And when it was established that the people are of two groups: the guided and the misguided, and the blame of the misguided was repeated for their transgression against Allah by doing what He prohibited and abandoning what He commanded, it was the continuous custom of kings that they do not grant respite to those whose opposition to them is repeated. It was as if it was said: Why does He destroy those who oppose Him? It was said - as a reminder and warning -: They do not harm anyone but themselves, and they do nothing of it except by His will. So, it is the same for them whether they remain or perish. Indeed, only those who fear loss or dread harm hasten. And they have a term that must be fulfilled, and this is not specific to them, but "And for every nation is a term". This is an addition to "In it you live and in it you die" [Al-A'raf: 25] "And when their term comes".

And when their view was towards the extension of the term, and cutting off their hope was among the punishments - he preceded it and said: "They do not delay" meaning: from the term "an hour". He expressed it this way, and the intended meaning is the least that can be, for it is the shortest of times in common usage. Then he added to the conditional statement in its entirety, not to its consequence, his saying: "And they do not advance" meaning: towards the inevitable term; because the one who set it for them did not set it except while knowing all that will occur concerning them. There has not been renewed knowledge for Him, nor will anything of their conditions be renewed. And it is possible that it is added to His saying: "And for you in the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment for a time" [Al-A'raf: 24], and the verse would indicate that they will multiply until they become nations, and they will not be exposed as a whole, but rather there will be a time for each nation.