And when their main intention with that was mockery, and its occurrence was a possible matter, and it is the nature of the rational person to stay away from any possible danger, he (blessings and peace be upon him) commanded him with another response, omitting the conjunction so that it would not be thought that it is not sufficient for it to be a response except by including it with what was conjoined to it. He said: "Say," meaning: to whoever is impatient for our warning of punishment in this world or in the Hereafter, and it can only be after the taking in this world, informing that what they seek is purely harmful to them with no benefit in it whatsoever. Thus, it is not directed towards by the intention of a rational person. "Have you seen?" and it is from the vision of the heart because it entered into the sentence as a question. "If His punishment comes to you" in this world.

And when the taking of the night is more severe and quicker, He presented it and said: ﴿by night﴾ [meaning] suddenly in the night while you are asleep, as the enemy does; and when victory at night does not necessitate victory in the day openly, He said: ﴿or by day﴾ meaning: openly while you are awake. Will you persist in your stubbornness and not believe? It is as if they said: No, let him hasten it to be seen. It was said: Indeed, you do not know what you are asking for! There is no strength for any creature in a type of it, and none dares to speak such words except a criminal. ﴿What﴾ meaning: What is it? And it is permissible that this is the answer to the condition. ﴿He hastens﴾ meaning: he seeks haste ﴿from Him﴾ meaning: from His punishment, and all of His punishment is disliked; nothing of it can be borne. ﴿The criminals﴾ as the tradition of Allah has continued that the disbeliever does not remain except at the time of his illusions. But when he is struck with his calamity and bears its weight, he believes where faith does not benefit him. ﴿And you will not find for the tradition of Allah any change﴾ [Fatir: 43] and this is the meaning of the delay in His saying: ﴿Then when it occurs﴾ (p-137) meaning His punishment and all that opposes it is negated. ﴿Will you believe in it﴾ and that is because their habit, like that of those before them, was to hasten the punishment when threatened with it. And the tradition of Allah has been that the disbelievers, when the punishment comes to them, their belief is delayed after the coming of its precedents and before their being uprooted by the great shocks of it due to their severe opposition to it and their persistence in it, as occurred to the first nations out of arrogance and tyranny, like the people of Salih when their faces changed with different colors on the first day, then the second, then the third, and they were certain of destruction and bid farewell to one another, yet they did not believe. And it has been established that when they tasted the touch of punishment and were seized by its severe calamities, its horrors occupied them from stubbornness and compelled them to easy submission. So it was in the utmost goodness, and He placed their reprimand for hastening after the warning. Then He placed the delay of belief due to stubbornness after being on the brink of destruction and witnessing the ruin, so it was as if it was said: Inform me, in anticipation of the punishment that has no greater punishment than it - as indicated by its addition to Him - He struck you at night or revealed to you, what will you do? Will you not believe? They said: No, let it be hastened to be seen. So it was appropriate that when their hastening after this warning was foolishness, it was said: ﴿What﴾ meaning: What type of it do they seek to hasten? ﴿The criminals﴾ and there is no type of it except that it is beyond their capacity and beyond their ability. Indeed, this is a denial of opinions. So after your belief was delayed from the illusions of its shock and witnessing the principles of its greatness and severity, did you find belief in it upon its occurrence? You will be told when its suddenness compelled you to believe and its calamities carried you to the form of submission: ﴿Now﴾ do you believe in it - meaning because of it - after our might has removed your strength and dissolved your resolutions and weakened you? ﴿And you were﴾ meaning: a state as if you were compelled to it ﴿by it you sought haste﴾ meaning: you sought its hastening with great demand until it was as if you were seeking the hastening of something other than it in denial and determination to remain stubborn, if it were to occur, we would not accept your belief from you nor would we stop our punishment from you, but it has made you like yesterday's past.