Tafsir for verse: 18:55
وَمَا مَنَعَ ٱلنَّاسَ أَن يُؤۡمِنُوٓاْ إِذۡ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن تَأۡتِيَهُمۡ سُنَّةُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ قُبُلٗا ٥٥ ﴿55﴾
55The only thing that prevented people from believing, even after the guidance had come to them, and from seeking forgiveness from their Lord, is (their demand) that what used to come to the earlier people should come to them as well, or that the punishment should visit them face to face.
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Commentary

The first is in the accusative case. The second is in the nominative case, and before it is an omitted addition, its estimation being: 'And what prevented the people from believing and seeking forgiveness except the waiting for the coming of the tradition of the former ones,' which is destruction, or waiting for the punishment to come to them, meaning the punishment of the Hereafter, openly and visibly. And it has been recited 'qablan' in various ways: 'qablan 'ayyana.' And the reading 'qablan' can be with a kasra followed by a fatha. The second way is with two dammas, as indicated by the dictionaries. (A) It is the plural of 'qabīl.' And 'qablan' with two fathas means 'in the future.'

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