Here Allah tells us of the ignorance of the disbelievers in this world and in the Hereafter. In this world they worship idols, and in the Hereafter they will also display great ignorance. They will swear by Allah that they did not even stay for one hour in this world. They will mean that there was not enough time given to establish proof against them which would leave them with no excuse. Allah says:

كَذَلِكَ كَانُواْ يُؤْفَكُونَوَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ وَالإِيمَـنَ لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِى كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ

(thus were they ever deluded. And those who have been bestowed with knowledge and Faith will say: "Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection...") The believers who have knowledge of the Hereafter will respond to them, just as they established the proof of Allah against them in this world. When they swear that they did not stay even one hour in this world, they will say to them:

لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِى كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ

(Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of Allah,) meaning, the Book of deeds,

إِلَى يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ

(until the Day of Resurrection;) means, `from the day when you were created until the day you were resurrected. '

وَلَـكِنَّكُمْ كُنتمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

(but you knew not.) Allah says:

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ

(So, on that Day) meaning, the Day of Resurrection,

لاَّ ينفَعُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ

(no excuse of theirs will avail those who did wrong,) means, their excuses for what they did.

وَلاَ هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ

(nor will they be allowed (then) to return to seek (Allah's) pleasure.) means, they will not be allowed to return to this world. This is like the Ayah,

وَإِن يَسْتَعْتِبُواْ فَمَا هُم مِّنَ الْمُعْتَبِينَ

(and if they seek to please (Allah), yet they are not of those who will ever be allowed to please (Allah)) (41:24).