(… انظُرْ كَيْفَ ) (See how …): Here, Allah (swt) tells us to (See how), whereas this situation has not yet happened. This is because, Allah (swt) is not subject to time. So, when He informs of a happening that will happen, verily it has happened, when outside the boundaries of time. This is like in this verse:

 أَتَى أَمْرُ اللّهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

(The judgement of your Lord has arrived; so let none of you hasten it on) (An-Nahl: 1)

How can it have arrived, when you are hastening it?

The answer is that, when Allah (swt) says: {Be}, it is outside the boundaries of time, as time is one of the creations of Allah (swt). Thus, when He says:

 (…انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ ) (See how they will lie about themselves.…): It means: Know, O Muhammad, how they will lie about themselves on the Day of Judgment. It will be as if the Prophet (saws) is looking at it happen. Likewise, when Allah (swt) says to the Prophet (saws):

 أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ

(Did you not see how your Lord dealt with ‘Ad) (Al-Fajr: 6)

 أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ

(Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the Army of the Elephant?) (Al-Feel: 1)

He was not present during the time of the people of ‘Ad nor the time of the people of the elephant, as he was in his mother’s tummy during the Year of the Elephant. However, since the sight is the sense which gives the most confirmation -even more than the hearing-, Allah (swt) says: {Did you not see how your Lord dealt with…}, because the Lord of the senses, the One who created them, will surely be more truthful than them. Therefore, when Allah (swt) informs us of something, it is more truthful than what our eyes show us. If the Quran had been from other than Allah (swt), the phrase would have been: (Did you not hear how your Lord dealt with ‘Ad?) and (Did you not hear how your Lord dealt with the Army of the Elephant?) Therefore, since Allah’s informing us of something is more truthful than our own sight, this verse comes with: (See), so it is as if the Prophet (saws) is looking on at what happened.

(  وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ… ) (…And lost from them will be what they used to invent): Meaning, verily, their partners and those they worshipped other than Allah (swt) and even the rocks, would say, ‘they worshipped us, whereas we are slaves of Allah’. This is because, even the rocks glorify and worship Allah (swt), as He tells us:

 تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ وَلَكِن لاَّ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving) (Al-Isra: 44)