And when it became clear that their state at the time of taking was one of crying out in humiliation and degradation, it resulted from this what they deserve due to their hastiness in denying in His saying, indicating that His status surpasses description with the letter of greatness: "Is it then that they seek to hasten Our punishment?" That is, it has become clear to them how His taking was for the past nations, the previous generations, and the arrogant peoples! "They hasten" means: by their saying: 'Rain down upon us stones from the sky, bring down upon us pieces of the sky, bring Allah and the angels before us,' as said by those whose story we have narrated and recited their mention: "Then bring down upon us pieces from the sky" [Ash-Shu'ara: 187] and similar to that.