Fassarar Ma'anoni Aya 36 Sura Suratu Al'kahf - الترجمة الإنجليزية - د. وليد بليهش العمري - Kundin Alqurani Mai girma

Aya: 36

وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةٗ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَا مُنقَلَبٗا

(36) “And I think not that the Hour is ever coming. Shall I ever ˹perchance˺ be returned to my Lord, mine shall be a better rebound!”^[3835]

[3835] Although not believing in the Hereafter altogether, in his mind he thought should there be a tiny possibility of it happening, based on his wrongful calculation of believing that he was only honoured in this life because God loved him, he projected his arrogance onto it. Hence he fell into the fallacy that could he ever be returned to Him, he should only expect greater honouring (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr).
Although acknowledging this reading, al-Saʿdī holds it that he only said so deridingly, which all the more highlights the extent of his rebelliousness.