[They said, 'Exalted are You!] They declare Allah free from that. [It was not for us to take as allies any besides You.'] That is: We did not befriend them in their worshipping of us. [But You provided comforts for them and their fathers] in their life in this world without punishment, [until they forgot the remembrance,] until they abandoned the remembrance when it came to them in this world, [and they were a people in ruin.'] That is: doomed.
Muhammad said: It is said: a man is 'bur' (ruined), and a people are 'bur'; it is neither made plural nor dual. This is the choice regarding it. The root of the word 'ba'ir' is the corrupt/spoiled one. It is said: 'ardun ba'irah' (barren land), meaning: left uncultivated.
﴿قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ﴾ يُنَزِّهُونَ اللَّهَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ ﴿مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَتَّخِذَ من دُونك من أَوْلِيَاء﴾ أَيْ: لَمْ نَكُنْ نُوَالِيهِمْ عَلَى عِبَادَتِهِمْ إِيَّانَا ﴿وَلَكِنْ مَتَّعْتَهُمْ وَآبَاءَهُمْ﴾ فِي عَيْشِهِمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا بِغَيْرِ عَذَاب ﴿حَتَّى نسوا الذّكر﴾ حَتَّى تَرَكُوا الذِّكْرَ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا ﴿وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا بُورًا﴾ أَيْ: هُلْكًا.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: يُقَالُ: رَجُلٌ بُورٌ، وَقُوْمٌ بُورٌ؛ لَا يُجْمَعُ وَلَا يُثَنَّى. هَذَا الِاخْتِيَارُ فِيهِ، وَأَصْلُ الْبَائِرِ: الْفَاسِدُ؛ يُقَالُ: أَرْضٌ بَائِرَةٌ؛ أَيْ: مَتْرُوكَةٌ مِنْ أَنْ يُزْرَعَ
