In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمۡ‌ۙ قَالُوٓاْ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

لِيَحۡمِلُوٓاْ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ كَامِلَةً۬ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ‌ۙ وَمِنۡ أَوۡزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ‌ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ وَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ شُرَڪَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيہِمۡ‌ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ إِنَّ ٱلۡخِزۡىَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۖ فَأَلۡقَوُاْ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا ڪُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوٓءِۭ‌ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

فَٱدۡخُلُوٓاْ أَبۡوَٲبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا‌ۖ فَلَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

And when it is said to them: “What is it that your Lord has sent down (unto Muhammad)?” They say: “Tales of the men of old!” They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear! Those before them indeed plotted, but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them and will say: “Where are My (so called) ‘partners’ concerning whom you used to disagree and dispute?” Those who have been given the knowledge (about the Torment of Allah for the disbelievers) will say: “Verily! Disgrace this Day and misery are upon the disbelievers. “Those whose lives the angels take while they are doing wrong to themselves (by disbelief and by associating partners in worship with Allah and by committing all kinds of crimes and evil deeds).” Then, they will make (false) submission (saying): “We used not to do any evil.” (The angels will reply): “Yes! Truly, Allah is All-Knower of what you used to do. “So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein , and indeed, what an evil abode will be for the arrogant.” [Surah An-Nahl. Aayaat 24-29]

[وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمۡ‌ۙ قَالُوٓاْ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ – And when it is said to them: “What is it that your Lord has sent down (unto Muhammad)?” They say: “Tales of the men of old!”] – Meaning, what you people mention is tales of men of old (ref 1) – written from the news, statements, lies and gibberish of the men of old in their era. (Ref 2)  This was the saying of some of those whom Waleed Ibnul Mugheerah sent on the roads of Makkah to hinder people from Eemaan, so some of them said, “Indeed, Muhammad is a magician”, others said, “He is a poet”. (Ref 3)

[لِيَحۡمِلُوٓاْ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ كَامِلَةً۬ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ‌ۙ وَمِنۡ أَوۡزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ‌ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ  – They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear!] – Meaning, they will bear the burden of their sins and the sins others because they misguided them based on other than sound knowledge, therefore they will carry the burden of sins of those who followed them, because they were the leaders of misguidance. What an evil burden upon them!

[قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ – Those before them indeed plotted, but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive].

[قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ   – Those before them indeed plotted]: 

Imaam Ibnul Jawzi [rahimahullaah] stated that the Mufassiroon said that this refers to Namrood who built a tall tower in order to climb – as he claimed – the heavens and fight its inhabitants. (Ref 4)

Imaam As-Sadi [rahimahullaah] said that this means, “Plotted against their Messengers, employed various types of tricks in order to reject that which the messengers brought and established gigantic safeguards [by way of arguments, views etc] for their plots”. (Ref 5)

[فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ  – but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them]:

Imam Ibnul Jawzi [rahimahullaah] said that the Mufassiroon said that Allaah sent a wind which flung the top of the tower [i.e. which Namrood built] to the sea and the rest was destroyed. [وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ – and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive]- Meaning, from where they thought they were safe. (Ref 6)

Imaam As-Sadi [rahimahullaah] said, “An affair came to them from the basis and foundation of that building [or affair], so what they built became a punishment for them. That is because they thought that such a building [or affair] will benefit and protect them from punishment, but their punishment occurred from that which they built and established. This is one the best of parables regarding how Allaah nullifies the plots of his enemies, for indeed they pondered and reflected on that which the Messengers brought when they belied them, made up principles and rules for it based on falsehood, referred back to them to reject that which the Messengers came with, employed tricks to bring discomfort to the Messengers and inflict harm on them and those who followed them, but their plot became a source of evil against them, so their plan became their destruction, because their plot was evil as Allaah said [in another Aayah:  [لَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ– But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it].

This is in this worldly life and the punishment in the afterlife would be more disgraceful, and due to this Allaah said:

[ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ   – Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them]. (Ref 7)

[وَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ شُرَڪَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيہِمۡ‌ۚ   – and will say, “Where are My (so called) ‘partners’ concerning whom you used to disagree and dispute”]- Meaning, where are those whom you claimed to be my partners? So, let them defend you! The ones by way of whom you used to oppose the Muslims whilst they worshipped Allaah alone and you worshipped those [false] partners. (Ref 8)

[قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ – Those who have been given the knowledge will say]- Meaning, the learned pious scholars will say, [إِنَّ ٱلۡخِزۡىَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ -: “Verily! Disgrace this Day and misery are upon the disbelievers]. This shows the virtue of the people of knowledge and that they speak the truth in this worldly life and on the day of Judgement, and that their statement is given consideration by Allaah and the people. Then Allaah mentioned what will be done to the disbelievers at the time of death:

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۖ فَأَلۡقَوُاْ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا ڪُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوٓءِۭ‌ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

فَٱدۡخُلُوٓاْ أَبۡوَٲبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا‌ۖ فَلَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

Those whose lives the angels take while they are doing wrong to themselves (by disbelief and by associating partners in worship with Allah and by committing all kinds of crimes and evil deeds).” Then, they will make (false) submission (saying): “We used not to do any evil.” (The angels will reply): “Yes! Truly, Allah is All-Knower of what you used to do. “So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein , and indeed, what an evil abode will be for the arrogant.”

Ref 1: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer

Ref 2: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer

Ref 3: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer

Ref 4: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer

Ref 5: Tafseer As-Sadi

Ref 6: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer

Ref 7: Tafseer As-Sadi

Ref 8: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer