Overall meaning : On Resurrection Day, the inhabitants of Hell will be reprovingly told, ‘Were the verses of My Book not recited to you in the life of the world, and did you not deny them?’ ‘Lord,’ they will say, ‘wretchedness which, according to Your foreknowledge, and which we brought upon ourselves for stubbornly turning away from the truth, overwhelmed us; and we were misguided people. Lord, take us out of the Fire; if we ever return to unbelief and evil deeds, then we will indeed be wrongdoers—justly deserving of punishment.’
The Almighty will say, ‘Stay in Hell in shame, and do not plead with Me to take you out of it. A party among My faithful servants used to pray, “Lord, we have believed, so forgive our sins and have mercy on us; for You are the best of those who show mercy.” But you so often made fun of them that such derision made you forget to remember Me, and you laughed at them when you saw them. Today I have rewarded them for their patiently enduring the harm you inflicted on them. Indeed, it is they who have attained real success—Paradise.’
He will ask them, ‘How many years did you remain on earth? They will reply, ‘We stayed there for a day, or part of a day. Ask those who have kept count.’
‘Brief indeed was your stay in the life of the world,’ the Almighty will say. ‘Had you known that your stay in the worldly life was short, you would not have preferred the temporary life to the everlasting one.’