His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Do the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them by night while they are asleep? Or do the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them in the morning while they are playing? Do they feel secure from the plan of Allah? No one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the people who are the losers." "And did it not guide those who inherit the earth after its people that if We willed, We could strike them for their sins and seal their hearts so they do not hear?" This verse contains a warning to the disbelievers contemporary to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. When he informed about what happened to the previous nations, he said: "And who can assure these that something similar will not befall them as befell those?" This is an inquiry meant to stop them. The punishment is the torment, and "by night" is an adverbial accusative, meaning at the time of their sleeping at night. It is possible that this is in the context of the present. Ibn Kathir, Nafi, and Ibn Amir read: "Or do they feel secure" with the waw being silent and the two hamzahs pronounced. Warsh from Nafi read: "Or do they feel secure" with the waw opened and the movement of the second hamzah placed upon it. This reading is in the meaning of the first, but it has been simplified. Aasim, Abu Amr, Hamzah, and Al-Kisai read: "Or do they feel secure" with the waw opened and the two hamzahs pronounced. The meaning of this reading is that the letter of inquiry has entered upon the conjunction, and the meaning of the first reading is that he has connected with "or" which is for one of two things, and the meaning is: Do they feel secure from this or that? Just as you say: "Did Zaid come or Amr?" And this is not the "or" that is for negation of the first, as when you say: "I stand or sit" while you intend to negate standing and affirm sitting. Our saying: the one that is for one of two things encompasses permission and choice, like your saying: "Sit with Hasan or Ibn Sirin," or your saying: "Sit with Hasan or sit with Ibn Sirin." And His saying: "they are playing" means: in a state of complete heedlessness and diversion. "The plan of Allah" is the addition of a created being to the Creator, as you say: "the she-camel of Allah," and "the house of Allah." What is meant is an action by which the rebellious disbelievers are punished, and it has been attributed to Allah because it is the punishment for sin. The Arabs name the punishment—whatever form it takes—by the name of the sin upon which the punishment was inflicted. This is a clear reference in His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And they plotted, and Allah plotted." [Al-Imran: 54] And this place also, as if their disbelief after the message and the appearance of the call of Allah is plotting, deception, and mockery. It is said that the wording has been treated—in such cases and others—without regard to the meaning, as in His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Allah mocks them" [Al-Baqarah: 15] and "Indeed, Allah does not tire until you tire" and other than that. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Did it not guide those who inherit the earth?" This verse has an alif of emphasis that has entered upon the conjunction. "Guides" means: clarifies and explains, and guidance is the morning. They recited upon that: Until I discerned the guidance and the herd was attacking... they swim in the waves, either naked or praying.

It is possible that the one who clarifies is Allah, the Most High. It is also possible that the one who clarifies is His saying: ﴿If We will﴾, meaning their knowledge of that. Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Ibn Zayd said: 'And He guides' means: it becomes clear. This is also a verse of warning, meaning: did it not become evident to the inheritors of the earth after those who have been mentioned and what happened to them that We are capable, if We wish, of striking them with a strike of destruction because of their sins, just as was done with those who preceded? And We would seal it, meaning We would stamp it with misery. In this expression, there is mention of the people whom He intended to mention, and a recounting of the blessing upon them in what they inherited, and a warning regarding the state of those who perished before. ﴿And We seal﴾ is a conjunction to (We struck them) since the intended meaning is the future. It is possible that 'And We seal' is an independent statement about the occurrence of the sealing, not that it is a threat. The threat remains regarding the destruction which is through punishment like the shout and drowning, and similar things. Abu Amr read: 'And We seal upon' by merging the 'ayn' into the 'ayn' and indicating the dammah, as mentioned by Abu Hatim.