I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right, and (even) if they see all the Ayat, they will not believe in them. And if they see the way of righteousness, they will not adopt it as the way, but if they see the way of error, they will adopt that way, that is because they have rejected Our Ayat and were heedless of them (146)Those who deny Our Ayat and the meeting in the Hereafter, vain are their deeds. Are they requited with anything except what they used to do (147)
Arrogant People will be deprived of Allah's Ayat
Allah said,
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ
(I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right).
Allah says, "I shall deprive the hearts of those who are too proud to obey Me, and arrogant with people without right, from understanding the signs and proofs that testify to My Might, Law and Commandments." And just as they acted arrogantly without justification, Allah has disgraced them with ignorance. Allah said in another Ayah,
وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time)[6:110], and,
فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ
(So when they turned away (from the path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the right path).)[61:5] Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah commented on this Ayah,
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ
(I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right),
"(Allah says) I shall snatch away comprehension of the Qur'an from them and turn them away from My Ayat. " Ibn Jarir commented on Sufyan's statement that, "This indicates that this part of the Ayah is addressed to this Ummah." This is not necessarily true, for Ibn 'Uyaynah actually meant that this occurs in every Ummah and that there is no difference between one Ummah and another Ummah in this regard. Allah knows best. Allah said next,
وَإِن يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا
(and (even) if they see all the Ayat, they will not believe in them). Allah said in a similar Ayah,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ
(Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment.)[10:96-97] Allah's statement,
وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا
(And if they see the way of righteousness, they will not adopt it as the way,) means, even if the way of guidance and safety appears before them, they will not take it, but if the way that leads to destruction and misguidance appears to them, they adopt that way. Allah explains why they do this,
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا
(that is because they have rejected Our Ayat), in their hearts,
وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ
(and were heedless of them.), gaining no lessons from the Ayat. Allah's statement,
وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَلِقَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ
(Those who deny Our Ayat and the meeting in the Hereafter, vain are their deeds.) indicates that whoever among them does this, remaining on this path until death, then all his deeds will be in vain. Allah said next,
هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
(Are they requited with anything except what they used to do?) meaning, 'We only recompense them according to the deeds that they performed, good for good and evil for evil. Surely, as you bring forth, you reap the harvest thereof.'