The Second Interpretation:
7863 - My father narrated to me, 'Amr ibn Rafi' narrated to us, Shu'ayb ibn al-'Ala' narrated to us, from Abu Sinan, from al-Dahhak: regarding His saying: "As one whose similitude is in the darkness, he is not one to come out of it," he said: "Abu Jahl ibn Hisham." It was narrated from 'Ikrimah, Zayd ibn Aslam, and Abu Sinan similarly.
The Third Interpretation:
7864 - Abu Yazid al-Qaratisi reported to me in what he wrote to me, Asbagh ibn al-Faraj narrated to us, he said: I heard 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam saying: regarding His saying: "As one whose similitude is in the darkness," he said: "He does not know what is coming to him and what is befalling him."
His saying: "He is not one to come out of it"
7865 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, 'Abbas ibn al-Walid al-Narsi narrated to us, Yazid ibn Zuray' narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatadah: regarding His saying: "As one whose similitude is in the darkness, he is not one to come out of it," he said: "The likeness of the disbeliever in his misguidance, he is confused therein, bewildered therein, finding no exit from it and no way out."
His saying, the Exalted: "And thus We have set up in every city the leaders of its wicked people"
7866 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas: regarding His saying: "The leaders of its wicked people," he said: "Authority, the worst of its people, so they disobeyed within it; and when they did that, We destroyed them with the punishment. This is His saying: 'And thus We have set up in every city the leaders of its wicked people so that they may plot therein.'"
7867 - Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid: regarding His saying: "The leaders of its wicked people," he said: "Its notables."
His saying, the Exalted: "So that they may plot therein, and they plot not except against themselves" to the end of the verse.
7868 - My father narrated to us, Ibn Abi 'Umar narrated to us, Sufyan said: "Every plotting in the Qur'an refers to action."
His saying, the Mighty and Majestic: "And when a sign comes to them," to His saying: "His Message."
(1). Al-Tafsir 1/223.