And they will say;"What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?"
Here Allah tells us that when they are in Hell, the disbelievers will notice that they do not see people who they thought were misguided, while they thought of themselves as believers. They will say,
`why do we not see them with us in the Fire?'
Mujahid said,
"This is what Abu Jahl will say; he will say, `what is the matter with me that I do not see Bilal and `Ammar and Suhayb and so-and-so...'
This is an example; all the disbelievers are like this, they think that the believers will go to Hell, so when the disbelievers enter Hell, they will wonder why they do not see them there, and they will say,
مَا لَنَا لَاا نَرَى رِجَالاًا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ الاْاَشْرَارِ
أَتَّخَذْنَاهُمْ سِخْرِيًّا
(What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery),
means, in this world,
أَمْ زَاغَتْ عَنْهُمُ الاَْبْصَارُ
(or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them),
means, they will try to console themselves with this wishful thinking, so they will say, perhaps they are here in Hell with us, but we have not laid eyes on them. Then they will find out that they (the believers) are in the lofty levels of Paradise, as Allah says;
وَنَادَى أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـبَ النَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا قَالُواْ نَعَمْ فَأَذَّنَ مُوَذِّنٌ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّـلِمِينَ
And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of the Fire (saying);"We have indeed found true what our Lord had promised us; have you also found true what your Lord promised (warned)" They shall say;"Yes." Then a crier will proclaim between them;"The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers."
until;
ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ
Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve. (7;44-49)
إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَحَقٌّ تَخَاصُمُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ