And when it indicated the victory of His allies and the defeat of His enemies, by the testimony of those towns, and concluded with astonishment at their haste despite what they witnessed of the destruction of their like, and informed them of what He is upon of patience, and the vastness of greatness, and the magnitude of the measure, He turned to "So how many" [Al-Hajj: 45] warning of His punishment, after a long delay. His saying: "And how many a town" means from its people, "I gave them respite" means I delayed them as I delayed you, "and it was oppressive" [Al-Hajj: 45] like your oppression by hastening and otherwise. "Then I seized it" means with punishment, "and to Me is the return" with the cessation of every judgment other than My judgment, as it was from Me the beginning. No one could prevent the creation of what I intended to create, nor could anything be created that I did not intend to create. So do not be deceived by the delay, even if the days and nights continue, and beware of the consequences of calamity, even if you reach what you desire of hopes. And perhaps He only concealed the mention of the beginning because He was veiled in it by causes, so His hidden name prevailed in it. For this reason, most of the creation in this abode has gone astray, standing with the causes.