Surah Al Hajj Tafseer

وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَى

And if they deny you, so did deny before them the people of Nuh, `Ad and Thamud. And the people of Ibrahim and the people of Lut, And the dwellers of Madyan; and denied was Musa.

means, despite all the clear signs and evidence that they brought.

فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ

But I granted respite to the disbelievers for a while,

means, `I delayed and postponed.'

ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ

then I seized them, and how (terrible) was My punishment!

means, `how great was My vengeance against them and My punishment of them!'

In the Two Sahihs it is reported from Abu Musa that the Prophet said:

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه

Allah lets the wrongdoer carry on until, when He seizes him, He will never let him go.

Then he recited:

وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ

Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful (and) severe. (11:102)

Then Allah says