Are you, the disbelievers, better than those people? Or do you have any freedom in the Scripture?
Allah—the Dictator—had seized Pharaoh, who was ruling the country proudly declaring that "I am the lord of the whole worlds," and his followers, the Aad people, who were challenging "Who is there mightier than us?"; and the Thamood people, who were making houses by drilling rocks. If Allah has done so upon these earlier people, through this verse, it is asked of the Arabs—the addressees of Messenger Muhammad—whether you, the Kuffar, are a better and more significant people than those people. Today, through this verse, Allah is asking the Arabic Qur’an Reading Fujjar—the Kuffar as told in verses 83: 34 and 36—whether you have any proof to quote from the Book saying that you will get salvation from the punishment of Hellfire by learning to say the Arabic word "Allah," by naming the names of Messengers and Prophets, or by undergoing genital circumcision, etc. It is told in verses 4: 123-124 that neither your desires nor the desires of the people of the Book matter; whoever commits an evil will be rewarded with it, and he will not find any protector or any helper besides Lord Allah; and whoever from male or female is doing honorable deeds provided that he is a believer, then such will be entered into Paradise and he will not be shown unjust a speck. See explanation 2: 62; 35: 25-26; and 53: 33-42.