Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(Wait they) i.e. the people of Mecca, (indeed, for nothing less than that the angels should come unto them) to take their souls away at the moment of death, (or thy Lord should come) on the Day of Judgement, and His coming is without modality, (or there should come one of the portents from thy Lord) i.e. the rising of the sun from the West? (In the day when one of the portents from they Lord cometh) before the rising of the sun from the West, (its belief availeth naught a soul which theretofore) before the rising of the sun from the West (believed not, nor in its belief earned good) nor was it sincere in its belief, nor doing any good works before the rising of the sun from the West. This is because no faith, works or repentance are accepted from an unbeliever who embraces Islam upon seeing the sun rise from the West, unless that person is young at that time or is born after. In such a case, if he leaves Islam after the sun rises from the West and then returns to Islam, his repentance is accepted. Likewise, the repentance of a sinning believer who repents of his sins after the sun rises from the West is accepted. (Say) O Muhammad to the people of Mecca: (Wait you) the Day of Judgement! (Lo! We (too) are waiting) for your punishment on the Day of Judgement or before the Day of Judgement; it is also said that this means: Say, O Muhammad, wait for my destruction, I am also waiting for yours.
Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, trans. Mokrane Guezzou
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