And when this verse included the affirmation of complete power along with the previous tangible and observable evidence, it was also astonishing and strange that they mocked it. So he expressed his amazement at them by saying: ﴿And they hasten you﴾, meaning in mockery and denial; and hastening is the request for acceleration, which is to bring something before its appointed time. ﴿With the evil﴾ of the promised punishment, whether from the punishment of this world or the punishment of the Hereafter, is a boldness from them indicating that they do not care about any of it, nor does anything weaken their words ﴿Before the good﴾ of the good news that it brings them. And the situation is that it has already passed. And since what is being spoken of was only in some time, the preposition was included, so he said: ﴿Before them were the examples﴾, the plural of example with an open 'm' and a closed 'th' [like charity and charities, named so for the resemblance between the punishment and the punished]. These are the punishments that deter from similar occurrences that befell the nations whose news reached them, and they were addressed with the greatness of what happened to them, their remains, and their abodes. And Allah delays them only for the fulfillment of their appointed terms that He has set for them along with His complete power over them.

And when they sometimes said: We see nothing but threats that nothing of it will be realized: he affirmed their denial and their belief that the events and harms are merely the habit of time, in addition to what is decreed: For indeed your Lord is forbearing and does not fear loss, so He does not hasten in taking action: ﴿And indeed your Lord﴾, meaning the One who is good to you by making you the Prophet of mercy ﴿is surely the Possessor of forgiveness﴾, meaning great and established ﴿for the people﴾ while they are wrongdoers, firmly established in wrongdoing, independent ﴿in their wrongdoing﴾, which is their placing of things in other than their proper places. So He does not hold them accountable for all that they have earned [﴿And if Allah were to hold the people accountable for what they earned, He would not leave upon its surface any creature﴾ [Fatir: 45]. Therefore, people remain for a long time disbelieving and not punished, out of His forbearance, glorified and exalted is He. And the verse is restricted by the verse of women ﴿And He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills﴾ [An-Nisa: 48]. And if there is no repentance, for the repentant is not upon his wrongdoing.

And when He gives respite, glorified is He, and does not neglect [and] He mentioned His giving respite, He mentioned His taking, affirming for what has passed, so He said: ﴿And indeed your Lord﴾, meaning the One who created you, the Planner of your affairs with the utmost kindness ﴿is surely severe in punishment﴾ for the disbelievers and for whomever He wills from others. Therefore, He takes with the taking of an Almighty, capable one when the appointed term that He has decreed comes.