And when he mentioned their warning in this world and the Hereafter, he followed it with their disbelief, which is the cause of the warning. He related it to what is determined: 'Indeed, We have sealed them with a nature of evil that necessitates that they do not cease from what incurs blame.' They turned away, and the warning of the punishment of 'Aad and Thamud did not benefit them. He then directed the statement towards the manifestation of greatness, indicating that the alteration of hearts is a truly great matter: 'And We appointed' means: We came, provided, sent, caused, assigned, and prepared, from the appointment which is the example, and the shell of the dry upper egg. 'For them are companions' means: individuals similar to them in morals and attributes, strong, while they are extremely attached to them and surrounded by the utmost misfortune and severity in wickedness, malice, and obstinacy in that which causes the constriction of good and the expansion of evil from the deviants of jinn and humans. 'So they adorned for them' means: from the abominations. 'What' and concerning all things, so he did not bring the neighbor, and he said: 'Before them' means: they know its ugliness until they beautified it for them, so they committed it and desired it. 'And what is behind them' [means: what they are ignorant of and do not cease]. In everything, they beautify it, insist on it, and repeat it until it is accepted, for indeed, repetition affirms influence. Al-Qushayri said: When Allah intends evil for a servant, He appoints for him bad companions and bad associates who lead him to disobedience and invite him to it. And when Allah intends good for a servant, He appoints for him good companions who assist him in obedience, carry him towards it, and invite him to it. Among them is the devil, and worse than him is the soul, and how evil is the companion, calling today to what leads to destruction and witnessing tomorrow against him.

And when the determination was: 'So they did not call anything ugly until they committed it,' he followed it with his saying: 'And the saying has been established against them,' meaning: with the continuity of anger.

And when this is something that necessitates the severity of his sadness, blessings and peace be upon him, he alleviated it with his saying: 'In' means: being among a multitude of 'nations.' And when he expressed them in a way that necessitates their glorification by stating that they are the intended ones, he belittled them by the feminine pronoun, saying: 'Indeed, they have passed,' meaning: no nation among them took admonition from another. And when the emptiness may occur through death in their time, he clarified that it is something that has passed and gone.

And when some of those who have passed were not exhaustive of all time, he expressed it with 'min' and said: ﴿min qablihim﴾ meaning: in time. He presented the stronger argument so that the ability to understand it is clearer than the ability to understand what is lesser than it. For indeed, humans used to consider themselves lesser than the jinn, so they would seek refuge with them. Thus, he said: ﴿min al-jinn wal-ins﴾. Then he explained the rights of misery upon them by saying, emphasizing that they deny that the vile actions are a cause for loss. ﴿Innahum﴾ meaning: all those mentioned among them and those before them: ﴿kanu﴾ meaning: by nature and action ﴿khasirin﴾. Therefore, it is upon the wise one to strive in choosing his companions, friends, and loved ones. For the outcome among them is either a great good or a terrible evil. The companion of Al-Firdaws narrated from Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'When Allah intends evil for a servant, He assigns to him a devil before his death, so he does not see any good except that he makes it appear evil, nor any evil except that he makes it appear good to him.' Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Al-Nasa'i, Abu Ya'la, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'When Allah intends good for a ruler, He appoints for him a truthful minister. If he forgets, he reminds him, and if he remembers, he assists him. And if He intends otherwise for him, He appoints for him a wicked minister. If he forgets, he does not remind him, and if he remembers, he does not assist him.' Al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with them, and Al-Nasa'i narrated from Abu Huraira alone, may Allah be pleased with him, and Al-Bukhari also narrated from Abu Ayyub, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'Allah has not sent a prophet nor appointed a caliph except that he has a close companion who commands him with good and urges him towards it, and a close companion who commands him with evil and urges him towards it. The one protected is the one whom Allah, glorified and exalted is He, protects.' In the narration of Al-Nasa'i: 'There is no ruler except that he has two close companions: one who commands him with good and forbids him from evil, and one who does not cease to lead him astray. Whoever is protected from their evil has indeed been protected, and he is inclined towards whichever of the two prevails over him.' And the narration of Al-Bukhari from Abu Ayyub is similar.