وَالْمعْنَى فَهِيَ كالحجارة وَأَشد قسوة. وَمثل هَذَا من الشّعْر (ل ١٢):
(أَلا زعمت ليلى [بِأَنِّي فَاجر … لنَفْسي] تُقَاهَا أَو عَلَيْهَا فجورها)
قَوْله - عَن ذكره -: ﴿وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يتفجر مِنْهُ﴾ أَي: تجْرِي ﴿وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يشقق فَيخرج مِنْهُ المَاء﴾ يَعْنِي الْعُيُون الَّتي لَا تكون أَنهَارًا.
﴿وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ من خشيَة الله﴾ قَالَ مُجَاهِد: كُلّ حجر انفجر مِنْهُ مَاء أَو تردى من رَأس جبل فَهُوَ من خشيَة الله. [آيَة ٧٥]
