"And they all appeared before Allah," meaning: on the Day of Resurrection. "The weak ones said," who are the followers, "to those who were arrogant," who are the leaders: "We were your followers," in your calling us toward polytheism.
Muhammad said: "Taba'an" is the plural of "tabi'" (follower). It is also permissible for it to be a verbal noun (masdar) used as a noun; meaning: we were those who followed.
"It is all the same for us whether we bear it with patience or endure it with anguish, there is no escape for us," meaning: no place to flee and no place to be distanced from the punishment.
﴿وبرزوا لله جَمِيعًا﴾ يَعْنِي: يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ﴿فَقَالَ الضُّعَفَاءُ﴾ وهم الأتباع ﴿للَّذين استكبروا﴾ ٦ وَهُمُ الرُّؤَسَاءُ: ﴿إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تبعا﴾ لِدُعَائِكُمْ إِيَّانَا إِلَى الشِّرْكِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: (تبعا) جَمْعُ تَابِعٍ، وَجَائِزٌ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَصْدَرًا سُمِّي بِهِ؛ أَيْ: كُنَّا ذَوِي تَبَعٍ.
﴿سواءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَجَزِعْنَا أَمْ صَبَرْنَا مَا لَنَا مِنْ محيصٍ﴾ أَيْ: مهربٍ، وَلا مَعْزِلٍ عَنِ الْعَذَاب.
