And when what has preceded from them of actions and what has passed from their sayings is a presumption for their hastening (p-241) to be taken, and the reality is that He, the Most High, treats them with forbearance as a favor from Him and a generosity. He narrated their saying in contrast to His mercy for them and said: ﴿And if We delay﴾ meaning: by virtue of Our greatness, which nothing escapes ﴿from them﴾ meaning: the disbelievers ﴿the punishment﴾ meaning: that which is promised ﴿to a term﴾ meaning: a duration of time in which there is no hardship ﴿numbered﴾ meaning: limited days, that is, short and known to Us until breaths are counted ﴿they will surely say﴾ in a manner of repetition ﴿What is holding it back﴾ meaning: the punishment from occurring, hastening it in denial and mockery. This is a threat to them that it will surely come to them soon, so let them prepare for that.

And when the rational person should not ask about such a thing except after his ability to avert it, He turned away from their response and mentioned to them that they are incapable of defending against it when it occurs, informing them that they have reversed in the question. This confirms that what they mocked will inevitably befall them. He said, affirming his strong denial of them: ﴿Is it not a day﴾ and it is in the accusative case by the news of "not" indicating the possibility of the news preceding ﴿the punishment coming to them is not﴾ meaning: the punishment ﴿averted from them﴾ meaning: in any way; [and He placed the past in the position of the future for emphasis and exaggeration in the threat, saying]: ﴿And it will encompass them﴾ meaning: it will reach them then in a manner of totality ﴿what they used to﴾ meaning: by their natures and their bad dispositions. He placed the circumstance to indicate the intensity of their inclination towards mocking it until they seemed to mock nothing else. He said: ﴿by it﴾ and when their hastening was mockery, He placed the position of their hastening His saying: (p-242) ﴿They mock﴾ meaning: they create mockery of it in a great manner until they seem to seek that.