Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Mursalaat -> The Inability of the Criminals to speak, make Excuses, or step forward on the Day of Judgement

Then Allah says,

﴿هَـذَا يَوْمُ لاَ يَنطِقُونَ ﴾

(That will be a Day when they shall not speak,) meaning, they will not speak.

﴿وَلاَ يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ﴾

(And they will not be permitted to put forth any excuse.) meaning, they will not be able to speak, nor will they be granted permission to speak so that they can make excuses. Rather, the proof will be established against them, and they will be called upon to speak about the wrong that they did, but they will not be able to say anything. The courts of the Day of Judgement will occur in stages. Sometimes the Lord informs of this stage and sometimes He informs of that stage. This is to show the terrors and calamities of that Day. Thus, after all the details of this discussion, He says:

﴿وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴾

(Woe that Day to the deniers!) Then Allah says,

﴿هَـذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ جَمَعْنَـكُمْ وَالاٌّوَّلِينَ - فَإِن كَانَ لَكمُ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ ﴾

(That will be a Day of Decision! We have brought you and the men of old together! So if you have a plot, use it against Me!) This is an address from the Creator to His servants. He says to them,

﴿هَـذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ جَمَعْنَـكُمْ وَالاٌّوَّلِينَ ﴾

(That will be a Day of Decision! We have brought you and the men of old together!) meaning, He will gather all of them by His power on one common plane, He will make them hear the caller and He will cause them to see. Then He says,

﴿فَإِن كَانَ لَكمُ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ ﴾

(So, if you have a plot, use it against Me!) This is a serious threat and a harsh warning. It means, `if you are able to save yourselves from being seized by Me, and rescue yourselves from My ruling, then do so. But you are certainly not able to do so.' This is as Allah says,

﴿يمَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُواْ مِنْ أَقْطَـرِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ فَانفُذُواْ لاَ تَنفُذُونَ إِلاَّ بِسُلْطَـنٍ ﴾

(O assembly of Jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah)!) (55:33) Allah also says,

﴿وَلاَ تَضُرُّونَهُ شَيْئًا﴾

(And you will not harm Him in the least.) (11:57) It is narrated in a Hadith (that Allah said),

«يَا عِبَادِي، إِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَبْلُغُوا نَفْعِي فَتَنْفَعُونِي، وَلَنْ تَبْلُغُوا ضَرِّي فَتَضُرُّونِي»

("O My servants! You all can never attain My benefit and thereby benefit Me, and you all can never attain My harm and thereby harm Me.'')

﴿إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِى ظِلَـلٍ وَعُيُونٍ - وَفَوَكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ كُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ هَنِيئَاً بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ كُلُواْ وَتَمَتَّعُواْ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمْ مُّجْرِمُونَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ وَإذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُواْ لاَ يَرْكَعُونَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴾

(41. Verily, those who had Taqwa, shall be amidst shades and springs.) (42. And fruits, such as they desire.) (43. "Eat and drink comfortably for that which you used to do.'') (44. Verily, thus We reward the Muhsinin.) (45. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (46. Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while. Verily, you are criminals.) (47. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (48. And when it is said to them: "Bow down yourself!'' They bow not down.) (49. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (50. Then in what statement after this will they believe) r camels.) These (Jimalat) are ropes of ships that are bundled until they resemble the intestines of men.''

﴿وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴾

(Woe that Day to the deniers!) esµA ? Verily, those who had Taqwa, shall be amidst shades and springs.) (42. And fruits, such as they desire.) (43. "Eat and drink comfortably for that which you used to do.'') (44. Verily, thus We reward the Muhsinin.) (45. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (46. Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while. Verily, you are criminals.) (47. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (48. And when it is said to them: "Bow down yourself!'' They bow not down.) (49. Woe that Day to the deniers!) (50. Then in what statement after this will they believe)